Scanner Simulator
The scanner simulator was designed to familiarize participants with the experience of performing a task inside a 3T Siemens Verio magnet. Before their actual scan, all participants complete a practice session in which they are introduced to the tasks that they will perform in the MRI scanner. The simulator is used as a part of this acclimatization procedure. During this preliminary exposure to the scanner environment, participants become accustomed to lying in the center of the magnet while listening to recorded scanner sounds. They are also acquainted with the use of response buttons for providing answers to cognitive tasks that they watch on an LCD-display screen through the head coil mirror. In addition, the simulator is equipped with head-tracking equipment, which provides feedback to the participants about head motion, helping them learn to keep their heads still. This is an ideal way to pre-screen participants and to help correct for head motion before they enter the actual MRI machine. The simulator helps participants feel at ease when they are ultimately tested in the scanner.
