Functional MRI Methods and Frontiers (Neuroscience Research Progress)

Medical imaging grows to be a broad and modern scientific field. Imaging principles, methods and applications are important topics in this field. While applications and the generalization of techniques start with and rely on theoretical development and novel methodology, introduction and instructions of relatively new ideas, concepts and methods are of pivotal importance to students, beginners and general clinical practitioners in this field. Functional MRI (fMRI) has been widely used for the past 30 years to investigate brain functional changes under physiologic challenges or disease conditions in contrast to a resting state. The physiological contributors to the fMRI signal changes include the blood oxygenation level-dependent effect and in-flow effect such as the increment in local CBF and arterial oxygenation. Improvement of spatiotemporal resolution of fMRI to enhance neuronal activity specificity and pinpoint the microvasculature activation is the ultimate goal. fMRI functional a