Discuss the uses of functional MRIs

What will be an ideal response?

Functional MRIs (fMRIs) measure small metabolic changes in an active part of the brain. fMRIs identify brain activity by changes in blood oxygen. fMRIs can be used to identify brain area by function in the operating room and to help the surgeon avoid damaging areas such as those that are associated with speech. Strokes, brain tumors, or injuries can change the areas of the brain where functions such as speech, sensation, and memory occur. fMRIs can help locate these areas and can then be used to help develop treatment plans. They can also help in the treatment of brain tumors and in assessment of the effects of stroke, injury, or other disease on brain function. fMRIs can be used to predict who will develop early dementia (identical to Alzheimer's disease) because of a genetic mutation. fMRIs can find biomarkers in people as young as 18 years. This might lead to early intervention. fMRIs are being used to study conditioned response in people—what the brain does when learning to associate a stimulus, such as a bell or an image, with food. They are also being used, along with positron emission tomography (PET) scans, to study schizophrenia.