Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), developed in the late 1970s, uses radiofrequency waves and powerful magnets to detect the magnetic properties of hydrogen atoms within the brain.  Our MRI system generates a magnetic field roughly 10,000 times stronger than the natural background magnetism from the earth. Hydrogen atoms in the brain will align with this field. When focused radio wave pulses are broadcast towards the aligned hydrogen atoms in brain tissue, they return a signal. The subtle differences in that signal from various types of tissue are detected by a computer, producing detailed pictures of the brain’s structure.

Using functional MRI (fMRI), developed in 1992, we can measure signal changes in the brain due to changing neural activity, allowing us to “map” the function of the various regions of the human brain.

The Brain Imaging Laboratory was one of the first laboratories in the world to create and utilize a mock MRI scanner, which resembles the actual scanner in virtually every way, to acclimate research participants to the MRI environment.  The MRI simulator is vital for collecting high quality data, particularly from participants with certain syndromes, such as autism or fragile X.