Application of functional MRI on evaluation of cholinergic drugs and other neurotransmitter drugs and its prospect in traditional Chinese medicine evaluation

This article summarizes the progress of the application of functional magnetic resonance image (fMRI) on neuropharmacology. Cholinergic drugs are types of neurotransmitters which are usually used to treat neurological disorders. fMRI is widely used in the research of evaluation of cholinergic drugs. This article systematically summerizes the research of drug evaluation on memory, attention, emotion and vision by fMRI using the cholinergic drugs for example. Combined with the charactors and disciplines of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), this article also makes a prospect of the application of fMRI on traditional Chinese medicine evaluation, especially the drugs on brain disease and emotional modulation.