fMRI machines take real-time images of brain activity during actions. It detects small changes in blood flow and can map the brain’s response to tasks. The non-invasive procedure creates high-resolution images and is used widely in cognitive science.
An fMRI machine, or functional magnetic resonance imaging machine, is a device that takes real-time images of brain activity when a person is performing an action. Actions can be as simple as tapping a foot or viewing an image. The fMRI machine can detect very small changes in blood flow and can also be used when neural movements are noticed throughout the spinal cord. The procedure is relatively non-invasive and does not use radiation. It creates a strong magnetic field and people with pacemakers, ear implants, and some metal coils inside blood vessels are unable to have MRIs.
Subjects are required to lie down on a narrow bed and are lightly restrained to prevent any movement. This is especially important when viewing people with some form of psychosis and young children. The watches, hairpins, rings, and any other metal objects are removed and the subject is then slowly inserted into a narrow, circular space inside the fMRI machine. Some people report mild feelings of claustrophobia but are in constant communication with the imaging technician via a small two-way intercom system. The process can take from 15 minutes to an hour.
Once inside the fMRI machine, the subject may be asked to listen to certain sounds, perform tasks and cognitive activities such as remembering a past event or performing a mental task that requires some reasoning. The machine is then able to map the brain’s response to these tasks. Unlike the electroencephalogram (EEG), which is a technique that studies and measures the electrical current within the brain, the fMRI machine is capable of recording activity from all regions of the brain. The images have a high resolution and can be accurate down to 1mm. The scan results are widely used as a brain mapping and analysis tool in the cognitive science community.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans capture images of body structure, while fMRI scans usually show metabolic activity and function. Metabolic function refers to all the processes necessary to keep an organism alive, such as transforming food into energy. The fMRI machine creates images that can actually observe the metabolic activity within the structures of the body. The devices are not without controversy as they can sometimes produce a false positive. This occurs when the result of the scans produces a “positive” result when in fact the opposite is true.
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