CSF protects the brain and spinal cord from injury by acting like a liquid cushion. CSF is usually obtained through a lumbar puncture (spinal tap). During the procedure,   more »

Cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) is a clear fluid that circulates in the space surrounding the spinal cord and brain. CSF protects the brain and spinal cord from injury by acting like a liquid cushion.   more »

A lumbar puncture, or spinal tap, is a procedure to collect cerebrospinal fluid to check for the presence of disease or injury. A spinal needle is inserted, usually between the 3rd and 4th lumbar vertebrae in the lower spine. Once the needle is   more »

kept thinking that ‘Lumbar Puncture’ sounded so ominous. I knew that lumbar meant the spinal cord and that puncture meant hole. I wondered who would knowingly want to have someone create a hole in any area of their spinal cord. Then I   more »

The fact that MRI systems do not use ionizing radiation is a comfort to many patients, as is the fact that MRI contrast materials have a very low incidence of side effects. Another major advantage of MRI is its ability to image in any plane. CT is   more »

Most imaging modalities use injectable contrast, or dyes, for certain procedures. MRI is no different. What is different is the type of contrast we use,   more »

When I was booked for my lumbar puncture the neurologist’s nurse said “Drink a lot of coke during the day before your lumbar puncture, as well as on the day you have your lumbar puncture, in the morning before you actually have it”. She continued, “The more coke you drink the better it will be afterwards.” She also   more »

The human body is made up of untold billions of atoms, the fundamental building blocks of all matter. The nucleus of an atom spins, or precesses, on an axis. You can think of the nucleus of an atom   more »

The human body is made up of untold billions of atoms, the fundamental building blocks of all matter. The nucleus of an atom spins, or precesses, on an axis. You can think of the nucleus   more »

A very uniform, or homogeneous, magnetic field of incredible strength and stability is critical for high-quality imaging. It forms the main magnetic field. Magnets like those described above make this   more »

Resistive magnets consist of many windings or coils of wire wrapped around a cylinder or bore   more »

Prior to allowing a patient or support staff member into the scan room, he or she is thoroughly screened for metal objects. Up to this point, we have only talked about external   more »

To understand how MRI works, let's start by focusing on the "magnetic" in MRI. The biggest and most important component in an MRI system is the magnet. The magnet in an MRI system   more »

If you have ever seen an MRI machine, you know that the basic design used in most is a giant cube. The cube in a typical system might be 7 feet tall by 7 feet wide by 10 feet long (2 m by 2 m by 3 m), although new models are rapidly shrinking. There is a horizontal tube running through the   more »

On July 3, 1977, an event took place that would forever alter the landscape of modern medicine. Outside the medical research community, this event made scarcely a ripple at first. This event was the first MRI exam ever performed on   more »