On August 23, 2006, I was a test subject for an MRI head scan.  The scan began at 7:30 PM and ended around 11:30 PM. Typical scans usually last a maximum of 2 hours, but they wanted to test a scanning protocol for an experiment prior to recruiting patients. The protocol included the acquisition of fMRI and MRI images. During the fMRI phase of the scan, I participated in a Stroop test, which involved tapping my finger upon visualizing a cue. My other time in the scanner was spent laying still while structural MRI images were acquired with various MRI pulse sequences.
 
yumMy Brain
Overall, it was a pleasant experience. I was warned that the scanner was cramped and loud.  It was a small space, but it didn’t bother me so much- it was actually kind of relaxing. The noise was pretty loud. Lots of clicks, pops, and crackles, but they gave me earplugs and packed my head in with pillows to suppress some of the noise. I got paid $75 for my participation which was nice. Plus, I contributed to science. However, the best part was that I got to keep my MRI images, which I dutifully made some short videos with. There’s 3 videos on this page. Click them to play them and see my super brain!