Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) can now be used on humans

Myth: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) can now be used on humans to get the same level of information as invasive brain studies in animals.

Functional MRI (fMRI) measures blood flow in different parts of the brain. It can be used in human volunteers without ill effect. But it does not give anything like the same level of detailed information that can be achieved by painlessly inserting electrodes into brain tissue in animal or human studies.

IMAGE: WELLCOME IMAGES

Associated Links:

• The need for research on non-human primates in cognitive neuroscience
• Alternatives and replacements