Articles tagged with Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
A new study published in Biological Psychiatry found that pedophilia patients exhibit reduced activation of the hypothalamus and frontal cortex when viewing sexually arousing pictures, indicating altered sexual interest. This deficit may predispose individuals vulnerable to pedophilia to seek alternative stimulation.
Research using fMRI and behavioral studies confirms that adult human brain can reorganize and adapt after damage, such as stroke or visual disorders. The study found that the visually deprived cortex assumed new functional properties, affecting visual perception and leading to distortions in perception.
A study suggests that people tend to remember bad times more vividly than good times. This phenomenon is linked to increased activity in emotion-processing regions of the brain. The findings have implications for understanding autobiographical memory, eyewitness testimony, and posttraumatic stress disorder.
Researchers have developed a new non-invasive brain scan method using light to monitor the development of infants' brains. The technique, called high-density diffuse optical tomography, allows for the mapping of the visual cortex with high accuracy.
Researchers at Columbia University Irving Medical Center found increased visual processing areas in the brain of patients who underwent Vision Restoration Therapy (VRT) after stroke or traumatic brain injury. The therapy, which uses daily visual stimulation, showed enhanced activity levels one month after treatment.
A University of Pittsburgh study links changes in brain function to recovery in children and adolescents with concussions, using functional MRI scans. The findings confirm the importance of objective neuropsychological testing for safe return-to-play decisions.
A Stanford study using fMRI scans found that music engages brain areas involved with paying attention, making predictions, and updating memory. Peak brain activity occurred during silence between musical movements, a process called event segmentation.
Researchers found that children with PTSD exhibit unique patterns of brain activation, particularly in the insula region. The study provides valuable insights into the biological underpinnings of PTSD and may lead to the development of more effective therapies.
Researchers identified areas of the brain involved in voluntary and involuntary movement, finding that neural activity was restricted to the primary motor cortex during unconscious motor activity seen with Alien Hand Syndrome. The study suggests conscious and unconscious motor activity involves the same underlying brain structures.
Researchers identified the lateral occipital complex as a region affected by both working memory load and pain, but found that pain influences visual processing through the rostral anterior cingulate cortex. This modulation affects accuracy in recognizing images.
Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center have developed an attention training program that can help older adults block out distractions and improve concentration. The study found that brain activity in areas related to sight and sound increased, while performance on a task improved after the eight-week training.
Researchers found that combining brain scans with reading skills tests can predict future decoding skill more than four out of five times. This dual diagnostic approach can help identify children at risk for ongoing reading problems as early as possible, allowing for targeted intervention to improve outcomes.
Researchers have developed a dual-imaging technique that combines functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion tensor tractography to outline important areas of brain function and their connections prior to surgery. This approach has been used in 20 cases at Cincinnati's University Hospital and shows promising results in o...
Researchers unveiled the world's first simultaneous PET/MR images of the human brain, offering unprecedented imaging capabilities for neurological studies. The technology has the potential to revolutionize the assessment of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, epilepsy, depression, and schizophrenia.
A new Cornell study found that people who experienced traumas, such as being close to the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, have brains that are more reactive to emotional stimuli, increasing their risk of developing mental disorders like PTSD and depression.
Researchers have identified how the brain's dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) compensates for disruption caused by a stroke. The study found that the PMd in the intact hemisphere increases activity to 'rescue' function in the damaged hemisphere, leading to recovery of movement.
Researchers found that subjects' brains showed increased activity at event boundaries, even in mundane events, suggesting a universal process of segmenting continuous text. This discovery sheds light on how humans comprehend everyday activities and may reflect a general network for understanding event structure.
A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience found that multiple regions of the brain are involved in determining pain location, contradicting conventional wisdom. The research used functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to identify areas of brain activity while participants evaluated the spatial location of a thermal stimulus.
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center discovered that brain region activation predicts altruistic behavior, suggesting that the ability to perceive meaningful interactions is critical for altruism.
Researchers have identified a neural bottleneck in the brain that prevents simultaneous processing of multiple tasks, such as driving and talking on a cell phone. The lateral frontal and prefrontal cortex regions were found to be responsible for this limitation, which causes a delay in neural activity when performing two demanding tasks.
