Functional Imaging
Functional Imaging - Related Videos
13:05
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) with Auditory Stimulation in Songbirds
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Cited by 12 •
2013
This article shows an optimized procedure for imaging of the neural substrates of auditory stimulation in the songbird brain using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). It describes the preparation of the sound stimuli, the positioning of the subject and the acquisition and subsequent analysis of the fMRI data.
10:06
High-resolution Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Methods for Human Midbrain
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Cited by 8 •
2012
This article describes techniques to perform high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging with 1.2 mm sampling in human midbrain and subcortical structures using a 3T scanner. Use of these techniques to resolve topographic maps of visual stimulation in the human superior colliculus (SC) is given as an example.
09:15
fMRI: Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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2023
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a non-invasive neuroimaging technique used to investigate human brain function and cognition in both healthy individuals and populations with abnormal brain states. Functional MRI utilizes a magnetic resonance signal to detect changes in blood flow that are coupled to neuronal activation when a specific task is performed. This is possible because hemoglobin within the blood has different magnetic properties depending on whether or not it is bound...
10:50
Functional Imaging of Auditory Cortex in Adult Cats using High-field fMRI
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Cited by 6 •
2014
Functional studies of the auditory system in mammals have traditionally been conducted using spatially-focused techniques such as electrophysiological recordings. The following protocol describes a method of visualizing large-scale patterns of evoked hemodynamic activity in the cat auditory cortex using functional magnetic resonance imaging.
08:47
Functional Imaging with Reinforcement, Eyetracking, and Physiological Monitoring
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Cited by 2 •
2008
This presentation demonstrates the use of fMRI to study neural circuits that underlie decision-making. Simple perceptual tasks are combined with appetitive and aversive reinforcements to investigate how outcomes affect decision processes.
FAQs
The approach can target several activity-linked signals, including calcium concentration, blood flow, metabolism, electrical signaling, and reporter fluorescence. Each signal provides a different window into biological function: calcium and electrical changes can indicate cellular or neural activity, while blood-flow and metabolic changes reflect physiological demands. Reporter fluorescence can mark selected biological events for visualization.
Combining dynamic activity measurements with anatomical information shows where a biological process occurs as well as when it changes. This connection helps researchers relate cell communication, neural signaling, development, or disease-associated activity to specific tissues and structures. The resulting interpretation is more informative than observing activity or anatomy alone.
Spatial resolution helps distinguish activity in different cells, tissues, or anatomical regions, whereas temporal resolution captures changes as they occur. Using both dimensions allows investigators to follow dynamic biological events and associate them with their locations. This is especially relevant when studying signaling, developmental changes, disease progression, or responses to external stimuli.
A study first selects an activity-linked signal relevant to the biological question, such as calcium, metabolism, blood flow, electrical signaling, or reporter fluorescence. Imaging then records changes in that signal over space and time. Researchers relate the resulting patterns to anatomy and compare them with conditions such as drug exposure, disease, development, or environmental stimulation.
Functional imaging becomes valuable when the research question concerns biological activity rather than appearance alone. It can reveal how cells communicate, how neural systems respond, how tissues develop, or how organs change during disease. It also supports assessment of drug or environmental effects by showing activity-associated responses that structural images may not capture.
Researchers can use activity-linked images to monitor disease progression and evaluate how biological systems respond to therapeutic interventions. Changes in metabolism, blood flow, calcium concentration, electrical signaling, or reporter fluorescence may provide evidence of altered function. In biology, these measurements help connect treatment or disease conditions with dynamic responses in cells, tissues, organs, or organisms.