I am part of the control group for a new research project pertaining to children with severe brain injuries as a result of head trauma. In the study, they compare the brain scans and testing results of impaired adolescents with those of uninjured teens like me. The first part of the process was an MRI. I had to lie on my back for about an hour in a claustrophobic white tube while the machine whirred and shook. Though I was wearing headphones and watching Ratatoullie through a mirror/projector system, I couldn't seem to elude the feeling that I was in an escape pod, about to be launched into the vacuum of space. After my scan, I moved into the conference room for about 2 and a half hours of cognitive testing. Most of the tests were pretty tedious (putting blocks in corresponding holes, basic spacial analysis), but some of them were sort of difficult. Like saying the color of the word, not the word itself. Man I suck at that! Also, there was a reflex test to measure my impulse control. I was supposed to press a button when a letter flashed on the screen, but if the letter was 'X' I had to restrain myself. It went a little something like this:
A
(click)
F
(click)
H
(click)
X
(click) oh wait, oh--GAAHH!!
In the end all my patience and clicking paid off. By the time the session was over, i really felt like I was making a difference and hopefully aiding the researchers in their goal to help injured kids. Also, I got $150 worth of banana-scented target gift cards [insert any Flava Flav quote here]. The highlight of the day was getting to see a picture of my own brain. It was really trippy. The technician said that I had many folds in my cortex, which apparently means that I'm very creative. She was probably just being complementary to make up for sealing me in a cold, metal chamber for an hour, but I'll take it either way.
8 comments:
Hilarious!! I've been in almost the exact same studies for the U of M!! That typing exercise with the clicking was really hard!! One time when I was in an MRI, they had me playing games on a computer, pushing buttons with my finger. And they paid me in cash. Oh yeaahh. I'm in a two-year long study about schizophrenia right now. I'm a control of course.
That's so funny! It's really nice though to help with a study and you did get paid. I love reading your writing, it's hilarious! Someday you better write a book or something and then dedicate it to me. (that's one of my goals, to have a book dedicated to me)
You lucky duck!
How do you get into these studies because I totally want in! They sound really interesting and I would also like to see a picture of my brain. Great blog post!
Man.
if only my saturdays were that interesting.
No really, I [apparently unlike other teens my age....] cannot sit around and do nothing [or sleep] all day! Unfortunately everyone else at my house does so yea....
how do I get in a study?
because you already know I want in.
hey I'm doing stuff like that too! Except these people call me randomly and ask for a list of EVERYTHING I've eaten in the last 24 hours. haha not quite as cool but that was great writing! Still reminds me a bit of David Sedaris :)
whoa.
how is everyone getting into these studies? is there some sort of "studies needing volunteers" classifieds I don't know about?
Eliot, I just love your writing, as always! I bet your going to be famous, and I'll say,"That's Eliot! I knew him when..." Even though everyone's been asking, how do you get into those studies? I would love to find out how. Oh! I almost forgot, I've never had an MRI, but I have had a CT scan, which is similar, and it was like a white launch tube. :)
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