Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a noninvasive medical imaging technique based on a phenomenon of nuclear physics discovered in the 1930s, in which matter exposed to magnetic fields and radio waves was found to emit radio signals. In 1970, a physician and researcher named Raymond Damadian noticed that malignant (cancerous) tissue gave off different signals than normal body tissue. He applied for a patent for the first MRI scanning device in clinical use by the early 1980s. The early MRI...

Brain Imaging

Brain Imaging

Brain imaging technologies provide critical insights into both the structure and function of the human brain, enabling medical professionals and researchers to diagnose, study, and treat neurological disorders or psychiatric disorders more effectively.
These technologies include computerized axial tomography (CAT or CT scans), positron-emission tomography (PET scans), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS).

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Age of onset of nicotine use and severity of nicotine addiction symptoms are associated with hippocampal volume in late adolescents and emerging adults.

Frontiers in adolescent medicine·2025

Same author

Resting-state global brain activity induces bias in fMRI motion estimates.

Imaging neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.)·2025

Same author

Reinforcement learning in women remitted from anorexia nervosa: Preliminary examination with a hybrid reinforcement learning/drift diffusion model.

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society : JINS·2025

Same author

MVP-VSASL: measuring MicroVascular Pulsatility using velocity-selective arterial spin labeling.

Magnetic resonance in medicine·2025

Same author

Nicotine use during late adolescence and young adulthood is associated with changes in hippocampal volume and memory performance.

Frontiers in neuroscience·2024

Same author

A generalized signal model for dual-module velocity-selective arterial spin labeling.

Magnetic resonance in medicine·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 15, 2026

High-resolution Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Methods for Human Midbrain

High-resolution Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Methods for Human Midbrain

Published on: May 10, 2012

A primer on functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Gregory G Brown¹, Joanna E Perthen, Thomas T Liu

¹Psychology Service (MC 116B), VA San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, La Jolla, California 92161, USA. gbrown@ucsd.edu

Neuropsychology Review

|May 1, 2007

Summary

This review covers functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) principles, including magnetic resonance contrast mechanisms, blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signal complexity, and arterial spin labeling (ASL) for cerebral blood flow measurement.

More Related Videos

A Protocol for the Administration of Real-Time fMRI Neurofeedback Training

A Protocol for the Administration of Real-Time fMRI Neurofeedback Training

Published on: August 24, 2017

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Observing Virtual Social Interactions

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Observing Virtual Social Interactions

Published on: July 6, 2011

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 15, 2026

High-resolution Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Methods for Human Midbrain

High-resolution Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Methods for Human Midbrain

Published on: May 10, 2012

A Protocol for the Administration of Real-Time fMRI Neurofeedback Training

A Protocol for the Administration of Real-Time fMRI Neurofeedback Training

Published on: August 24, 2017

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Observing Virtual Social Interactions

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Observing Virtual Social Interactions

Published on: July 6, 2011

Area of Science:

Neuroimaging
Biophysics
Physiology

Background:

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) relies on intrinsic magnetic resonance contrast mechanisms.
Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for interpreting neuroimaging data.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the fundamental principles of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
To discuss the biophysical basis of common fMRI signal contrasts and techniques.

Main Methods:

Description of intrinsic magnetic resonance contrast mechanisms (T1, T2 relaxation).
Explanation of blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signal mechanisms and activation mapping.
Presentation of arterial spin labeling (ASL) for cerebral blood flow quantification.
Review of calibrated fMRI integrating BOLD and ASL for oxygen utilization assessment.

Main Results:

Detailed explanation of T1 and T2 relaxation in image contrast.
Elucidation of T2* alterations and BOLD signal complexity in activation studies.
Demonstration of ASL's capability to measure blood delivery rates.
Integration of BOLD and ASL in calibrated fMRI for oxygen metabolism inference.

Conclusions:

The manuscript provides a comprehensive overview of fMRI principles and techniques.
It highlights the physiological complexity underlying the BOLD signal.
Challenges in applying fMRI to individual case studies are discussed.