Nottingham

At the Nottingham site, there are two other scanning methods. Their risks are as follows:

Glucose MRS

The glucose MRS scan will take place in the same MRI scanner at the MRS scan. Therefore the check for metal objects will also cover this scan. The glucose is given as an intravenous (‘drip’) infusion of glucose during the scan through a cannula (small plastic tube) inserted  into a vein in your arm, hand or foot. You might experience brief discomfort with the cannulation. It is a safe procedure however, and something you may have experienced if you have stayed in hospital. There is a small risk of developing a condition called ‘thrombophlebitis’ at the site of a cannula, which means local inflammation and clotting of blood within a vein. Rarely this can lead to complications but most cases get better on their own. The risk of this is very low given the short amount of time the cannula will remain in the vein. This scan causes a mild increase in the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood. This could in theory trigger abnormal heart rhythms in people with certain rare heart conditions so we will check your ECG and blood pressure.

MEG

MEG is an entirely passive scanning technique and involves no risks at all.

See also: Confidentiality of your data