Neuroscientists at Duke University mapped neural activations for focused attention, shedding light on brain regions and timing involved. The study may aid clinicians addressing attention-related problems in conditions like schizophrenia and ADHD.
A study from Carnegie Mellon, Stanford, and MIT used fMRI to determine brain activity when considering product purchases and predicting buying behavior. The results suggest that consumers trade off immediate pleasure for delayed pain of spending money, explaining overspending on credit cards.
Patients with PTSD exhibit lower pain thresholds, a phenomenon attributed to changes in brain regions involved in mood and cognitive pain processing. The study's findings provide evidence for reduced pain sensitivity in PTSD, shedding light on the complex relationships between trauma, brain function, and pain perception.
Researchers found that motor areas of the brain are activated in a fashion similar to actual movement when watching someone else perform a task with the intention of later replicating it. This discovery may prove important in improving rehabilitation for individuals suffering from brain or bodily injury.
Researchers found that different parts of the brain are activated depending on the cause of itching, with allergen-induced itches activating the supplementary motor and posterior parietal areas. Histamine-induced itches, on the other hand, activate a smaller area of the brain, suggesting a compulsion to scratch in those cases.
A new study using fMRI found that strong brands elicit stronger activity in the brain, activating areas involved in positive emotional processing and self-identification. Weak brands, on the other hand, showed higher levels of activation in working memory and negative emotional response.
A new study found that adolescents playing violent video games exhibited increased emotional arousal and decreased executive function compared to those playing nonviolent games. The researchers used fMRI scans to measure brain activity during tasks requiring concentration and emotional processing.
Scientists found that a particular part of the brain, called the intra-parietal sulcus, is activated to bind together details of an event when it occurs, allowing for more detailed memories. This region is responsible for integrating contextual details and central aspects of the event.
Studies using fMRI reveal that the hippocampus integrates perceptual strands to form coherent memories. The intraparietal sulcus plays a crucial role in binding multiple features of stimuli into a common representation, essential for episodic memory formation.
The Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at UCL will further bolster the reputation of a laboratory renowned for its research into neural cognition and common neurological diseases. The centre aims to study the functional architecture of the human brain to identify core mechanisms causing common human neurological diseases.
Parkinson's disease impacts brain's centers of touch and vision, affecting more than just motor control. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) reveals widespread abnormalities in somatosensory and visual cortex.
A study published in Current Biology found that the brain's premotor cortex displays the same activity pattern when subjects watch an action as when they hear a verbal description of the same action. This suggests a strong mental link between talk and action.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) identifies critical brain regions prior to surgery, leading to more effective tumor removal and reduced surgical time. In 49% of cases, surgeons altered their treatment plans after fMRI findings, with no reported neurological deficits.
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis used brain imaging to identify the most effective memory techniques, finding that visual inspection and verbal elaboration improved memory performance. The study also found individual differences in learning strategies were associated with distinct brain activity patterns.
A team of researchers at the California Institute of Technology has identified a specific region in the brain responsible for processing risk and reward, known as the 'gambling circuitry'. This discovery could help understand abnormal risk-taking behavior in disorders such as addiction and bipolar disorder.
Researchers found that people with autism have lower brain synchronization and rely heavily on visualization to process information. The studies suggest that these differences are related to the brain's cabling and connectivity problems.
Researchers created frequency maps for most of the 11 auditory cortex fields (ACFs) and observed a periodic pattern of topographic preference for certain frequencies. The ACFs were divided into two groups, with three core fields reacting to individual frequencies in simple sounds like tones.
African American smokers show greater brain activation in response to smoking cues compared to Caucasian smokers. The study suggests that metabolism of nicotine may be slower in African Americans, contributing to lower success rates in smoking cessation.
Researchers used fMRI to monitor brain activity in pairs during a social exchange game, revealing a new 'social agency map' that tracks responsibility in social exchanges. The study improves understanding of psychiatric and developmental disorders with broken social capacities.
Researchers found that the ventral mPFC region is more engaged when considering people like oneself, while the dorsal region is more active for dissimilar individuals. The study suggests that focusing on shared similarity between groups can help reduce prejudice.
