Pandawan Adventure

*Magnetic Resonance Imaging

• Teach children the safety rules in an MRI environment.

• Allow children to get familiar with an MRI scanner in order to control their fears (feelings of anxiety and/or claustrophobia).

• Teach children to not move their heads during scans to ensure proper image acquisition.

• 30% of pediatric MRI scans are unusable (due to incomplete scans, or excessive motion).

• 50% of pediatric MRI exams are sedated.

• Sedation is risky, and scan duration lasts 2.5 times longer.

• MRI decoration and mock scanners cannot be used in a research context because of emotional induction.  

A VR application is the only way to train anywhere (at home, research laboratory, hospital) and to fully prepare children before an MRI scan (get familiar with MRI environment and security rules, train specifically to avoid head motions).

• 6x 6-12 years old children were asked to train in the VR during 20 minutes and then to do an MRI scan during 5 minutes.

• Feelings of children (comfort, fears, claustrophobia) before and after the VR training and after the MRI scan were recorded. Head movements and gaze directions were also recorded during the VR training.

• Outcome: children have successfully learned MRI security rules and to avoid head motions during scans thanks to the dedicated VR training. 

• The reduction of anxiety and claustrophobia thanks to the VR training needs to be confirmed with a larger population. Scientific literature already demonstrated VR is helpful to treat many phobias such as claustrophobia.

• A full version of the VR application (including a specific task based on eye-tracking to train to avoid head motions) already exists for hospitals and research laboratories.

• A new version of the application for smartphones is under development to allow children to train in VR at home without the need of a VR headset.