Exclusion criteria exist for 1) safety and 2) experimental design purposes. The safety criteria are inflexible and standard, and apply to every study. Individual studies may have separate, idiosyncratic requirements (age, handedness, language exposure). This page is concerned with safety criteria.
Must be at least 18 years of age and able to provide informed consent
You must complete a safety checklist (see below) that is designed to identify metal in your body that could pose a hazard during scanning. Some forms of metal are acceptable (e.g., dental fillings after 1970).
Tattoos are generally not exclusionary, unless they have been inked with metallic dyes. Contact the study coordinator/researcher prior to scanning and notify them of any that may be an issue.
All metal must be removed from your body, especially eyeglasses, wristwatches, jewelry, and shirts with metal fasteners near your head (e.g., zippers).
If your vision requires correction, it is preferred that you wear contact lenses, though some plastic framed glasses are available at HUP6.
All body piercings MUST be able to be removed
All female subjects, prior to scanning, are required by the hospital to complete a pregnancy test
Must NOT be claustrophobic or have a history of claustrophobia
Ideally, the subject should not have taken a COX-1 inhibitor medication (e.g., NSAIDS like ibuprofen) in the prior 24 hours