I posted a few weeks back that I had to abort my MRI because it was so uncomfortable lying on the table with the cage and my head and neck wedged in an extended position.

This looks good http://www.uprightmri.co.uk/

They mention in their spiel that for some conditions siting MRI's actual give better results

The upright MRI is only a 0.6 Tesla magnet. It will not show small damage.

While I agree that they were not available in the past.

The SWI 1.5 T is available in Open Air MRI's now, and hopefully will become more readily available in facilities in the future for TBI clients.

Search for : Open Siemens Espree 1.5T magnet MRI in Google > is already being used in facilities in Kentucky, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, New York, Wisconsin, Texas, and Melbourne, and I just couldn't look up Europe or UK to figure them out, but Siemen's is everywhere.

The facilities are hospitals and outpatient facilities - so management is getting the picture of the needs.

Please keep it in mind, write it down, if the "tube" bothers you particularly, have the family help you, and ask the doctor's team to help you set it up - its worth the trip.

Good luck.

I wonder what is expected to be imaged at even 1.5 Tesla MRI's? The damage from a concussion is not imageable until the MRI gets to a 6 or 7 Tesla magnetic field.

Concussion - Thanks. I was little surprised it was good they have open MRIs with 1.5 T :) But Open MRIs are different than Open Bore MRIs.

The Siemens MAGNETOM Espree High-Field 1.5T MRI is the only Open Bore (tube) MRI that combines expansive patient comfort with no compromise in scan power.

Even though it is open bore you still be in a tube but both sides are open. First one I went has only one side open and sure freaked me out. Now they come out with 3T MRIs with open bore. So why go for 1.5T when 3T available and if you can tolerate the tube.

Siemens is a pioneer in 3T MRI technology, offering:
The first 70 cm, Open Bore 3T MRI
Tim4G+Dot for high image quality and consistency

For some one who cannot tolerate any tubes then the option is
Open MRI.

Open MRIs has no bore in it. You can view it here.

http://www.marylandopenmri.com/


Cheers!

Whether it is a 1.5 T or a 3 T MRI, it still does not image the fine damage of a concussion. It will possibly show some residual bleed areas.

The value of an MRI is to rule out other causes for neurological problems.

A Diffusion Tensor Image ( special type of MRI ) can show some issues.

An MRI/MRA can show vascular structure. A PET or SPECT scan can also show some interesting images but still is not of high value for PCS. I have had all of the above images done.

A better test might be for Tau protein or S100b protein. These are not routine tests. I have only heard of them used in research.

PCSLife, is that Open MRI in Washington a 3T, because I had not found one in my locale in Maryland, could only find 1.5T; if so, I have no problems traveling to it when needed. Thanks.

Mark, I agree, the higher Teslas are much better, its just going to come down to the facilities moving off the buck, and public concerns/ safety managements addressing the ongoing/growing concerns on safety issues sprouting around more and more use of MRI by practitioners.

Have they been using the protein testing more and more in TBI , I haven't been involved with that arena, its been more with Neurology and Alzheimer studies from my recollection.

Medication, and what little family time I can handle............. take care.

The Tau or S100b protein test just indicates an injury.

My point is that imaging, even when it is with a high strength magnet, does not change the fact that there is nothing that can be done. Imaging is just a tool for screening out other causes of mental struggles. In rare cases, it may be able to show an inner ear injury.

If they are trying to diagnose a structural injury to the neck, the imaging may be helpful. But, research shows that spinal/cervical injury has little relation to images taken except in the obvious injuries. The finer injuries are a struggle to identify. It may be a problem with the radiologists' skills. It's like the fight between spinal surgeons and chiropractors. Each discount the need for the other.

Concussion: Yes, it is 3T MRI at Arlington Hospital Center. Seems like you can even read a book in this open bore MRI and can accommodate large patients too. Nice !!

http://www.virginiahospitalcenter.co..._bore_mri.aspx

If you really into 7T you go to clinicaltrials.gov and search for 7T and you can see trials going on for many conditions even at NIH Bethesda, MD.

I can get a 7T MRI if I go Philadelphia where my friend works but as Mark pointed out not much can be done in my case. I had a brain contusion and brain softening (minimal encephalomalacia at temporal and very minimal at frontal) which still can be seen with 1.5T MRI and I suffer with PCS symptoms on a daily basis. For conditions like Perilymph Fistula it may be helpful since current MRI is not that powerful to show any damage. I am sure for some other conditions 7T MRIs can be useful!

I took a CT scan few months ago (due to panic attacks, pain etc.,) which didn't show anything at all and report looks perfect. This is the same place where they found bleeding 3 years ago. So who ever wants to take some imaging after few weeks/months it is best to go for MRI than CT scan (based on my personal experience :))


Cheers.

Thanks Mark,

I did think of closing my eyes because I have learnt to deal with other stresses in the same way. I am good at sorting thinks out in my head rather than on paper, therefore my artistic job.

I think Im recovered from the MRI but yes it needed acute vision to spot the suspected problem the doctors believe I have, they said often even an MRI will not pick it up. Do you know of a more intense scanning process that may detect a detached ligament in my neck?