Brain MRI

A brain MRI, sometimes called a head MRI, is a painless, radiation-free procedure that captures clear pictures of your brain and reveals details about your skull and facial bones, eyes, ears, nerves and tissues.

A brain MRI can reveal a wide range of abnormalities, including:

• Abnormal growths or masses
• Fluid leaks
• Hemorrhage (bleeding in your brain)
• Inflammation
• Structural issues
• White matter disease

If your doctor is looking for something specific in your scan, they may order a brain MRI with contrast. For these exams, we inject the contrast material gadolinium into your bloodstream through an IV in your hand or arm. Gadolinium changes the magnetic properties of water in your brain to produce clearer, more specific images.

A brain MRI with contrast makes it easier to see:

• Blood supply to certain organs
• Blood vessels
• Inflammation
• Tumors

A brain MRI can help your doctor diagnose any new neurological symptoms you experience. They may also use the exam to monitor any changes in your existing condition.

These scans can diagnose or monitor a wide range of conditions, including:

• Blood clots in your brain
• Brain aneurysm
• Brain development problems, such as Chiari malformation
• Brain hemorrhage
• Brain tumors
• Dementia
• Hearing loss
• Hydrocephalus
• Migraine
• Multiple sclerosis
• Pituitary gland problems
• Seizures
• Stroke
• Traumatic brain injury
• Vertigo
• Vision problems
• Weakness

A brain MRI can last between 30 minutes and more than an hour. If you get nervous in small spaces, we can give you medication to help you relax.

For the exam, your technologist will position you on a moveable table and put a head coil — a special helmet-like device — around your head. Then, they will slide you into the MRI machine before stepping into another room. You can talk to them by microphone. You will need to lie as still as possible because any movement can blur your images.

During the scan, the magnetic field uses radio waves and the hydrogen atoms in your body to create and capture cross-sectional images much like slices of bread. There are no moving parts to the machine, and you won’t feel the radio waves or the magnetic field. However, the MRI machine makes loud tapping and thumping sounds. Wearing earplugs or listening to music can help reduce the noise.

After the exam is complete, you can return to your normal activities immediately. If you received medication to relax during the procedure, you will need to wait for the effects to wear off.

One of our specially trained radiologists will evaluate your images and send a report to your doctor. After reviewing the report, your doctor will contact you to discuss your results.