Functional magnetic resonance imaging in clinical practice: State of the art and science.
BACKGROUND
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has become a mainstream neuroimaging modality in the assessment of patients being evaluated for brain tumour and epilepsy surgeries. Thus, it is important for doctors in primary care settings to be well acquainted with the present and potential future applications, as well as limitations, of this modality.


OBJECTIVE
The objective of this article is to introduce the theoretical principles and state-of-the-art clinical applications of fMRI in brain tumour and epilepsy surgery, with a focus on the implications for clinical primary care.


CONCLUSIONS
fMRI enables non-invasive functional mapping of specific cortical tasks (eg motor, language, memory-based, visual), revealing information about functional localisation, anatomical variation in cortical function, and disease effects and adaptations, including the fascinating phenomenon of brain plasticity. fMRI is currently ordered by specialist neurologists and neurosurgeons for the purposes of pre-surgical assessment, and within the context of an experienced multidisciplinary team to prepare, conduct and interpret the scan. With an increasing number of patients undergoing fMRI, general practitioners can expect questions about the current and emerging role of fMRI in clinical care from these patients and their families.
Christen D
CD
Barras
Hamed
H
Asadi
Torsten
T
Baldeweg
Laura
L
Mancini
Tarek A
TA
Yousry
Sotirios
S
Bisdas
D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D059906:Neuroimaging / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D000069336:Neurovascular Coupling / Q000502:physiology