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1. Glossary

Magnetic resonance imaging

A device used by medical professionals for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI is an imaging technique used to diagnose malformations in various tissues or organs of the body. This method is particularly effective for imaging parts of the body that contain a lot of water. Patients are placed in a tube (scanner) and exposed to a strong magnetic field. However, they are not exposed to X-rays or other forms of ionizing radiation.

1. Glossary

Functional magnetic resonance imaging

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a modification of MRI that allows brain activity to be measured indirectly via regional blood flow and oxygen consumption. BOLD (blood oxygen level dependent) contrast is often used, which exploits differences in the magnetic behavior of oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood. An increase in the BOLD signal indicates increased neural activity. fMRI provides good spatial resolution and allows detailed conclusions to be drawn about the activity of specific areas of the brain, while the temporal resolution is in the range of seconds.