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First Image Taken With an Ultra Low Field MRI
KentuckyFC writes "MRI machines are about to get smaller, much smaller. Most of their bulk is taken up by the huge superconducting magnets required to generate fields of a few Teslas. Now a team at the Los Alamos National Lab in New Mexico has built a machine that can produce images using a field of only a few microTesla (PDF, abstract here). So giant superconducting magnets aren't necessary, a development that has the potential to make MRI machines much smaller, perhaps even suitcase-sized. The one-page paper shows sections of the first 3D brain image taken with the device."
I'd assume those shaking heads were muttering "geez, another one" rather than "omg wtf how can someone be afraid of it". Claustrophobia isn't all that unheard of, and being shoved into a friggin pipe is somewhat a powerful trigger.
If it were easy (or even moderately hard) to control a phobia, I suspect most people would. Justification is irrelevant. It matters only that the fear exists. Conquering a phobia typically requires exposure (with neutral or rewarding consequences) to the fear-provoking stimulus. In his case, gradual exposure to being in the tube.
I realize that many people find it difficult to understand the lack of control inherent in a phobia. I (with my injection phobia) am often told (by medical professionals) simply to get over it. Unfortunately, when a needle is present, I descend into blind animal panic. My rational mind ceases to function. The thoughts of controlling and pushing through the fear don't even occur to me. It is a pure flight-or-fight response, and I have done both.
Additionally, the guilt of having wasted time (of the doctors or other patients) needlessly adds to the unpleasantness of the situation. His attempts to undergo the procedure are, in my opinion, courageous.
People need help, not guilt or reprimands.
Reality is fluffy!
Or you could have a sensible health care system where the rich can have giant breasts and the poor don't die from common and curable things.
You know, just a thought.
I like muppets.
I was recently charged $3000 for a CT scan. Talking to an Indian coworker, I found out that a CT scan in his country would've cost less than $50. So I guess I could've flown out to India, gotten the CT, and flown back, for less money than getting the CT in America.
It's a good thing I did get that expensive modern medical advance in America, though, because of the high-quality analysis and follow-up I got from the clinic. In total, I got one sentence out of it- "Your intestines are a little constricted." I don't think they could provide that kind of advanced analysis in India with their cheap CT scans.
I guess I'm wondering- are modern medical advances really as expensive as we're led to believe they are in America?