Introduction

Abstract

Within the past two decades, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has developed tremendously and continues to do so. From initial descriptions of changes in blood oxygenation that can be mapped with MRI using T2*-weighted images to very basic investigations performing studies of the visual and motor cortex, fMRI has further evolved into a very powerful research tool and has also become an imaging modality of daily clinical routine, especially for presurgical mapping. With the first edition of this book, we tried to give an overview of the basic concepts and their clinical applications. With increasing demands by you, the reader, as a researcher and/or clinical colleague, and due to increasing applications, we feel an update is due, with add-ons to the previous edition. We are delighted to present this second edition of fMRI: Basics and Clinic Applications.