Also called functional MRI. functional magnetic resonance imaging: a procedure that uses MRI technology to measure and map brain activity by detecting changes in the brain’s blood flow and oxygenation.
functional magnetic resonance imager: a type of MRI scanner that is used in this procedure.
FMRI images are used to determined which parts of the brain “light up” when a function such as speech or recognition is performed.
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In a separate study, published in Communications Biology in 2022, researchers put squirrels into fMRI scanners—tracking blood flow in the brain to reveal which regions are active and how they communicate with one another.
From Slate • Jan. 25, 2026
Resting state fMRI measures brain activity when a person is not performing a specific task.
From Science Daily • Dec. 29, 2025
But in 2002, a research team in France successfully captured fMRI images of awake infants to measure how their brains responded to language.
From Salon • May 7, 2025
Undergoing an fMRI scan is not the only option.
From Science Daily • Dec. 3, 2024
A few weeks later, after technicians and Dr. Watson in Utah had taken the time to process the rest of the fMRI results, I again visited Dr. Gazzaley’s office.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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