Christoph Mulert • Martha E. Shenton
Editors

2014

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a technique that is widely used in many fields of modern medicine today for the investigation of structure and function of the human body. MRI is a routine procedure for medical diagnosis, for staging of disease, and for follow-up without exposure to ionizing radiation. It has also become an essential tool for understanding the brain as it offers an important window for viewing both brain structure and function in living humans, where previously most information came from postmortem studies. Neuroscience, and a focus on the brain, most particularly in neuropsychiatric disorders, has been an area of intense scientific inquiry. For understanding these conditions – with unknown etiologies and many open questions concerning pathophysiology and therapy – insights into brain structure and function have been greatly enhanced with the advent of advanced MRI.