ArticlePloS one2019
A comparison study of anxiety in children undergoing brain MRI vs adults undergoing brain MRI vs children undergoing an electroencephalogram.
Article in PloS one, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.
- MRI for patients with autism: evaluating radiologic technologists' awareness and practice in Saudi healthcare settings.BMC medical education · 2026Article
- Biomarkers and Psychological Factors Associated with Distress in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults Undergoing MRI Neuroimaging: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies with Clinical Recommendations.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Clinical efficacy and safety evaluation of dexmedetomidine hydrochloride nasal spray for sedation before examinations in children aged 2 to 6 years: protocol for a randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2026Article
- Strategies to improve the magnetic resonance imaging experience for autistic individuals: a cross-sectional study exploring parents and carers' experiences.BMC health services research · 2023Article
- Testing a Home Solution for Preparing Young Children for an Awake MRI: A Promising Smartphone Application.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- The Efficacy of Virtual Reality Game Preparation for Children Scheduled for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Procedures (IMAGINE): Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR research protocols · 2022Article
- Sensitivity and Specificity of MRI in Diagnosing Concomitant Meniscal Injuries With Pediatric and Adolescent Acute ACL Tears.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2022Article
- The benefit of foresight? An ethical evaluation of predictive testing for psychosis in clinical practice.NeuroImage. Clinical · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain in children and adolescents is a well-established method in both clinical practice and in neuroscientific research. This practice is sometimes viewed critically, as MRI scans might expose minors (e.g. through scan-associated fears) to more than the legally permissible "minimal burden". While there is evidence that a significant portion of adults undergoing brain MRI scans experience anxiety, data on anxiety in children and adolescents undergoing brain MRI scans is rare. This study therefore aimed to examine the prevalence and level of anxiety in children and adolescents who had MRI scans of the brain, and to compare the results to adults undergoing brain MRI scans, and to children and adolescents undergoing electroencephalography (EEG; which is usually regarded a "minimal burden").
methodParticipants were 57 children and adolescents who had a brain MRI scan (MRI-C; mean age 12.9 years), 28 adults who had a brain MRI scan (MRI-A; mean age 43.7 years), and 66 children and adolescents undergoing EEG (EEG-C; mean age 12.9 years). Anxiety was assessed on the subjective (situational anxiety) and on the physiological level (arousal), before and after the respective examination.
resultsMore than 98% of children and adolescents reported no or only minimal fear during the MRI scan. Both pre- and post-examination, the MRI-C and the MRI-A groups did not differ significantly with respect to situational anxiety (p = 0.262 and p = 0.374, respectively), and to physiological arousal (p = 0.050, p = 0.472). Between the MRI-C and the EEG-C group, there were also no significant differences in terms of situational anxiety (p = 0.525, p = 0.875), or physiological arousal (p = 0.535, p = 0.189). Prior MRI experience did not significantly influence subjective or physiological anxiety parameters.
conclusionsIn this study, children and adolescents undergoing a brain MRI scan did not experience significantly more anxiety than those undergoing an EEG, or adults undergoing MRI scanning. Therefore, a general exclusion of minors from MRI research studies does not appear reasonable.
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