National News

NEW YORK — Magnetic resonance imaging, a diagnostic tool that scans the body using powerful magnets, has revolutionized modern medicine in the 30 years since it was introduced. The scanners can find tumors and other medical problems before they become deadly.

As with many things, though, the solution sometimes creates problems of its own. In this case, it is MRI claustrophobia, in which patients having an MRI are seized by anxiety attacks so severe that they sometimes try to crawl out of the machine or require anti-anxiety drugs to get through the scans. Some patients are so afraid they refuse medically necessary scans.

“I was feeling anxious about getting in the car and even going there,” said Kim Blarimore, a 55-year-old from Columbus, Ga., of an MRI scan three years ago. “The thought of being stuck in that chamber made me sick.” As her breathing became shallow, the MRI technicians tried to talk her through it, to no avail. Only the anti-anxiety drug Xanax, prescribed by her doctor for this eventuality, was of any help.

MRI practitioners say they frequently see similar reactions. One 1998 study by the department of psychology at the University of British Columbia examined the level of fear induced in 80 adults undergoing their first MRIs; 25 percent experienced moderate to severe anxiety.

Technicians don't have much time to head off such incidents. “Most panic attacks begin with the patient screaming, 'Get me out of here!' and then trying to crawl out of the unit,” said Dr. Steven Sommerville of NEWisconsin MRI Center in Green Bay, Wis. “Worried patients start to breathe erratically. As less oxygen goes to the brain, the patient's heart rate goes up and they become hot and sweaty.”

The latest generation of MRI scanners has larger openings than earlier versions of the device, which were shaped like tubes and were a tight fit for many patients. (Although more open scanners began to be available a decade ago, the images were not as reliable.)

The Fonar Group, which introduced the first-ever commercial MRI in 1980, has now developed the Upright MRI scanner, which allows patients to simply walk in and be scanned. The company, based in Melville, N.Y., has dubbed its product “The Only True Open MRI” and claims that the image resolution is far better than earlier machines.

“With regards to spinal imaging, our scanner is better than conventional MRI,” said Dan Culver, a spokesman for Fonar. “The only area where our images aren't as clear is with the vascular system.” The Upright MRI scanner has had a dramatic effect on people suffering from claustrophobia. With conventional MRIs, one in five people refused scans, the firm's studies showed. “With our open scanner, that figure has nearly dropped to zero,” Culver said.