I’m claustrophobic. Can anything be done?
People with claustrophobia may feel uncomfortable in a traditional or “closed” MRI unit because they must lie still inside a narrow tunnel within the scanning magnet. Sedatives may be given for patients who experience difficulty in the confined space. However, newer, more open units are being used to alleviate this problem; they may only partially enclose the patient (“short bore”) or may be open on all sides.
