fMRI Basics and Clinical Applications

Functional MRI (fMRI) and the basic method of BOLD imaging were introduced in 1993 by Seiji Ogawa. From very basic experiments, fMRI has evolved into a clinical application for daily routine brain imaging. There have been various improvements in both the imaging technique as such as well as in the statistical analysis. In this volume, experts in the field share their knowledge and point out possible technical barriers and problems explaining how to solve them. Starting from the very basics on the origin of the BOLD signal, the book covers technical issues, anatomical landmarks, presurgical applications, and special issues in various clinical fields. Other modalities for brain mapping such as PET, TMS, and MEG are also compared with fMRI. This book is intended to give a state-of-the-art overview and to serve as a reference and guide for clinical applications of fMRI.