Researchers Develop Technique that Could Make fMRI More Useful in Medical Diagnosis

An fMRI technique developed at Oxford University provides more detailed information than current methods.

Oxford University researchers introduced a new approach to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in the March issue of the journal NeuroImage. The approach could make fMRI more useful in clinical settings. fMRI captures relative changes in MRI signals, providing information on how the brain works. The method is currently mostly used in research applications because it doesn’t provide specific numerical measurements, only images of the brain, limiting its clinical applications.

The method developed by Oxford University researchers provides real measurements comparable to those produced by Oxygen-15 positron emission tomography (O-PET), according to an Oxford University press release. It is said to offer several advantages to O-PET, including that it’s much cheaper and quicker and doesn’t expose the patient to ionising radiation. O-PET is only done at a few places around the world and exposes patients to high amounts of radiation. The technique could offer more diagnostic information than current MRI methods, potentially improving patient outcomes, according to the press release.

Patients lie in the MRI scanner and breathe air through a mask or nose tubes. By varying the proportion of carbon dioxide and oxygen the patients breathe, the scientists could use the MRI signal to measure blood flow, blood volume, oxygen use and brain metabolism.

The study was funded by the EPSRC, MRC, Wellcome Trust, Dunhill Medical Trust and the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre.

Tags: fMRI, functional magnetic resonance imaging, Imaging, Oxford University