Studying a single human brain in detail
A: No, at least not because of the magnetic fields. MRI does not involve any ionizing radiation (like X-rays or CT scans), and there is no evidence that exposure to magnetic fields like those used in MRI causes any lasting effects (more info about MRI safety). I was, however, worried about the noise generated by the scanner, which is very loud and exacerbated my pre-existing tinnitus. During the project I reduced the frequency of scans that are not compatible with our active noise cancellation system in order to prevent potential hearing issues. I also had monthly audiometric testing to make sure that there are no changes in my hearing. In the ~9 years since the study ended, my hearing loss has remained relatively stable and there have been no other apparent long-term effects.
A: The term “connectome” refers to connectivity structure of the brain, and a primary goal of this study is to understand how the functional connections in the brain vary over time. In this way, the MyConnectome study is a direct complement to the Human Connectome Project, which is studying brain connectivity at one time point in a large group of individuals. The specific measures being collected in this study were developed with input from the researchers on the Human Connectome Project team and are heavily influenced by their approach.