title: A Window into the Brain: Advances in Psychiatric fMRI.
abstract: Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) plays a key role in modern psychiatric research. It provides a means to assay differences in brain systems that underlie psychiatric illness, treatment response, and properties of brain structure and function that convey risk factor for mental diseases. Here we review recent advances in fMRI methods in general use and progress made in understanding the neural basis of mental illness. Drawing on concepts and findings from psychiatric fMRI, we propose that mental illness may not be associated with abnormalities in specific local regions but rather corresponds to variation in the overall organization of functional communication throughout the brain network. Future research may need to integrate neuroimaging information drawn from different analysis methods and delineate spatial and temporal patterns of brain responses that are specific to certain types of psychiatric disorders.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology and Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, 55 West Zhongshan Avenue, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510631, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology and Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, 55 West Zhongshan Avenue, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510631, China ; School of Economics & Management and Scientific Laboratory of Economic Behaviors, South China Normal University, 55 West Zhongshan Avenue, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510631, China.
authors.forename: Rongjun
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors