Functional magnetic resonance imaging depicts the brain in action.

Abstract

In summary, FMRI is a new technique for discovering the organization and function of the brain. The ability rapidly and non-invasively to image regional cerebral blood flow, blood volume, and blood oxygenation may strengthen diagnoses in neurology, neurosurgery, and trauma medicine. The ability to localize specific functions in an individual's brain will have a large impact on the planning of therapeutic interventions, and in predicting outcomes after disease and injury. Substantial contributions to the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders are expected based on the ability to image subtle differences in a patient's response to auditory and visual stimuli of different emotional content.