What does brain imaging help with?

The images produced by brain scans help doctors get a detailed look inside your brain, helping them distinguish between symptoms caused by tumors, mental illness, and neurodegenerative disorders like dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

What can be learned from a brain scan?

Brain scans produce detailed images of the brain. They can be used to help doctors detect and diagnose conditions, such as tumours, causes of a stroke or vascular dementia.

How does a brain scan work?

During a brain CT, the X-ray beam moves in a circle around the body, allowing many different views of the brain. The X-ray information is sent to a computer that interprets the X-ray data and displays it in a two-dimensional (2D) form on a monitor.

Do you think behavior can be explained by brain scan imaging?

For instance, a brain scan can show the greater likelihood of a teen getting hooked on drugs. If doctors could know that a teen was particularly vulnerable to addiction, they could attempt steer them away from that behavior. On a scan, you can really see the difference between a healthy brain and an addict’s brain.

What will a brain MRI show?

MRI can detect a variety of conditions of the brain such as cysts, tumors, bleeding, swelling, developmental and structural abnormalities, infections, inflammatory conditions, or problems with the blood vessels. It can determine if a shunt is working and detect damage to the brain caused by an injury or a stroke.

How does MRI measure brain activity?

Functional magnetic resonance imaging or functional MRI (fMRI) measures brain activity by detecting changes associated with blood flow. This technique relies on the fact that cerebral blood flow and neuronal activation are coupled. When an area of the brain is in use, blood flow to that region also increases.

What are the advantages of fMRI?

The big advantage of fMRI is that it doesn’t use radiation like X-rays, computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans. If done correctly, fMRI has virtually no risks. It can evaluate brain function safely, noninvasively and effectively.

Why is the MRI important?

An MRI helps a doctor diagnose a disease or injury, and it can monitor how well you’re doing with a treatment. MRIs can be done on different parts of your body. It’s especially useful for looking at soft tissues and the nervous system.