Iichiro Osawa1, Takako Aoki1, Takashi Ushimi1, Kaiji Inoue1, Junji Tanaka1, and Mamoru Niitsu1
To avoid motion
artifacts, neonates often require anesthesia during MRI scans. However, this
procedure increases the risk of adverse events such as respiratory depression.
We developed a body holding device to minimize motion without anesthesia and examined
nine low-birth-weight neonates, comparing MR image quality between
unanesthetized and anesthetized conditions. The device is based on a modified
spinal immobilizer and is easily handled with a short setup time. We obtained
structural images during natural sleep uneventfully, preserving the image
quality. In summary, the body holder can reduce the motion of neonates safely
and improve image quality.