Articles tagged with Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Nicotine enhances activation in posterior cortical and subcortical regions of the brain, improving attention in smokers. The study found that nicotine helps focus attention on task demands by shifting cognitive resources from less used parts of the brain.
Scientists at Dartmouth College used fMRI experiments to locate the brain region that processes musical harmony, revealing a key area in the rostromedial prefrontal cortex. This discovery may help explain why music evokes strong emotions and behaviors.
Researchers used fMRI to compare representation of repetition rate across cortical and subcortical structures in human auditory pathway. Findings revealed distinct patterns of activity in response to trains with varying repetition rates, shedding new light on neural representations of sound perception.
A study by Northwestern University found that aging slows brain activity in language areas, particularly in the left front lobe and parietal cortex. However, this decrease is associated with increased processing efficiency, as older adults perform equally well on language tasks compared to younger counterparts.
Researchers used fMRI to study how the brain processes visual patterns. They found that a higher area of the brain recognizes patterns and sends a message back down to lower areas to stop responding, allowing for better detection of new or different items. This improved ability can enhance the brain's overall processing efficiency.
A brain study reveals that people with lower back pain experience severe pain even from a gentle finger squeeze, while fibromyalgia patients feel the same level of pain. The study uses fMRI to measure brain activity and finds enhanced response to pain in some areas and diminished response in others.
The Rutgers project aims to develop software that allows medical researchers and physicians to share and analyze brain imaging data online, improving the understanding of brain disorders. The new search tools will focus on dynamic brain activity, filtering away secondary signals to reveal underlying pathways.
Researchers used fMRI to directly compare human and monkey brain activity, discovering differences in areas of the visual cortex. The study found that humans have distinct regions involved in processing 3-D images, which do not exist in monkeys.
A study found that subjects with one or two copies of a short gene variant experienced greater activation of the amygdala when shown pictures of scary faces. This variation in the serotonin transporter gene may influence an individual's temperament and anxiety traits.
A study published in Science found that the brains of outgoing people react more to happy faces than those of shy individuals. The research focused on the amygdala, a pea-sized area of the brain associated with emotion and memory, and found that high extraversion scores were linked to increased amygdala activation to happy faces.
A new brain-scan study confirms fibromyalgia patients do experience severe pain, with measurable pain signals in their brains. The study uses fMRI scans to identify areas of the brain most active during pain, providing a road map for future research on the disease.
A lightweight imaging cap is being developed to assess brain function in space and on Earth. The device utilizes diffuse optical tomography (DOT) to record brain activity through near-infrared light, with potential applications for diagnosing brain disorders such as strokes and seizures.
Researchers discovered the brain region responsible for pattern perception, which helps humans recognize danger but also leads to superstitions. The prefrontal cortex processes information about the environment, preparing the organism to change behavior in response to patterns.
Researchers found that different brain pathways handle mental rotation and object recognition tasks, indicating distinct neural circuits. The ventral pathway is involved in object identity, while the dorsal pathway is linked to spatial location.
A study published by Dr. Dean Shibata found that people's brains use both rational and emotional parts when making personal decisions. When asked to choose between options, the ventromedial frontal lobe showed increased activity in the brain.
A new study allows researchers to directly compare the pediatric brain with the adult brain using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The findings reveal that children and adults use different brain strategies to perform tasks, suggesting distinct developmental pathways. By creating a template of healthy child brains, scienti...
A study by the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found that telling a lie and telling the truth require distinct brain activities. The research used fMRI to track brain activity in volunteers during an interrogation method, revealing increased activity in regions involved in inhibition and control when lying.
Researchers at NIMH found that brain activity patterns are unique to each category of object, with even weak responses conveying information about attributes. The study suggests a 'topography' of responses in the ventral temporal lobe of the visual cortex, enabling the brain to represent complex attributes of objects and faces
A recent study by Carnegie Mellon scientists discovered that reading and listening to identical sentences produce systematically different brain activation patterns. The right hemisphere was less active during reading, while the left-hemisphere's pars triangularis region showed increased activation in listening comprehension. This sugg...
Researchers found brain areas that track continuous event boundaries, even in passive viewing, suggesting a natural process of segmentation. This study has practical implications for designing better tools for teaching new activities and understanding perception across time.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have discovered how the brain prepares to solve problems. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) becomes active when a person is getting ready to perform a task, and its activation is associated with representing and maintaining attentional demands.
Researchers have made significant breakthroughs in functional MRI technology, enabling accurate mapping of cortical columns, the brain's microprocessors. This advancement will greatly improve our understanding of human perception and higher cognitive functions.
Researchers found that the brain region critical for face perception is also active when humans become expert in recognizing novel objects, contradicting the idea of separate brain mechanisms. The study used functional magnetic resonance imaging to test adults on identifying greebles, a class of complex three-dimensional objects.
Researchers have successfully used fMRI to generate high-resolution pictures of active brain regions in monkeys under anesthesia. The technique allows for precise visualization of brain activity, challenging previous assumptions about the effects of anesthetics on brain function.
Researchers use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study children's brain development and identify language centers. The non-invasive test shows that children as young as 7 years old rely on the left hemisphere for language, similar to adults.
Researchers have identified a new area for spatial working memory in the human brain, challenging current theories and revealing expanded frontal cortex development. Functional MRI allowed for real-time observation of neural activity, providing new insights into human brain function and evolution.
Researchers found that famous faces activate both sides of the brain, whereas unfamiliar faces only activate the right side. This suggests that paying attention to a person's name and face can improve memory recall.
Researchers found that the anterior cingulate cortex detects response competition and provides a signal to pay more attention and avoid errors. The brain's 'how you are doing' monitor may serve as an alarm system for executive control, preventing catastrophic mistakes.
Researchers from Johns Hopkins and Finland have developed a new mathematical formula that can accurately measure changes in brain activity due to oxygen levels. This breakthrough could lead to major advances in fMRI technology, enabling doctors to diagnose diseases by comparing levels of substances in the blood.
Researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center found that bilingual individuals who acquire a second language as young adults have distinct brain areas associated with their native and second languages. This information may be useful for neurosurgeons navigating around the brain's language-sensitive areas during surgery.