A neurobiology study found that dread influences human decision-making by activating the brain's pain network and attention centers. The researchers discovered two types of individuals: mild and extreme dreaders, who differed in their brain activity patterns.
A team of University of Michigan researchers used fMRI to capture the brain's instant response to costly mistakes. They found that the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) becomes more active when errors carry consequences, suggesting a key role in emotional responses and decision-making processes.
A recent study published in the Public Library of Science Biology found that brain region IPS is activated when both four-year-olds and adults perceive numerical quantities. The researchers used fMRI to image blood flow in brain regions reflecting activity, revealing a similar neural basis for basic math skills in children and adults.
Researchers found that younger children's brains involved more brain areas during language exercises, indicating greater flexibility. As children matured, brain activity concentrated on the left side, offering hope for rehabilitation of brain function after stroke or traumatic brain injuries.
Researchers propose a theory that the fusiform face area (FFA) recognizes faces based on selective processing of shapes of facial features. Their computational model and experimental studies support this idea, suggesting that face recognition can be achieved by hierarchical shape detectors.
A new study reveals that mental preparation involving inward focus of attention promotes insight even prior to the presentation of a problem. Brain activity patterns before problem solving, as measured by EEG and fMRI, differ between those who solve problems with insight and methodically.
Researchers used fMRI to study how consumers judge brands versus people, finding that similar brain processes are not used. The study highlights the importance of understanding the differences between brand personality and human-like qualities when building brand images.
The Digital Fish Library project will create a high-resolution online catalog of fishes, enabling researchers and the public to digitally probe and dissect specimens. The project aims to develop new methods for data analysis and visualization to penetrate through soft body tissue and provide 3-D images of physiological structures.
Studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) found that the visual cortex uses a specific region known to detect motion of other people, but also engages areas responding to static human form. This clarifies the emerging picture of how the brain makes sense of other individuals' appearances and actions.
The five-year grant will enable large-scale imaging studies on brain disease and illness, improving collaboration among researchers. Function BIRN aims to speed discoveries and treatments for schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, depression, and dementia by sharing data and expertise.
Researchers used fMRI to examine how brains process object size under illusions, finding the primary visual cortex activated more area for a distant object. This challenges the long-held view that the image is just a precise reflection of the retina.
Scientists have found that there are two separate visual streams in the brains of healthy individuals, one for perceiving objects and another for guiding actions. This discovery was made using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and provides new insights into the neural basis of perception and action.
Researchers use functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the brain regions involved in illusory tactile perceptions. The study finds that the same sector of the brain is activated whether the sensation is real or illusory, suggesting a connection between conscious perception and somatotopic cortical processing.
The study found that training increases neural activation in areas associated with executive control, countering the idea that opposite brain areas compensate for cognitive decline in aging. Older adults who received training showed increased activity in brain regions tied to scheduling and planning, similar to younger participants.
Max Planck researchers find that human language processing involves two distinct brain areas, with younger Broca's Area activated for complex grammatical rules and older frontal operculum for simple probability-based rules. The study reveals insights into the evolutionary origins of human language faculty.
A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience reveals that emotional brain centers can dampen activity in executive centers responsible for memory tasks. The researchers used fMRI to examine how emotional distractions affect cognitive processing and found a 'see-saw' effect, where activation of emotional centers reduces activity in ...
A study by Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care found that older adults are more easily distracted due to gradual brain changes beginning in middle age. The researchers used fMRI to scan the brains of three age groups, including young adults, middle-aged adults, and older adults, revealing a seesaw imbalance in frontal lobe areas.
Researchers have developed a new method of lie detection using brain MRI, which can accurately identify deception in 92% of cases. The test measures brain activity, eliminating the limitations of traditional polygraph tests.
A year-long study using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) technology has localized a small area in the occipital lobes of the brain responsible for generating visual awareness. This breakthrough discovery clarifies how our brains process visual information and recognize stimuli as visible.
Scientists used fMRI to study how humans learn to associate brand preferences with rewards, finding key activity in the ventral midbrain and ventral striatum. The study sheds light on the neural mechanisms behind consumer behavior and advertising effectiveness.