functional mri

Today I volunteered to have my brain scanned in our newest clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner equipped with functional MRI (fMRI) and Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI)! These technologies are SO cool! I almost cried when the radiologist was teaching me this, absolutely amazed and in love with medicine and technology (all over again!)

fMRI measures brain activity by detecting changes associated with blood flow following change in neuronal activity. fMRI can identify areas in the brain that are activated by an external stimulus (for example, I was asked to tap my fingers, read a sentence, etc) and is useful for helping surgeons to avoid removing critical brain regions when they have to operate and remove brain tissue.

DTI detects diffusion of water molecules to detect the direction of axonal fibers in the white matter carrying signals from one neuron to another. This makes it possible to trace paths through the brain that map fiber tracts, useful for localization of white matter tracts for neurosurgical planning.
 
Check out my white matter tracts (aka myelinated axons) in images post processed from the diffusion weighted data obtained with. They are used for neurological surgical planning to maintain brain function. Depending what part of the brain is resected, patients may lose the ability to speak, see, move, process, etc. This type of imaging prior to surgery allows doctors to avoid certain regions of the brain responsible for function.

 These technologies are relatively new and generally limited to the research world, I can’t believe we have these capabilities in our hospital now!