Anxiety measures and MR imaging characteristics of the 174 patients enrolled in the study.

Values are arithmetic mean (standard deviation [SD]) or number (%). Percentages may not total 100% because of rounding.*Patients were asked to report their perceived level of claustrophobic anxiety at initial assessment using a horizontal and non-marked (0–100 mm) visual analogue scale (VAS).†For MR imaging of the cervical spine, the shoulder, and the head, patients were examined head-first because feet-first imaging, which alleviates claustrophobia by a factor of more than 10, was possible only for lumbar spine imaging in both groups [12].‡Appropriateness of the indication for MR imaging was assessed according to the Appropriateness Criteria of the American College of Radiology [33], [34], [35], [36], [37].§The pain, noise, and anxiety levels patients experienced during MR imaging were assessed directly after the scan using horizontal and non-marked (0–100 mm) visual analogue scales.