Scientists Develop SORDINO Technique to Make MRI Scans Quieter

MRI machines can be very loud while they take pictures of the brain.

The noise can make people or animals feel stressed or move around.

Moving makes it harder for scientists to measure brain activity accurately.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina created a technique called SORDINO to make functional MRI scans quieter.

It works by keeping the scanner’s magnetic gradient strength steady instead of switching it repeatedly.

In tests with awake mice, the technique reduced noise, interference and stress-related hormones.

It also created images with less distortion.

The quieter scans helped researchers use MRI together with calcium imaging, which measures activity in groups of brain cells.

Scientists hope the method may eventually help improve MRI scans in humans.