Exclusion Criteria for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Studies

General: Any subject is excluded from brain imaging studies if they have any contraindications to MRI such as cardiac pacemaker, aneurysm clip, cochlear implants, pregnancy in the later stages (because of body size and limited comfort for MRI studies), IUD, shrapnel, history of metal fragments in eyes, neurostimulators, weight of 250 lbs. or more, or claustrophobia.

An fMRI scan typically takes from one to two hours. During this period you must remain still on a comfortable padded table that goes inside of a large tube that is the imaging magnet. You will wear earplugs because the scanner is loud while it is working, and we will make you comfortable with pillows and a blanket before you go in the scanner. No one else will be in the scanner room with you because extra people moving around can affect the pictures. You will be able to talk to the technician at any time through an intercom. Because of the powerful magnetic field, you must not bring any metal into the room. For your comfort, we suggest the following:

• You will be asked to remove all jewelry, hair ornaments, watches, studs, and anything else that is metal. We will provide a locker for you to store your personal items in, but it is best not to bring jewelry with you. If you wear glasses, we will provide special glasses for you to wear in the scanner that have no metal parts. If you wear colored contact lenses then we will ask you to remove them before the scan and wear the glasses we provide. This is because there can be metal in the lenses themselves that add their color.
• Wear loose-fitting, comfortable, clothing with no metal parts. Sweat pants and sweat shirt are ideal. Some bras have metal parts; if you are wearing a bra with underwires or metal hooks you will be asked to take it off before the scan.
• If you have tattoos, braces, non-removable body jewelry, a pacemaker, or any other possibility of metal in your body then you should not have an MRI scan for research purposes; please speak to our staff if you have any question about whether or not you should participate in a study.
• In rare cases, certain types of eye makeup - especially eye liners - may cause problems with the MR images. This is especially true for "glitter". We generally recommend that you come without makeup to avoid having to remove it for the scan.
• You should not have an fMRI scan if you have any history of metal in your eyes. Sometimes people have worked in a metal working shop, which is a common way for metal to get embedded in the eyes.
• For your comfort, avoid drinking coffee, large volumes of fluid or taking diuretics for several hours before your scan since you will not be able to use the restroom for the duration of the scan (1-2 hours). For the same reason, we generally recommend that you use the rest room shortly before going into the scanner.
• Please read the patient screening form carefully, but do not sign it until you have spoken with the investigator requesting your participation.
• Rarely, people feel very uncomfortable, or claustrophobic, as a result of lying alone inside of the physically confining magnet bore. You will be able to communicate with our staff during the scan by an intercom and we will take you out of the scanner if you so request. If you become very uncomfortable in confined places like elevators, small crowded rooms etc, it may be very difficult or impossible for you to stay in the scanner for the study. If so, please talk about this with our staff since participation may not be possible.
• If something happens that would make it difficult for you to stay awake while lying in the scanner (head cold or sinus infection with antihistamines, having College finals or some other cause of inadequate sleep the day or two before the scan, taking medications that make you sleepy) please call to reschedule your appointment.

If, for any reason, you are unable to make your appointment, please let us know as soon as possible. The telephone number at the scanner is 312-355-4365 and the telephone number for the Center for Cognitive Medicine is 312-996-7206. We have to pay for the scheduled time in the MR scanner regardless of whether it is used.

Please note that you will be asked to sign an informed consent, a neurological screening questionnaire and a safety screen, in addition to answering other questions.