Many people have endured the noisy, and somewhat claustrophobic experience of a conventional MRI scan. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is very similar, except its scans reveal changes in bloodflow. When used to study the brain, it shows when an area becomes more active due to the increased flow of oxygenated blood. Once the only way scientists could study the brain was in a postmortem. Now fMRI is a key tool in neuroscience, offering an unparalleled view of the brain in action, providing insights into “our most basic emotions, motivations and behaviours”, as well as conditions such as Parkinson’s disease.
This book takes us on “a whistle-stop tour through some of the most exciting scientific studies”. The science and technology are still evolving but researchers have already used fMRI scans, analysed by a computer, to reconstruct a film clip watched by subjects. It was “blurry and not very detailed” but still remarkable.
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