Houston MRI Screening Study

Too often, we hear about some young student/athlete who dies suddenly in the middle of a game or at a team practice.

The Center for Coronary Artery Anomalies at the Texas Heart Institute is doing breakthrough research on the prevention of sudden cardiac death in the young.

Such cases of sudden cardiac death are tied to heart conditions which certain children are born with and which are difficult to detect.

This prevention-oriented research is aimed at finding the optimal means to identify children who may have them. This novel study will use a questionnaire, an electrocardiogram, and simplified cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

The study will be done following structured programs and protocols in collaboration with public and private schools in the Houston area using a mobile MRI unit that will visit school campuses.

Parents and students will have access to all the information and documents they will need to arrive at informed decisions regarding participation in these studies.

• Participation in this study is simple and entirely voluntary
• The imaging tests involve very little risk
• The tests involve no injections or medications
• The tests take only about 15 minutes each to complete
• Our mobile unit will visit your child’s school and do the testing on-site during the school day
• Testing will be done only with your written consent and all test results will be confidential
• There is no cost to you for these tests

This research study is based on good science, has been approved by an independent institutional review board (ethics committee), and will follow all federal and state rules for such studies.

For more information from the Center for Coronary Artery Anomalies at Texas Heart Institute:

Call:               713-218-2112
E-mail:           ccaa@texasheart.org
Visit:              www.texasheart.org/Research/CCAA/

Hakeem Olajuwon, NCAA star athlete, visits the THI mobile imaging unit in preparation for his own MRI.