Functional MRI News and Research

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Novel MRI method uses simple sugar solution instead of conventional contrast agents

In magnetic resonance imaging, contrast agents are used to enhance the imaging of tissue structures.

23 Jun 2017

Study: Engaging with children while reading books gives their brain a cognitive ‘boost’

While reading to children has many benefits, simply speaking the words aloud may not be enough to improve cognitive development in preschoolers.

1 Jun 2017

Toddler's gender influences the brain responses and behavior of fathers

A toddler's gender influences the brain responses as well as the behavior of fathers -- from how attentive they are to their child, to the types of language that they use and the play that they engage in, a new study by Emory University finds.

25 May 2017

Study: Brain region that helps manage body functions reacts differently between men and women

A region of the brain that helps to manage body functions including stress, heart rate and blood pressure reacts differently between men and women when presented with certain stimuli, according to a new study from the UCLA School of Nursing.

11 May 2017

Poor sleep may make it harder to regulate negative emotions in people with anxiety or depression

A lack of sleep makes everything harder. Focusing, finishing assignments, and coping with everyday stress can become monumental tasks.

18 Apr 2017

Gambling addicts have poor ability to assess and adapt to high risk situations, fMRI study finds

You've been losing all night, and now another bad hand. So why raise? Gambling addiction is a mental disorder characterized by excessive risk-taking despite negative results. Scientific studies using functional MRI -- fMRI, a method of looking at active areas of the brain -- have previously shown that addicts have altered activity in brain regions related to risk and reward, making them prone to prefer risky choices.

17 Apr 2017

Academic-industry collaboration aims to build personalized 3-D maps to improve neurosurgeries

Removing a brain tumor requires walking a fine line: Remove too little, and the disease remains; remove too much, and sight, speech or movement may be impaired.

7 Apr 2017

Virtual reality may be new way to prevent cognitive decline in elderly people

Ping Jiang and her Helsinki Challenge semifinalist team Senior Cognitive Booster want to increase the cognitive abilities of elderly people with the help of virtual reality.

5 Apr 2017

Brain responds differently to images of high-calorie foods in obese children, study finds

Brain signals that should help tell us we are full after eating appear to be dulled in obese children, according to preliminary results of a new study being presented Monday at ENDO 2017, the Endocrine Society's 99th annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.

4 Apr 2017

MRI brain scans may help clinicians decide between CBT and drug treatment for depression

Researchers from Emory University have found that specific patterns of activity on brain scans may help clinicians identify whether psychotherapy or antidepressant medication is more likely to help individual patients recover from depression.

24 Mar 2017

Scientists uncover new method for improving short-term working memory

Scientists have uncovered a method for improving short-term working memory, by stimulating the brain with electricity to synchronise brain waves.

14 Mar 2017

Brain networks at rest appear to be in state of potentiation for action, study suggests

Just as a sprinter's body and muscles are ready for action as they wait for the starting gun to fire, brain networks at rest appear to be waiting in a state of potentiation to execute even the simplest of behaviors.

10 Mar 2017

Novel statistical approach reveals details about brains' internal networks in patients with epilepsy

A novel statistical approach to analyzing patients with epilepsy has revealed details about their brains' internal networks. The findings may lead to better understanding and treatment of the disease, according to Rice University researchers.

6 Mar 2017

Alterations in brain connectivity can aid diagnosis and prediction of outcomes in mTBI patients

A new study shows that patients with mild traumatic brain injury, even without evidence of brain lesions, may exhibit changes in brain connectivity detectable at the time of the injury that can aid in diagnosis and predicting the effects on cognitive and behavioral performance at 6 months.

23 Feb 2017

Study reveals possibility to predict autism risk in infants within first year of life

A study published today in the journal Nature is the first to show that it is possible to predict within the first year of life, whether some infants will go on to develop autism.

15 Feb 2017

CU Boulder scientists develop brain-based model to predict pain using variables beyond sensory input

Pain is a signal of actual or potential damage to the body, so it is natural to think of it as a localized sensation: knee pain in the knee, back pain in the back and so on.

14 Feb 2017

Research shows how trigger sounds cause brain connection overdrive in misophonia sufferers

While many of us may find the sounds of chewing or breathing off-putting, for some they're unbearable - and new research has shown their brains are going into overdrive.

3 Feb 2017

Early predictors of anxiety and depression may be evident in the brain at birth, study suggests

Early predictors of anxiety and depression may be evident in the brain even at birth, suggests a study published in the February 2017 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

1 Feb 2017

Functional MRI brain scan may help predict patient’s response to antidepressant therapy

A functional MRI brain scan may help predict which patients will respond positively to antidepressant therapy, according to a new study published in the journal Brain.

25 Jan 2017

Functional MRI technique may help predict risk of long-term post-concussive symptoms

For concussion sufferers, even those who never lost consciousness, physicians may now be able to predict early on who is more likely to continue experiencing symptoms months or years after the head-jarring event, using a new non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging method devised by a consortium of researchers led by UC San Francisco scientists.

24 Jan 2017