Magnetic resonance imaging
hideMagnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), or nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI), is primarily a medical imaging technique most commonly used in radiology to visualize the internal structure and function of the body. MRI provides much greater contrast between the different soft tissues of the body than computed tomography (CT) does, making it especially useful in neurological (brain), musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and oncological (cancer) imaging. Unlike CT, it uses no ionizing radiation, but uses a powerful magnetic field to align the nuclear magnetization of (usually) hydrogen atoms in water in the body. Radio frequency (RF) fields are used to systematically alter the alignment of this magnetization, causing the hydrogen nuclei to produce a rotating magnetic field detectable by the scanner. This signal can be manipulated by additional magnetic fields to build up enough information to construct an image of the body.:36
Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a relatively new technology. The first MR image was published in 1973 and the first cross-sectional image of a living mouse was published in January 1974. The first studies performed on humans were published in 1977. By comparison, the first human X-ray image was taken in 1895.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging was developed from knowledge gained in the study of nuclear magnetic resonance. In its early years the technique was referred to as nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI). However, as the word nuclear was associated in the public mind with ionizing radiation exposure it is generally now referred to simply as MRI. Scientists still use the term NMRI when discussing non-medical devices operating on the same principles. The term Magnetic Resonance Tomography (MRT) is also sometimes used.
For more information about Magnetic resonance imaging, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
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News tagged with magnetic resonance imaging
Early scents really do get 'etched' in the brain
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Nov 05, 2009 |
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Common experience tells us that particular scents of childhood can leave quite an impression, for better or for worse. Now, researchers reporting the results of a brain imaging study online on November 5th ...
Mending meniscals in children, improving diagnosis and recovery
Nov 02, 2009 |
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The meniscus is a rubber-like, crescent moon-shaped cartilage cushion that sits between the leg and thigh bone. Each knee has two menisci: one on the inside of the knee joint and one on the outside. In recent years, more ...
Precuneus region of human and monkey brain is divided into 4 distinct regions
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Nov 02, 2009 |
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A study published this week in PNAS provides a comprehensive comparative functional anatomy study in human and monkey brains which reveals highly similar brain networks preserved across evolution.
Study lays foundation for more patient access to medical records
Nov 02, 2009 |
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A new study by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine suggests that many patients are dissatisfied with the way they receive results of radiology tests and want more access to information in their medical ...
Early treatment of fibromyalgia more effective
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Oct 22, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- People suffering from fibromyalgia have reduced activity in the parts of the brain that inhibit the experience of pain. Drugs that affect the CNS can be effective against the disease, and ...
The White Stuff: Marine Lab Team Seeks to Understand Coral Bleaching
Oct 20, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- With technology similar to that used by physicians to perform magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, researchers from six institutions -- including the National Institute of Standards and ...
Scientists discover new explanation for controversial old patient-care technique
Oct 20, 2009 |
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You might not know what it's called, but if you've had general anesthesia before surgery, especially after an accident, it is likely you have received Sellick's maneuver. That's when fingers are pressed against a patient's ...
First-time Internet users find boost in brain function after just one week
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Oct 19, 2009 |
3.3 / 5 (4) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- You can teach an old dog new tricks, say UCLA scientists who found that middle-aged and older adults with little Internet experience were able to trigger key centers in the brain that control ...
MRI abundance may lead to excess in back surgeries, study shows
Oct 14, 2009 |
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Patients reporting new low-back pain are more likely to undergo surgery if treated in an area with a higher-than-average concentration of magnetic resonance imaging machines, according to research from the Stanford University ...
Colombian guerrillas help scientists locate literacy in the brain
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Oct 14, 2009 |
4.7 / 5 (7) |
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A unique study of former guerrillas in Colombia has helped scientists redefine their understanding of the key regions of the brain involved in literacy. The study, funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Spanish ...
A new scan for lung diseases
Oct 13, 2009 |
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People with chronic lung disease and asthma could soon be offered better treatment thanks to a new type of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan being pioneered at The University of Nottingham.
Matter in hand: Jugglers have rewired brains
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Oct 11, 2009 |
4.9 / 5 (22) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Learning to juggle leads to changes in the white matter of the brain, an Oxford University study has shown.
Hyper-SAGE boosts remote MRI sensitivity
Oct 09, 2009 |
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A new technique in Magnetic Resonance Imaging dubbed "Hyper-SAGE" has the potential to detect ultra low concentrations of clincal targets, such as lung and other cancers. Development of Hyper-SAGE was led ...
Scans show learning 'sculpts' the brain's connections
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Oct 09, 2009 |
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Spontaneous brain activity formerly thought to be "white noise" measurably changes after a person learns a new task, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Chieti, Italy, ...
Race for Superconductors Shrinks to Nanoscale
Oct 09, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A team of researchers from UT Dallas, Clemson University and Yale University are using science on the nanoscale to address one of the most elusive challenges in physics - the discovery of ...
