36. by using specialized used of MRI scanning called
“functional MRI”, fMRI for short .
That makes possible to see what’s going inside the brain
while people are thinking.
37. How Does fMRI Scan the Brain?
fMRI is based on the idea that blood carrying oxygen from
the lungs behaves differently in a magnetic field than blood
that has already released its oxygen to the cells.
39. As the increase in flow exceeds the increase in oxygen consumption,
neuronal activity is expressed as a relative increase in oxyhemoglobin
compared to deoxyhemoglobin in the activated zones. The relative decrease
in deoxyhemoglobin concentration, which has a paramagnetic effect, can be
detected by MRI as a weak transient rise in the T2* weighted signal. This is
the BOLD contrast principle (Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent)
41. How Is an fMRI Done?
Patient is lie on a table. His head may be placed in a brace to hold
it still. Then he is slid headfirst into the large, cylindrical MRI
machine.
42. How Is an fMRI Done?
Patient will be asked to perform a task that increases oxygenated
blood flow to a particular part of his brain. For example, he may
tap his thumb against his fingers, look at pictures or answer
questions on a computer screen.
43. Brain Mapping
This application determines which parts of the brain handle particular
functions. When a patient needs surgery to remove a brain tumor, for
example, doctors can first scan the brain to determine exactly where to
operate. so they can avoid damaging important brain functions.