[Principles of functional MRI imaging and its possibilities in the study of cerebral cortex activation]

While MR imaging of anatomic structures has long been widely appreciated, the emergence of functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) methods for localising brain activity has emerged in the beginning of the 90s. This new MRI technique produces images of activated brain regions by detecting the indirect effects of neural activity on local blood volume, flow and oxygen saturation, and it is a promising new tool for further understanding of the relationships among brain structure, function and pathology. The information revealed by FMRI is partially overlapping with PET and SPECT, but it is non-invasive and has a better spatial and temporal resolution. The authors briefly summarise the concept and basics of FMRI and demonstrate the first successful FMRI examination performed in Hungary. The potential role of FMRI in the clinical practice is presented.