Scanning Dos and Don’ts: Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Awake Young Children (3- to 5-years) to Assess Brain Structure and Function

Early childhood (3- to 5-years of age) is a period marked by significant developmental changes in the brain. This development underlies age-related improvements in several domains – including language, memory, and socioemotional skills. However, assessing changes in brain structure and function during this period using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) poses several challenges. For example, difficulty remaining still, maintaining attention for long periods and non-compliance in performing behavioral responses in the scanner are particularly prevalent issues. Technological advances in neuroimaging techniques over the past decade have significantly improved success rates for pediatric neuroimaging studies. For example, shorter scan durations and real-time monitoring and correction of motion during scanning have proven especially valuable in acquiring reliable data. However, developmental researchers must still be creative in order to adequately prepare young participants for the scanning environment and, subsequently, ensure the data acquired can be used to address the questions of interest. The success of these sessions has become paramount with the onset of large, multi-site consortium studies such as the HEALthy Child and Brain Development study, which seek to track normative and atypical brain development across the first ten years of life. To this end, the current report provides a pediatric neuroimaging protocol to improve young children’s scanning experience and developmental neuroimaging data quality.