New Scanning Technology Offers Better Picture of Critical Brain Functions

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Researchers are taking MRI to a new level that offers a better picture of vital brain functions, according to the June issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter.

MRI is a standard imaging tool that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to generate images of the body. It's particularly helpful in diagnosing brain tumors, but MRI doesn't clearly convey the risks of removing the tumor.

A new tool, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), gives a clearer picture of the brain in action and what brain tissue is relevant to accomplishing a given task, such as raising a hand or reading a sentence. Basically, fMRI detects changes in the brain's blood flow that occur when performing specific tasks. The result is a color-coded image that shows surgeons areas of the brain where permanent injury should be avoided. Although there's general understanding of where these important brain centers are, they vary by individual.

So far, fMRI scans mainly have been used at major medical centers as a research tool. Some early studies indicate that its use prior to surgery is associated with a significant reduction in complication rates, particularly when tumors are close to the brain's language centers or parts of the brain responsible for movement.

Researchers also are using fMRI to better understand psychiatric disorders, though it remains difficult to use this technology to identify disorders such as schizophrenia, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism. In another research area, fMRI is being used to determine how mild cognitive impairment might evolve in the brain. People with mild cognitive impairment are considered at increased risk for dementia.

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