This is an outline of some of the policies and procedures for becoming a scanner operator and using the 3 T at the Brain Imaging Center. Forms and documents mentioned/linked in the text below can also be found at the bottom of the page.

Getting Information

The primary vehicles for communication between BIC staff and scanner users are the scanner mailing lists. All training courses are announced on these lists (amongst many other things). If you have a berkeley.edu email address you may sign yourself up via the Calmail sign-in page (at calmail.berkeley.edu). On the Calmail login page, click the link, Manage your Mailing Lists, on the left column and then log in (usual Calmail username and password), then use the dialog box to find out about these lists:

scanner3t_at_lists.berkeley.edu
fmri_at_lists.berkeley.edu
mockscanner_at_lists.berkeley.edu

The list specific to the 3 T is for scanner-specific practical and administrative issues only. Post slot cancellations here, look for announcements of training courses, etc. The fmri list is reserved for non-scanner-specific discussions, such as general acquisition questions, discussion of MRI data processing issues, etc. The mock scanner list is for, well, I'm sure you can figure that out!

If you aren't a Berkeley student or employee and therefore don't have a berkeley.edu email account, contact Ben to get added to the mailing list(s) of your choice. Note also that you can use any email address to register for the lists - you don't have to register using your Berkeley address once you're logged in - but you must post to the lists using the registered account. So, if you are in the habit of using gmail, say, instead of your Berkeley address when you read/send mail, I suggest you register the gmail account for the list.

Safety Training

Anyone who plans to spend any significant time at the scanner (i.e. other than to be a subject or a very occasional visitor) must receive safety training. Formal classes are held occasionally, depending on demand. If you want to start at the BIC without waiting for the next class there is a video on DVD you can watch; all labs should have two copies of this DVD (ask your lab manager or PI), but if you are a new lab or your lab has lost their copies please email Ben Inglis. You must also read the safety syllabus. Once you have taken a formal class or watched the DVD - and read the syllabus - you are ready to take a safety training quiz. Email Ben Inglis to take the quiz. Quiz times are also emailed to the 3 T list periodically.

It is important to note that there are dual objectives for the safety training: your safety and the safety of your subjects. The latter objective requires that you not only understand the safety information you are taught, but can impart that same information to your subjects, most of whom will probably never have been around an MRI before. You may also be interested to read a report on MRI Research Safety and Ethics produced by the NIMH Council Workshop on MRI Research Practices. You will be discussing subject safety extensively with the Berkeley Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects (CPHS), which is the Institutional Review Board by another name. So, reading this document should provide useful suggestions when you are developing your CPHS protocol, and the information contained therein will help you make decisions when screening subjects and working in the MRI suite.

User Training for the Scanner

Introductory and Intermediate level user training classes happen every three months or so, depending on demand. The Introductory level class consists of a two-hour demonstration followed by an optional (but strongly advised) hands-on tutorial a few days later, and covers basic scanner operation only. Intermediate level classes are an interactive 2-3 hour session dealing with general fMRI acquisition topics; attendees are expected to know scanner operation basics already. There is usually one demo class and one interactive/tutorial class a few days later. Advanced classes for users with intermediate-level fMRI experience will be customized to specific topics based on interest. All class dates and times will be announced to the scanner3t mailing list.

To attend ANY formal scanner training classes you must first have passed the 3 T safety quiz (see above), and have a current CPHS approval to scan. You should also have sufficient funding to cover the scanning you intend to do. For most people, your principal investigator will be responsible for getting CPHS approval and funding for scans. Please discuss with your PI before you contact Ben Inglis to initiate scanner training. If you (or your PI) don't have a current CPHS approval and/or funding, contact Ben Inglis and we will try to figure out what you can do. Once you have the CPHS, funding and safety quiz requirements satisfied, please complete the Request for Scanner Training form and submit it to Ben Inglis at 10 Giannini Hall. There is no charge for training classes.

Please note that you may learn to scan by apprenticing under an experienced operator in your group, or you may already have experience from a prior lab. There is no requirement to attend the formal classes. See the description of the user quiz below to determine whether you might need the formal training or not. A user training guide/FAQ is available to assist you. Note that this guide is mandatory reading for the user quiz anyway.

Next User Training Classes:

Introductory Training Demo: Mon 23rd Jan, 10-1 at the scanner.
Introductory Training Hands-on: Tues 24th Jan, 10-1 at the scanner.
Intermediate Training Demo: Thurs 26th Jan, 10-1 at the scanner.
Intermediate Training Hands-on: Fri 27th Jan, 10-1 at the scanner.

Peripherals Training

Peripherals training is treated separate from scanner training. Please contact Miguel Perez to set up a time to learn how to use the peripheral stimulus equipment. He may be able to tailor the peripherals training to your particular requirements. There are documents for setting up the mirror, a guide to the peripherals and a separate guide for the eye tracker.

Becoming a Qualified Scanner Operator - the User Quiz

Prior to taking the user quiz it is expected that you have attended the Introductory and Intermediate level scanner training sessions, or have received equivalent education by apprenticing under an experienced operator in your group, or have suitable experience from another facility. (Note: Advanced training is beyond the level of the user quiz.) The litmus test for knowing when you are ready to become a qualified operator is straightforward: you should be able to run an entire scan session, from subject screening through image acquisition to data transfer, without needing significant assistance from anyone. (Think of it like a driving test. The moment you pass you are licensed to drive solo!)

