Functional MRI News and Research

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Researchers use functional MRI to understand how the brain functions

University of Nevada, Reno neuroscientists are working with Renown Health to bring new research capabilities to northern Nevada. The research group, led by University Professor of Psychology Michael Webster, has purchased equipment that augments the existing 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology at Renown Health for studies of human brain function.

16 Dec 2014

Depression contributes to abnormal pain processes in IBS patients

High rates of anxiety and depression amongst patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have led many researchers to believe there could be a causal relationship between psychological factors and IBS symptoms. Now, scientists in Germany have found clear evidence that patients with IBS process pain signals from the gut abnormally, and that disturbed brain responses to pain are particularly pronounced in patients with more depression symptoms.

3 Oct 2014

Finding may explain why people with schizophrenia have difficulty achieving real-world goals

People with schizophrenia struggle to turn goals into actions because brain structures governing desire and emotion are less active and fail to pass goal-directed messages to cortical regions affecting human decision-making, new research reveals.

18 Aug 2014

Findings may help identify teens who are at risk for dangerous behaviors in the future

According to the CDC, unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for adolescents. Compared to the two leading causes of death for all Americans, heart disease and cancer, a pattern of questionable decision-making in dire situations comes to light in teen mortality.

16 Aug 2014

Parallel brain circuits associated with opposing emotional reactions

People choosing between two or more equally positive outcomes experience paradoxical feelings of pleasure and anxiety, feelings associated with activity in different regions of the brain, according to research led by Amitai Shenhav, an associate research scholar at the Princeton Neuroscience Institute at Princeton University.

27 Jul 2014

Researchers find possible biological reason why people with diabetes are prone to depression

Researchers have found a possible biological reason why people with diabetes are prone to depression.

23 Jun 2014

Children may benefit from targeted treatments specific to pediatric brain activity

A new study from Bradley Hospital has found that bipolar children have greater activation in the right amygdala - a brain region very important for emotional reaction - than bipolar adults when viewing emotional faces.

19 Jun 2014

Study reveals possible biological link between musical training and improved brain executive functioning

A controlled study using functional MRI brain imaging reveals a possible biological link between early musical training and improved executive functioning in both children and adults, report researchers at Boston Children's Hospital.

18 Jun 2014

New optical approach to brain scanning for patients with electronic implants

Scientists have advanced a brain-scanning technology that tracks what the brain is doing by shining dozens of tiny LED lights on the head. This new generation of neuroimaging compares favorably to other approaches but avoids the radiation exposure and bulky magnets the others require, according to new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

20 May 2014

Adolescents with ADHD have disrupted connections between different areas of brain

A new study has found that children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have disrupted connections between different areas of the brain that are evident on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rfMRI).

30 Apr 2014

PET scan can identify vegetative patients who have potential for long-term recovery

A functional brain imaging technique known as positron emission tomography (PET) is a promising tool for determining which severely brain damaged individuals in vegetative states have the potential to recover consciousness, according to new research published in The Lancet.

18 Apr 2014

Brain disconnect leaves teen brain less able to judge trustworthiness

Making a snap decision usually means following your initial reaction -- going with your gut. That intuitive feeling sprouts from the limbic system, the evolutionarily older and simpler part of the brain that affects emotion, behavior and motivation.

1 Apr 2014

MIT biological engineers trying to adapt MRI to visualize gene activity inside the brains of living animals

Doctors commonly use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to diagnose tumors, damage from stroke, and many other medical conditions. Neuroscientists also rely on it as a research tool for identifying parts of the brain that carry out different cognitive functions.

26 Mar 2014

New uses of imaging technologies could help scientists uncover brain's mysteries

Combining two imagine technologies, such as MRI for structure and MEG for activity, could provide a new understanding of our how our brain works.

4 Mar 2014

Head movement during fMRI may bias sampling toward subjects with lower cognitive ability

Kessler Foundation researchers have shown that discarding data from subjects with multiple sclerosis (MS) who exhibit head movement during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) may bias sampling away from subjects with lower cognitive ability.

20 Feb 2014

CUMC researchers clarify three fundamental issues about Alzheimer's disease

Using high-resolution functional MRI imaging in patients with Alzheimer's disease and in mouse models of the disease, Columbia University Medical Center researchers have clarified three fundamental issues about Alzheimer's: where it starts, why it starts there, and how it spreads. In addition to advancing understanding of Alzheimer's, the findings could improve early detection of the disease, when drugs may be most effective.

22 Dec 2013

Underlying loss of awareness during partial seizures is same as deep sleep

Epilepsy patients with complex partial seizures have impaired consciousness during seizure episodes and typically have no memory of the event. However, the mechanisms of seizure unconsciousness are unclear.

9 Dec 2013

Western University research points to promising avenue for PTSD treatment

Pioneering research conducted at Western University (London, Canada) points to a promising avenue for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder: utilising neurofeedback training to alter the plasticity of brain networks linked to the condition.

4 Dec 2013

Connectivity, size of brain can predict degree of anxiety in young children

Prolonged stress and anxiety during childhood is a risk factor for developing anxiety disorders and depression later in life. Now, Stanford University School of Medicine researchers have shown that by measuring the size and connectivity of a part of the brain associated with processing emotion - the amygdala - they can predict the degree of anxiety a young child is experiencing in daily life.

20 Nov 2013

Study finds patients with focal epilepsy have widespread, abnormal connections in their brains

Patients with the most common form of focal epilepsy have widespread, abnormal connections in their brains that could provide clues toward diagnosis and treatment, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology.