lots of hope with new MRI technology

[anaishunter]

The additional brain details provided by 11T should hopefully reveal new ms mysteries. Can't wait for this to be available to all of us ms'ers.

I don't even know the type of MRI I get.

healthcare-in-europe.com/en...

[kdali]

Fun! It would be nice to know several of the things this could offer. Lithium is interesting, I found out that it is (a natural element in water) filtered out of my water and probably a good idea to have a little. I went down a glucose hypo metabolism hole a few weeks ago. Gray matter damage would be nice to know. I wonder if the stronger machines sound like more pots and pans banging 🤣 Welcome to the stage, toddler kitchen symphony!

20 years of research with it 🤔 I heard about a 7 not too far from me, research use only, a few years ago but they didn't want my brain in it. Makes me wonder how long the T3 was around before being used for patients. Towards the end of this article it says some MS patients were found to have something "entirely different": mayoclinic.org/medical-prof...

Here's a funny. I can go to a T2 at the university hospital, or T3 at an unaffiliated clinic for $1500 less 🤷‍♀️🤣

[Kenu in reply to kdali]

Yes technology is helping all of us to try and stay ahead of the game. Hopefully this becomes available to all of us soon 🙏. I have been lucky with no new lesions for ten years and old ones not active 🤞🏼 I am still dealing with all the side effects that plague us but my ms is in the slow progression phase 🙏😉💕

[CV97 in reply to kdali]

My brain was scanned in a 7T last year as part of a research project. It was much quieter than the others I had been in. It was much tighter too!The sounds were definitely more muted & it had a fun stage that jiggled my shoulders/head for several minutes! They did offer to play a movie for me to watch, but I declined. I was afraid it would be distracting & I'd move too much.

One day, they will release the anonymized images as part of a database available for free public use.

[kdali in reply to CV97]

This sounds lovely!! 🎉

[CatsandCars in reply to CV97]

The jiggling sounds like something out of a screwball comedy! 😂

[CV97 in reply to CatsandCars]

Ha! It was definitely interesting! The tech warned me about it before going in. They didn't want people freaking out in the middle of it 😂😂

[CatsandCars in reply to kdali]

The pricing is interesting! I suspect most people, myself included, don't even know to ask which kind they're getting. I take it the T3 is better? I will have to keep that in mind.

[kdali in reply to CatsandCars]

It can detect a little more. I didn't know what I was getting when I changed locations, but I believe my neuro ordered it specifically and she knew the location she was sending me to had the machine.

[CatsandCars in reply to kdali]

That's good! I do know that the place I go gets new machines periodically, because for a while the scans kept getting faster over time. Hopefully they were upgrading! 😊

[kdali in reply to CatsandCars]

It should say on the report if it was a Tesla 1.5 or 3 scanner. I don't think mine was any faster, but I do have the extra time for contrast. I wish they would paste a where's Waldo or something fun in the tube 🤣

[CatsandCars in reply to kdali]

Great idea! 🤣

[CV97 in reply to CatsandCars]

My last scan was in a newer 1.5T machine that I had never been in before. Usually they are done in an older 3T machine. I asked my neuro about the images to make sure they were fine. She said they were good, so the newer machine/newer software must work well enough. The strength is usually posted on the front of the machine somewhere.

[CatsandCars in reply to CV97]

So I have to look for a badge, like when I'm wondering which kind of car that is over there! 😂😂

[CV97 in reply to CatsandCars]

They have started giving them model names, like cars, so you might have to look it up later. This is the beauty I was in - the Siemens Magnetom Terra. bic.beckman.illinois.edu/ma...

7T MRI Machine - Magnetom Terra at Carle/Beckman Institute.

[CatsandCars in reply to CV97]

I never thought I would say this, but that is a sexy MRI machine! 🤣🤣🤣

[CV97 in reply to CatsandCars]

😂😂😂 Right! 😂😂😂

[carolek572 CommunityAmbassador]

Interesting, anaishunter ! I cannot wait for the day where we can get an MRI by walking through a machine like the one at airport security!

[CatsandCars]

That's pretty cool; thank you for sharing the article. Someday that will add an interesting twist to the do-I, or do-I-not want to know what's going on inside my brain dilemma. I think I want to know...

[CatsandCars in reply to CatsandCars]

The difference in those images is really shocking!

[CV97 in reply to CatsandCars]

My MS specialist said she didn't actually recommend using the 7T for clinical use with her patients. She said the 7T scans can seem alarming because they reveal so much that's not usually seen with the lower powered machines.

[CatsandCars in reply to CV97]

Alarming to the patient or the doctor? 😁 Seriously, that is interesting. Thank you!

[CV97 in reply to CatsandCars]

Probably fascinating for a MS specialist but alarming for a patient or doctor who doesn't know as much about what MRIs typically show.

[CatsandCars in reply to CV97]

I think if the docs told us ahead of time, "This shows way more detail, so don't be alarmed that you're going to see more," most people would understand. I personally wish doctors would trust us with information more often, especially when we ask questions. But that's a whole different subject! 😉

[CV97 in reply to CatsandCars]

Access to a 7T so limited since there are so few machines available. It'll probably be quite some time before they are used to diagnose or evaluate MS.

I won't receive my actual scans from the study, so my MS Specialist will never get to compare them to my 3T scans anyway.

It was still a cool experience to be in the machine & participate in the study!

[CatsandCars in reply to CV97]

It will be neat when it happens. It's too bad you won't get use your scans, but I'm so happy for you that you were able to help them figure out how the technology can help patients. It does sound like it was an amazing experience!😁

[ahrogers]

We have 1.5 and 3 available here. I ask for the 3 when I get them even though it is a farther drive.

[mrsmike9]

Wow! I wonder if all these had contrast or not.

[CV97 in reply to mrsmike9]

I can't really recall a year later, but I think they gave me contrast when I did it since it was part of the research study. I want to say they said the 7T doesn't need contrast in some scenarios, but I'm not certain now.