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Abstract #5020

Using Respiratory Biofeedback Games in Pediatric MRI Examinations to Increase Patient Comfort and Facilitate Scanning a Pilot Study

Lena Douglas1, Rose-Marie Claesson2, Bo Ehnmark2, Thrstur Finnbogason2, Anna-Mrta Lng2, Bo Nordell1, Morten Bruvold3, Jouke Smink3, Permjit Jhooti4

1Department of Medical Physics, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden; 2Department of Pediatric Radiology, Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden; 3Philips Healthcare, Best, Netherlands; 4Radiological Physics, University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland


MRI examinations of pediatric patients can be challenging partly because many children have difficulties in lying still. The aim of this work is to introduce in respiratory controlled sequences a biofeedback game in which the child can control the flight of an airplane on a screen through the diaphragm position, as registered by standard navigator echoes. Given a task to focus on children are less likely to move during scanning leading to less motion artifacts. When playing the game the breathing pattern also becomes smoother with a more regular end-expiratory position, leading to more efficient and shorter examinations.