[Functional cerebral imaging in psychiatry: a new approach in research]

The data on cerebral physiology accumulated over the last decade, and also the ideas of cognitive psychology affect the way studies of mental disorders are modelized through the cerebral functional imaging techniques. Present aspects of these relations are considered and highlighted by recent results of this type of research. The contribution of these techniques for a better understanding of the cerebral neuro-transmission and of the mechanism of action of psychotropic drugs is also reported.