Clinical & Diagnostic MRI
Diagnostic MRI in Reno starts with one clear question.
Diagnostic MRI investigates something specific under a provider order. AIR offers diagnostic non-contrast MRI for $399; call to confirm the exact ordered exam before scheduling.
Current self-pay diagnostic option
Diagnostic MRI - W/O Contrast: $399.
This is a focused diagnostic exam, not an elective screening package. A provider order establishes the clinical question and exact exam.
Two kinds of looking
Screening surveys. Diagnostic answers.
Both use the same physics — but they start from opposite ends. Knowing which one you need is the first decision, and it's usually simpler than it sounds.
01
Screening asks broadly
A screening MRI is elective. You choose it before any particular condition has been identified, to survey many organ systems at once and surface findings early. It answers the question “is anything quietly changing?”
02
Diagnostic asks precisely
A diagnostic MRI investigates something already on the table — a symptom, an injury, a finding from another test. The clinical question determines the body area, the sequences, the positioning, and what the radiologist looks for. It answers the question “what exactly is this?”
03
Neither replaces the other
A clean screening doesn’t rule out the focused exam your physician orders, and a diagnostic exam of one body area says nothing about the rest. If you’re not sure which fits your situation, that’s exactly what the first phone call is for.
The machine
A wider bore. Sharper images. Fewer reasons to come back.
Our 1.5T Echelon Synergy pairs a 70 cm wide-bore opening with faster imaging, high-resolution detail and noise-reduction — a calmer experience for anyone who worries about small spaces, and image clarity that helps avoid repeat scans.
133-region brain quantification
Ten reports from a single scan.
Every Whole Body and Neuro-Spine screening sends your brain imaging through Combinostics — an AI platform that measures the density of 133 brain regions and compares them to a large database of age-matched cases.
It’s the difference between “your scan came back normal” and a quantitative picture of how your brain is actually changing over time. Your radiology report is typically available within 48–72 hours.
- Brain health
- Parkinson’s Plus
- Epilepsy
- Atrophy & lesions
- Multiple Sclerosis
- TBI — general morphometry
- TBI — lesion report
- Dementia — patient report
- Dementia — doctor report
- Dementia — differential trends
Radiation-free, not risk-free
No radiation. Still a safety conversation.
MRI creates its images with magnetic fields and radio waves, not ionizing radiation. The magnet is the reason a short safety conversation always comes before your scan.
01
How the image is made
MR images are produced without ionizing radiation — no dose to track, no cumulative exposure across repeat exams. That’s a real advantage when a condition needs to be watched over time.
02
Why the magnet matters
The scanner uses strong magnetic fields and radiofrequency energy. Metal in or on your body — implants, devices, fragments, even some tattoos and patches — needs to be discussed before you scan. Most patients scan without any issue; the conversation is how we make sure of it.
03
What to tell us when you book
Mention every implant, medical device, prior surgery, or possible metal exposure, plus anything that makes lying still difficult. We’ll walk through it with you and confirm exactly how your exam proceeds.
Your exact exam
The protocol is a conversation, not a menu.
Which diagnostic exams we currently perform, what an order should say, and how your specific study is protocoled — those answers depend on your situation, so we give them person to person.
If a clinician has recommended imaging, call us with the body area and the clinical question on the order. An MRI ordered for a specific clinical question can provide detailed diagnostic information that helps your clinician refine the next step in care. We’ll confirm the current exam path, what to bring, and what it costs, all before you commit. And if you’re starting from a symptom without an order yet, we’ll tell you honestly whether a diagnostic exam or a screening is the right first step.
Our sources
The evidence behind this page.
U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationMRI benefits and safety: imaging without ionizing radiation, magnetic and radiofrequency considerations, implants and devices, and hearing protection.
American College of RadiologyApril 17, 2023 statement on screening total-body MRI and the role of clinically directed diagnostic imaging.
U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationPatient guidance on clinician-referred MRI, the information an exam may provide, and questions about how results could affect treatment options.
Keep exploring
Find the scan that fits your question.
Start with the question
Bring us the question. We'll shape the exam.
A board-certified radiologist behind every image, a wide-bore 1.5T scanner, and a team that answers the phone. Call (775) 507-3331 to talk through your exam.