title: A systematic review of spinal fMRI research: outlining the elements of experimental design.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Since the first published report of spinal functional MRI (fMRI) in humans in 1996, this body of literature has grown substantially. In the present article, the authors systematically review all spinal fMRI studies conducted in healthy individuals with a focus on the different motor and sensory paradigms used and the results acquired.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors conducted a systematic search of MEDLINE for literature published from 1990 through November 2011 reporting on stimulation paradigms used to assess spinal fMRI scans in healthy individuals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  They identified 19 peer-reviewed studies from 1996 to the present in which a combination of different spinal fMRI methods were used to investigate the spinal cord in healthy individuals. Eight of the studies used a motor stimulation paradigm, 10 used a sensory stimulation paradigm, and 1 compared motor and sensory stimulation paradigms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite differences in the results of various studies, even when similar stimulation paradigms were used, this body of literature underscores that spinal fMRI signals can be obtained from the human spinal cord. The authors intend this review to serve as an introduction to spinal fMRI research and what it may offer the field of spinal cord injury research.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroscience, Division of Neurosurgery, and Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Cadotte
authors.forename: Patrick W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Stroman
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mikulis
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Fehlings
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D012106:Research; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013131:Spine / Q000503:physiopathology