Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) provides several advantages crucial for studying brain activity. The main advantage of this imaging method includes the high accuracy in examining the brain and the absence of X-rays or ionizing radiation, which allows an adequate assessment of the patient’s condition without health risks (Bandettini, 2020). Thus, MRI differs from the methods that produce ionizing radiation in terms of safety for human health in case there are no contraindications that do not allow this method. In addition, MRI also provides better soft tissue contrast than Computed Tomography (Bandettini, 2020). Nonetheless, MRI has several disadvantages, including its uncomfortableness for patients and the inability to utilize this method for people with implanted life-supporting devices. In the context of the importance of understanding the relationship between the brain and behaviour, MRI is a crucial research method since it enables brain studies with high precision and with no health risks.
The utilization of fMRI provides the possibility to conduct brain studies in resting and active states. The advantage of this method is the ability to obtain high-resolution images, which is essential for the research and treatment of brain injuries. Furthermore, this imaging method is non-invasive and produces no radiation hazards (Bandettini, 2020). The disadvantages of this method primarily include the vulnerability of the signal to various internal and external factors, which negatively affect the accuracy of the results. In addition, fMRI has the disadvantage, typical of MRI, associated with patient discomfort during the procedure. This brain imaging method is essential for understanding brain-behaviour interactions as it can identify abnormalities and assess the brain’s functional anatomy. Therefore, fMRI is a method that allows advanced research in neuroscience but has limitations in ensuring the accuracy of brain imaging.
Reference
Bandettini, P. A. (2020). fMRI. MIT Press.