Why do I need one?

"Open MRI" technology has been available for many years. The open MRI machines are more comfortable, less confining, and less noisy than closed MRI machines. So you may wonder why your doctor still requires you to get your MRI study in a closed system.

Your doctor has good reasons to request the more confining closed system. He or she is not subjecting you to unnecessary discomfort! Closed MRIs use a stronger magnet (one with a higher field strength), which allows for more detailed images that depict thinner "slices" of your brain. The brain is an intricate and extraordinarily complex organ. Highly detailed images are necessary to evaluate it. Seizures can originate from or be caused by quite small (or large) abnormal areas in the brain, from tumors, blood vessel abnormalities, abnormal development, or injury. The closed MRI system helps your doctor to see the small, subtle abnormalities in your brain that may be causing your seizure activity.

MRI technology has advanced greatly since it was introduced in the early 1980s. The first machines enclosed your total body in the tunnel-shaped magnet. Now most machines only enclose the area from your head to your knees. With further advances in MRI technology, the future may bring open MRIs that have magnets with the kind of strength that will let people with epilepsy enjoy a more comfortable MRI experience.

Reviewed and revised March 2004 by Ruben Kuzniecky, MD, epilepsy.com Editorial Board.