title: Reactions of young children to the MRI scanner environment.
abstract: Seventy children aged 2 to 7 years were exposed to the MRI environment through a series of steps typical of a research study. Their willingness to proceed through the process was used to estimate the prevalence of fear. Thirty-seven children (53%; 95% confidence interval [41%, 65%]) completed the approach sequence. Although the correlation of child age in months (Mean (M) = 60.1, standard deviation = 16.5, N = 70) and highest successful step (M = 5.8, standard deviation = 2.6, 95% confidence interval [5.2, 6.4]) completed was not statistically significant at the 0.05 level, r (68) = 0.21, P = 0.08, 95% confidence interval [-0.03, 0.42], the proportion of children aged 6-7 years who successfully completed all steps (14 of 21, 67%, 95% confidence interval [50%, 84%]) was significantly different from the proportion of children aged 2-3 years who completed all steps (six of 23, 26%, 95% confidence interval [11%, 41%]) (Fisher's exact test, two-tailed P = 0.0148). A failure rate of at least 50% should be included into group size calculations when performing studies with young children (2-7 years), in addition to motion and other experimental factors.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biodiagnostics, National Research Council of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. kris.malisza@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
authors.forename: Krisztina L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Malisza
authors.forename: Toby
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shiloff
authors.forename: Dickie C T
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*