Parental consent for neuroimaging in paediatric research

Background Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is increasingly applied in paediatric research. Parents typically provide research consent for their children; yet, no study has examined the rates of consent, nor factors influencing parental decision making for consent. The present study aimed to determine the proportion of parents that would consent to their child undergoing an fMRI study, and to elicit the reasons, motivators and detractors affecting their decision. Methods Ninety parents of children aged 6 years were invited to participate in a postal survey study. Results Fifty‐three parents (59%) responded and one‐third (34%, 18/53) reported that they would consent. The main reason for consent was that participation could benefit children in the future (89%, 16/18). Common reasons for not consenting included that fMRI may be anxiety‐provoking (54%), or was an unnecessary medical procedure (23%). Conclusions Our preliminary data suggest that researchers may have to approach three times the number of participants required in order to recruit a suitable number of healthy children to fMRI studies. Further research examining the influence of recruitment approaches (e.g. phone vs. postal) and the various factors influencing decision making regarding consent is required. For example, careful examination of the language used in describing the procedure could facilitate parental understanding about fMRI and alleviate anxiety associated with the procedure. This is an important consideration for recruitment to future fMRI studies given that anxiety was a key factor influencing parental non‐consent.