fMRI

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a type of MRI that allows you to see which parts of your brain are active when you perform different tasks or feel certain emotions or sensations. brain again?? btw, you can blame tsukumo. an IPS's (Institute Police Science) neuroscientist which is cast by Takuya Kimura in Mr. Brain (read: jdo). it influence me to keep read about brain, do a lil bit research about brain and posting 'the brain' entries.

i'dhe found several articles regarding fMRI test. basically, brain activity requires energy and a good supply of oxygen-rich blood. The scanner can see the increase in blood flow to the most active parts of the brain because it can detect the difference between hydrogen nuclei in oxygenated blood and those in de-oxygenated blood. In this way the scanner builds-up a 3D map of which parts of the brain are working particularly hard.

fMRI mapping of the brain is used to find out how the brain carries out mental tasks and what parts of the brain are responsible for different brain disorders. you can use MRI scans to see what parts of the brain are active when your subject is doing various different things. Here are examples showing five different stimuli.

PainThe scan shows the regions of the brain that became more active when the subject's hand was heated to a painful level. Pain involves both sensation and emotion so different types of pain result in different areas of the brain being active.

Using fMRI scientists can start to understand how pain works, and how it might be possible to reduce painful experiences.

(MRI scan image highlighting the areas of the brain involved in feeling pain)

LoveIn one fMRI study the brains of people who were in love were scanned while they looked at photographs, some of their friends and some of their loved-ones. When they saw a picture of their loved one specific areas of the brain became active, suggesting that there is a specialised system in the brain relating to romantic love.

(MRI scan images highlighting the areas of the brain involved in feeling love)

JoyYour scan shows the regions of your subject's brain that become more active when he watches his football team score a goal.

Although some of these areas are related to the feeling of joy, some may be a result of different influences, such as the anticipation of a goal being scored. Deciding what the subject should do or see to isolate an emotion is perhaps the hardest part of fMRI studies.

(MRI scan image highlighting the areas of the brain involved when feeling joyful)

SmellThe scan shows the brain areas that are activated by smell. Smell is a complex sense and several different parts of the brain are needed to work out what a smell is, where it's coming from and whether you like it or not.

(MRI scan image highlighting the areas of the brain involved when feeling joyful)

FearThe scans show that when your subject is frightened, a brain structure called the amygdala becomes more active.

The amygdala is responsible for generating a range of negative emotions such as sadness, anger and disgust. It becomes less active when people perform non-emotional tasks, which is why keeping yourself busy when you're sad can make you feel better.

(MRI scan images highlighting the areas of the brain involved when feeling afraid)