Can You Do an Open MRI of the Brain?
An open MRI is the sort of machine used to take the images. An open MRI for the brain is a painless procedure that produces particularly clear images of the components inside your head, including your brain. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a highly effective and generally safe imaging technique used by healthcare providers for a variety of reasons. If you need a brain MRI scan and have concerns about the exam or have questions about it, please contact Dr. Eric Feldmann, MD at Mosaic Diagnostic Imaging. He is available to answer questions and provide help. For more information, contact us or schedule an appointment online. We are conveniently located at 165 N Village Ave Suite 116 Rockville Centre, NY 11570.


Table of Contents:
Can you do an open MRI of the brain?
Is an open MRI of the brain as good as a closed MRI?
How do they do an open MRI of the brain?
How do you get a brain MRI if you are claustrophobic?
One of the most anxiety-inducing components of getting an MRI scan is the fact that patients must be enclosed in a small tube remaining completely still for the entire duration of the scan. Open MRI scans allow for patients to no longer be so enclosed, significantly reducing the need for medications or sedatives that are frequently used to increase patients comfort during the process, allowing for fewer side effects and risks that are associated with those medications.
There are many brain-related conditions that can be effectively diagnosed using an open or upright MRI scan. This type of brain scan would be used to diagnose or rule out potential causes for a variety of head-related symptoms including head injuries, brain tumors, strokes, dementia, ear and nasal problems, fluid build-up, and much more. Open MRI scans of the brain are also able to provide imaging of the blood vessels, making it clear to determine if there are any problems with the blood vessels within the brain that may be indicative of haemorrhaging or a stroke. Open and upright MRI scans are able to provide clearer results than many of the other parts of the body’s when being scanned through an open MRI machine.
Generally speaking, a closed MRI scan will be able to provide clearer images of the majority of the parts of the body and provides these images much faster than an open MRI scan due to stronger magnetic field that is used, but when using the MRI scans for the brain, an open MRI is able to have the patient positioned a bit more easily than with other parts of the body to achieve a good angle for imaging. Specific pros of the open MRI machine include significantly increased comfort due to the sides of the machine being open during the scanning, allowing for patients with anxiety or claustrophobia to feel much more comfortable emotionally during the scan, but also making the scan itself much more accessible to patients who have a larger body type or have a physical impairment that makes the closed MRI machines impossible to use. That being said, closed MRI scans are able to diagnose a wider range of conditions than the open scans due to the higher-quality images being produced. With the increased accessibility of the open MRI scan, it is sometimes the best or only option available to achieve a clear image of the brain and can be very effective in diagnosing the cause of a variety of symptoms.
A scan of the brain using an open and upright MRI machine requires that the patient be in a seated position and is wearing a device on their head known as a coil. This device functions as an antenna that is receiving radio-frequency signals from the patients’ body and transmits the information to a computer to help generate clear images. The coil also is fairly open, allowing for the patient to have a line of sight to a television for them to watch during the procedure and have a line of sight to the technician in case they require anything from them while the scanning is taking place. The technician may also need to administer a contrasting agent to help provide a clearer image of the areas being examined.
Closed MRI machines are the traditional and more well-known method to getting an MRI scan completed, but more recently open/upright MRI scanning machines have been developed that come in a variety of configurations. All of the configurations of an open/upright MRI scan allow the patient to no longer be entirely enclosed in a tunnel with clear visibility to the rest of the room which provides them with the ability to speak directly with the technician. Most open and upright MRI machines look like a three-walled cubicle with curved walls and have patients situated so that they are facing outwards, having clear visibility throughout the entire procedure. These configurations all ensure that patients experience significantly less anxiety and is particularly useful for patients who are claustrophobic or had physical limitations that prevented them from safely using a closed MRI machine.
Mosaic Diagnostic Imaging provides a flexible, pleasant, low-stress Open brain MRI experience in Rockville Centre NY and surrounding areas. For more information, contact us or schedule an appointment online. We are conveniently located at 165 N Village Ave Suite 116 Rockville Centre, NY 11570. We serve patients from Rockville Centre NY, Lakeview NY, Baldwin NY, Malverne NY, Lynbrook NY, Hempstead NY, West Hempstead NY, South Hempstead NY, North Lynbrook NY, East Meadow NY, Oceanside NY and surrounding areas.

Additional Services

Additional Services