functional magnetic resonance imaging

noun

: magnetic resonance imaging used to detect physical changes (as of blood flow) in the brain resulting from increased neuronal activity

called also functional MRI

Examples of functional magnetic resonance imaging in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In a seemingly contradictory finding, research that used functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI, to study brain responses to disgusting humor did not find a pattern of brain activity that was distinct from plain disgust. —Anthony Gianni Vaccaro, The Conversation, 23 Sep. 2024

The team combed the existing scientific literature on the topic and scanned AB’s brain using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to isolate the regions linked to his own individual chess performance. —Gary Stix, Scientific American, 18 Sep. 2024

One very popular scanning technology called functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) uses a large magnet to measure changes in blood flow in the brain. —Lisa Feldman Barrett, Scientific American, 8 Aug. 2024

For the new research, scientists tracked changes in the brains of people who had taken psilocybin using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). —Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1988, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

functional magnetic resonance imaging

noun

: magnetic resonance imaging used to demonstrate correlations between physical changes (as in blood flow) in the brain and mental functioning (as in performing cognitive tasks)

—abbreviation fMRI

called also functional MRI