The human brain can be so complex and deeply rooted with thoughts and perceptions that even individuals cannot fully understand or grasp its complexity. The field of neuroscience, has made a progressive approach in studying the psychology of the brain. Ever since the introduction of the age of technological consciousness, the use of neuro-imaging has been drastically improved for physicians, to be able to see the neural correlations of thoughts to unconscious behaviour and attitudes. Specifically a neuro-imaging technique that has and continues to accelerate in brain research is the fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging). The primary purpose of fMRI is to measure brain activity by detecting changes associated with blood flow. In other words fMRI is a diagnostic method in which brain mapping is done, which essentially determines what part of the brain is responsible for handling functions such as sensation, speech and movement. Furthermore, it critically evaluates the effects of diseases towards brain functioning.
In the ongoing field of medicine many experiments and researches are being conducted with the aid of fMRI technology to check for such diseases. A lead study that was performed in 2014 at Carnegie Mellon University, involved the use of fMRI technology to determine whether Autism can be diagnosed or not. This experiment involved 17 young adults with high functioning autism and 17 without. The individuals tested without autism were to reflect about several different social interactions, which included hugging, humliting, kicking, adoring and etc. Preceding this, researchers used a range of fMRI techniques to measure brain activation, which resulted in there being a great difference between the two groups being tested. This automatically led to scientists being able to confirm the results for 33 out of 34 participants, in terms of whether their brain was autistic or neurotypical. Researchers have claimed this research to be 97% accurate simply in regards to examining certain fMRI activation patterns. It was found that there was an area associated with the representation of self, which failed to activate in autistic individuals. Therefore concluding that with autism the representation of self is altered, which can be used as a control variable in diagnosing and differentiating between having such disorder.
The use of fMRI technology has branched into many other research studies specifically a study done by Dr. Elizabeth Wakefield. The content of this study focuses on pediatric imaging for young children. Investigating children as the target group allows researchers to understand brain plasticity during early developmental periods, and reveals how perceptual, procedural and cognitive skills emerge. Although there may be many overwhelming benefits of experimenting with children, on the other end of spectrum there are factors that prevent such study. A primary factor which challenges this study is guiding the child to conform to the study without feelings of fear, resilience and uncomfort. To avoid the buildup of these emotions and deter from violating ethical standards, there are many protocols that are being established. This includes introducing the idea of play therapy, behavioral training and the use of mock scanners. Furthermore, Wakefield ties these methods and provides a detailed explanation of each in terms of neuroimaging and how physicians can set a positive, child-friendly and communicative environment.
With the ongoing neurological advancements in the world of medicine, there are several experiments and researches that can be illustrated with the use of fMRI technology. It can emphasizes on the idea that if certain thoughts associated with a specific illness are predetermined, then individuals can incorporate this into their reflections during an fMRI test, which could identify whether they possess such a disorder like autism or not. At the same time it can be a great successor in representing a target age range and the strengths they possess.
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