The user quiz covers the following broad areas: scanner operation, peripherals equipment operation, subject screening and safety, and some background physics of fMRI. To pass the user quiz you should have a good idea of why you do what you do, not just be able to make pretty pictures in rote fashion!

You must read/review the following documents before taking the user quiz:

1. The specific CPHS protocol and screening form you'll use for your subjects. (Contact your PI for these.)

2. The CPHS Policies governing MRI examinations at Berkeley.

3. An explanation of how to screen subjects for 3 T MRI.

4. Re-read the 3 T safety syllabus you read for the safety quiz.

5. Chapters 4,5,6,7 and 8 from the book by Huettel, Song & Mccarthy, "Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging." If you have already taken PSY214, Mark D'Esposito's Intro to fMRI Methods class, then a lot of this material should be review. If not, you should read through these chapters carefully. It is important to have a solid understanding of the basic physics and physiology underlying fMRI. Otherwise you will find it difficult, if not impossible, to know how best to set up an experiment, how to recognize and avoid/reduce common artifacts, etc.

6. The user training guide/FAQ.

The user quiz tests your knowledge of all of the above six documents, as well as peripherals setup and scanner operation.

Scanner Access Policies

Once you have passed the user quiz you'll be placed in a regular booking group on the scanner scheduler. Your scanner access privileges will remain current provided you maintain a current CPHS approval and provided you have funding to scan. Anyone who is found to be scanning under an expired CPHS protocol will be barred from the scanner and will be reported to the CPHS.

Billing is done based on the reservation schedule. Our goal is to maximize the amount of science that can be done, not maximize revenue. Thus, if you delete a reservation for any reason, even at short notice, you won't be charged provided you email the 3 T list announcing the cancellation so that someone else might use the time.

Charges will not apply if you cannot scan because of a legitimate scanner or peripherals issue. Note, however, that lack of experience or training does not constitute a legitimate problem! Make sure you know how to fix peripherals problems left by a prior user, for instance. (We all know they shouldn't, but they do!) It is rarely that a real scanner issue arises. Most often a user creates a problem for himself by rushing, or by trying to scan solo without sufficient practical experience.

As a general rule, only funded studies may be conducted on the scanner. However, there are a few occasions when scan slots can be reserved without charge. If you are about to start a new experiment and need to set up a protocol with the assistance of BIC staff, or you are installing a new piece of equipment with the assistance of BIC staff, scan slots should be reserved with the appropriate BIC staff person such that your group won't get the bill. Note also that these "free" slots can happen only if they are the segue to a funded experiment. Anybody needing scanner time for an unfunded, pilot project should contact Mark D'Esposito.

Most of the peripheral equipment in the 3 T suite is owned by BIC and is for general use (subject to suitable training). However, some users need equipment that is not deemed necessary for general use but is essential for a specific experiment. In those situations, a user group or multiple groups may purchase equipment and have it installed in conjunction with BIC staff, and the use of that equipment is prohibited without express permission from its owner(s). You will learn what equipment is general use/access when you take peripherals training. And if in doubt about a specific piece of kit, please ask BIC staff.

Bookings may be made up to two calendar months ahead of the current date without prior approval. If you need to make a reservation that is more than two calendar months away, please submit a Request for Scanner Reservation form to Ben Inglis or Mark D'Esposito. The instructions are on the form.

3 T Scheduler

The 3 T scheduler is accessible via the Scheduler menu item at the top of the page. To get an account on the scheduler (called Bookit) you must have passed the safety quiz and submitted a Request for Scanner Training form, or have already passed the user quiz. You will be assigned Trainee status, allowing you to view the schedule but not make reservations. Your status will be changed to a regular user, allowing you to make reservations, once you pass the user quiz (assuming you have a current CPHS and your PI wants to pay for your scans!).

Mock Scanner Access

Anyone with a Cal ID can get access to the mock scanner that is housed in the old 4 T building. You do not need to have passed the 3 T safety or user quiz. Please complete the Mock Scanner Access form and submit it to Rick Redfern in 10 Giannini Hall.

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Forms and Training Documents

Administrative:

Mock Scanner Access Request Form
3 T Scanner Card Key Access Request Form
Request for Scanner Reservation Form (for reservations > 2 months away)
Request for Scanner Training Form

Scanner Training:

Safety Training Syllabus & SOPs
User Training Guide & FAQ (Last updated: 19 April 2011)
CPHS Policy for MRI Research at Berkeley
How to Screen Subjects for MRI

Peripherals Training:

Guide to The Peripherals
Setting Up The Mirror
Guide to The Eye Tracker
Peripherals Setup Schematic
Peripherals Checklist

Supporting Human Subjects Documents:

NIMH Report on MRI Research Safety and Ethics
Full UC Berkeley CPHS Policies and Procedures

Ignore everything below this line. It's just an unsorted list of all the files available on this page.
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