Brain MRI | Brain Scan | Brain Imaging

A Brain MRI scan may be able to detect a variety of things such as damage to your brain. Brain imaging may be also used for number of other different reasons. A magnetic resonance imaging scan is a powerful way to visualize the insides of a person's head. These types of scans are non-invasive and have no dangers associated with their use especially when contrasted to the more dangerous X-Rays.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) refers to a newer procedure that uses magnetic resonance brain imaging to measure the metabolic changes that take place inside a person's head. This type of brain scan is able to visualize the functional activity of the mind related to blood flow. It may allow researchers to see which area is overactive or under active in comparison to a normal brain. Researchers use these brain imaging techniques to examine the anatomy of the mind, assess damage from stroke, trauma or a degenerative disease, monitor cancer tumors and finally guide surgery. Researchers have begun to use fMRI's to decode brain activity. They have correlated what a person's imaging lights up to what they have consciously seen. In essence this is almost akin to reading a person's mind. As this technology gets perfected, it may also lead to better lie detection. Though there are currently many limitations to the technology. Even more recently, scientists have used an MRI to discover the letter that a person was thinking about typing on a computer before they actually typed it. Some researchers have speculated that MRI's may eventually be used to decipher a person's dreams as well.

A 9.4 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging is currently the most poweful imaging tool that is available for research. The Tesla name refers to the strength of the magnet being used. The stronger the magnet, the stronger the magnetic field and the higher the image resolution. A 9.4 Tesla brain scan is able to image things in the mind that are as small as 50 microns. This is an astoundingly high resolution of detail. This brain imaging resolution is able to visualize small populations of neurons anywhere inside the head. This resolution of detail would allow doctors to see if a cancer tumor shrunk after undergoing treatment. This specific brain scanner also allows researchers to visualize sodium atoms. Sodium atoms are important for tracking the mind's metabolic processes. In the future, brain imaging may be able to have much higher resolution of detail, even getting down the neuron or molecular level. A brain scan will be able to detect many different types of problems and diseases.

Researchers have coupled a brain scan device with a robotic neurosurgery arm. This allows them to watch imaging in real time while they perform surgery on a person's mind. This type of brain scan allows them to do all sorts of interesting things like implanting DBS implants into the head.

Magnetic resonance imaging uses a magnetic field to align the spin of molecular protons. Radio waves are then projected into a person's body and this causes the protons to wobble. Radio waves then bounce back and are captured by the brain scan machine and this allows things to be visualized.

A magnetic resonance imaging brain scan is a very useful tool. It allows scientists to visualize all sorts of things and this will increasingly become perfected in the future.