Functional MRI: Approaches to Cognitive Neuroscience Applications

Neuroimaging has, in many respects, revolutionized the study of cognitive neuroscience, the discipline that attempts to determine the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive processes. Early studies of brain–behavior relationships relied on a precise neurological examination as the basis for hypothesizing the site of brain damage that was responsible for a given behavioral syndrome. The advent of functional neuroimaging has enhanced the ability of cognitive neuroscientists to observe the neural dynamics that underlie cognition. Functional MRI (fMRI), in particular, has rapidly emerged as an extremely powerful technique that affords excellent spatial and temporal resolution. This chapter focuses on the principles underlying fMRI as a cognitive neuroscience tool for exploring brain–behavior relationships.