What is a behavioral study?
A behavioral study looks at how you respond to different experimental stimuli. This involves making responses to images or words on a computer, kind of like a video game, or completing questionnaires and surveys. Behavioral studies are designed to observe and examine a variety of cognitive or emotional processes, such as decision-making, emotional control, and attention. During a behavioral session, we may ask you to perform a number of different computer tasks to best test our hypothesis.
What is fMRI?
fMRI stands for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging or functional MRI. Functional MRI is a non-invasive method that measures changes in brain activity based on blood oxygenation levels in the brain (the Blood Oxygen Level Dependent, or BOLD, signal). Researchers can use this to help identify regions of the brain that are associated with different behaviors or psychiatric conditions. fMRI is similar to MRI and is performed in the same machine.
What are the risks of fMRI?
The risks associated with fMRI are small and very similar to MRI. Both fMRI and MRI are non-invasive and do not involve any radiation or injections. However, there are certain precautions that need to be taken. It can be dangerous to have metal in the MRI machine, as certain metals can heat up or become displaced due to the magnetic field. Although many metals are safe in the MRI machine, ferromagnetic metals (metals with iron) are not allowed. If you believe you have any type of metal in your body, you should discuss this with the experimenter and your physician to determine if it is safe for you to participate.
You may also not want to participate in an MRI study if you are claustrophobic. The scanner is a tube-like machine in which you will lie down without moving while performing the computer task. If you aren't sure how you would feel about it, we have a "mock scanner" that you can test out to see if you would be comfortable. We can also play music during certain parts of the scan to make you feel more calm.
As a safety precaution, we do not allow pregnant or nursing women in the scanner.
I have metal in my body. Can I still participate?
Depending on the type of metal you have in your body, you may still be able to enter the scanner. Contact us with specific questions regarding the type of metal you have.
If the metal in your body is not MRI safe, you will not be able to participate in our fMRI studies. However, you may still be able to participate in our behavioral studies.
Will I be comfortable in the MRI scanner?
We do our best to make participants as comfortable as possible in the scanner. Both a study researcher and an MRI technician will be present throughout the scan. You will be given an emergency button that you can press if you wish to stop the scan at any time. You will also be provided with noise-cancelling headphones or ear plugs to help reduce the sounds of the machine.
While many individuals are able to enter the scanner without any trouble, the scanner environment is not for recommended for everyone.
If you are unsure how you would handle being inside the scanner, we do offer participants the opportunity to simulate the experience in a “mock scanner” environment.
Can I get the results of my fMRI?
We can provide you with a picture of your brain! All of our scans are reviewed by a radiologist and you will be contacted if anything of concern is detected. However, it is important to understand that the scans we perform do not provide any diagnostic information about psychiatric disorders and are not of the same quality as a scan you might get at your doctor's office. Although our brain scans aren't appropriate for clinical (non-research) purposes, many people enjoy getting pictures of their brains because it is pretty neat to see inside your head.
The study I’m interested in says it requires a psychiatric evaluation. What does that involve?
Some of our studies involve a psychiatric evaluation or assessment, which we use to find out more about our patients' primary symptoms and concerns. During the evaluation, a trained clinical evaluator will ask you a series of personal questions regarding psychiatric and medical history. Depending on what study you are participating in and what is going on in your life, this can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours.
Please note: All your responses are kept confidential and are linked to a code number at not your name. Even if you are not considered “eligible” for a study following the evaluation, you will still be compensated for the time you spent up until that point.
Will I be compensated for my time?
All individuals are compensated for time spent participating in our studies. If you are determined not to be eligible for full participation, you will still be compensated for the time you spent with the study team up until that point.
Will you keep my information private?
All of our studies are approved by the Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) at both study locations. As part of this approval, we commit to keeping your private health information confidential and to share it with as few people as possible. Only approved study team members will have access to information about you. The vast majority of the study data (brain scans, questionnaires, answers to psychiatric evaluations) are stored with a code number and do not contain information that could identify you. The identifying information that we do keep (name and contact information) is the minimum amount necessary and is stored separately from all the other data in password-protected files on encrypted password-protected servers that are specifically dedicated to securely storing private information on research participants.