Motivation:

To detail the methods for running a new MRI subject.

Set up practice laptop

1. Bring: practice laptop (with power cord and mouse), response device, iPad (you will need this later), all paperwork and consent forms, drug screen, and for females, pregnancy test

• May also need to bring down glasses if subject needs them

2. Set up the laptop making sure to plug in power
3. Test response device
4. Set up their logfile
5. Meet subject in front lobby

• Wait 10 minutes before calling if they are late

6. Drop script off at Radiology
7. Consent subject

• This includes going over the consent quiz at the end

8. MRI metal screening form
9. Prescan ratings on laptop
10. Go down to HUP 6
11. STAI prescan and drug/pregnancy test

• Key for bathroom is in HUP6 as well as gloves
• STAI info:
  • Site id: conte12
  • Fam id: nonfam
  • Subject ID: bblid

At the scanner

1. First bring in the battery behind the MRI and place on top of base of screen (do this first to weigh the screen down)
2. Next attach eye tracker to the screen. The parts that screw in go inside the circles on the frame of the screen. Do not tighten these too tightly
3. Then attach black cords from eye tracker to battery – doesn’t matter which end of the cords go where
4. The orange fiber optic cable attaches to the remaining cord in the eye tracker. Remove white caps from optic fiber cable and place inside the cap for the camera – place both nearby where they won’t get knocked over or lost
5. Make sure projector is turned on and turn on the eye tracker, on/off switch on battery
6. Bring the headphones and microphone to the front of the scanner
7. Next bring the audio console next to the presentation computer
8. In/Out AUX cable above presentation computer and filter is located in the case above presentation computer

• Filter plugs into the computer and In/Out cable plugs into the audio console
• Plug in power for Audio Console
• Turn on and press the screen to start
• Turn on eye tracking camera

9. When command screen comes up, select Eyelink – the other option is Windows which you can select when you want to grab data from that computer
10. Switch red cable plugged in back for blue cable
11. Switch out MRI mirror for our personal mirror

• BE VERY CAREFUL not to touch the mirror, grab by the plastic parts only

12. Bring out response device and check that response device is working
13. Open notebook on the presentation computer and scroll up and down and click a few times
14. Bring in subject

• Make sure that they have removed all metal and other objects from their bodies – jewelry, cell phones, wallets (can damage credit cards), change, belts, etc.

15. When they lay down in the scanner, make sure to give them the headphones. Their head position should be as close to the top as they can so that their eye is in an optimal position for the eye tracker. If they have a large head, you can remove the top part of the headphones and carefully place just the ear parts over their ears. Make sure they’re covering their ears completely

• Techs will give them a pillow to put under their legs and ask if they want a blanket – it does get cold!

16. Give them the response device and the tech will give them the emergency squeeze ball
17. Place the PMU recorder on the index finger of the hand with the squeeze ball
18. The mirror goes on top of the coil. The mirror should be placed about an inch from the front of the coil
19. When they get raised up, ask if they can see the screen behind them
20. Once subject gets put into scanner make sure you can see their eye on the eye tracking computer

• You can make adjustments to the camera if you’re unable to see their eye
• Also make sure lights are off (middle light on the switch by the door), this makes a huge difference

21. Go through audio check with them to make sure they can hear
22. Talk to them and let them know that we will be starting some initial scans. They won’t be hearing any noises or seeing anything on the screen during this time. They should just try to stay awake and as still as possible
23. Right before the first fear conditioning task, calibrate the eye tracker. This will be under the Conte protocol labeled: Shortcut to Preslink
24. Let them know that they will be seeing dots appear on the screen and that they should look at them until they disappear and then the next will appear. Important to let them know that they should not try to anticipate where the next dot is going to appear
25. When calibration is done, start the experiment

The Experiment

The first thing they will do is pupillometry. For this, they will see the screen flash

26. Before starting experiment: click output/record on eyetracking computer
27. Open file

• Name it: bblid_P
• Hit enter
• For this, the presentation must be started at the same time someone clicks record on the eyetracking computer

Once pupillometry is done, they will be ready to go to the task

Before the task:

for the first fear conditioning, the eyetracking file will be labeled bblid_R1 (the reversal will be named bblid_RR)

• These will begin automatically with the scanner
• The PMU file will be labeled scanid_r1, scanid_rr, scanid_rb
• Keep an eye on whether or not they are hearing a sound, if they are clicking down on the response device, and what their eye tracking data looks like for notes
• Check for motion after each scan

After fear conditioning 1 and 2:

They will answer questions about the faces they just saw –no scanning happens during this time

28. Once they have completed everything, carefully but quickly put everything back in it’s original place.
29. MAKE SURE TO PUT THE RED CABLE BACK IN WHERE THE BLUE CABLE WAS BEHIND THE COMPUTER