Like any other cells in the body, when neurons are activated they consume glucose and oxygen to fuel their activity and they produce metabolic waste. According to Sadock, Sadock, and Ruiz (2015), a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) device works from this principal by using high magnetic fields and radio frequencies to indicate activity. The fMRI helps the medical professional to peer into brain activity, not by measuring brain activity directly, but by observing the flux of oxygen content as blood flow increases to support the neural activity (Sadock, Sadock, and Ruiz, 2015). This has led to many uses of fMRI, including the use of fMRI data to predict cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) treatment outcomes for individuals suffering
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For cells to continue to function, blood flow must increase to the area of cellular activity to remove waste and replace glucose and oxygen. BOLD, or blood oxygen level dependent activity, utilizes these metabolic processes to identify neural activity to a localized region (Baars & Gage, 2010). As oxygen consumption occurs, it triggers the need for additional blood, rich in oxygen, to flow into that region of neural activity. In anticipation of the potential need for additional activity, even more oxygen/blood begins to flow to the area. Once it is no longer needed, this overflow of oxygen rich blood is reduced and the blood flow returns to baseline levels (Baars & Gage, 2010). According to Baars and Gage (2010), this depletion, to overcompensation, to baseline level is measured as a BOLD signal which allows the indirect monitoring of neural activity. This activity appears as color, with varied intensities of activity represented by different colors. The colored regions are then superimposed by co-registration of the functional representation onto the structural MRI information. The advantages of the fMRI are that it is non-invasive and not radioactive, while providing useful functional information on an otherwise nearly inaccessible area of the …show more content…
This technology has increased the understanding of the human brain. Current fMRI research from psychiatry and psychology includes exploring clinical the clinical utility of fMRI in the field of mental health therapies. Although it is this current author’s opinion that fMRI technology would not be beneficial, nor reimbursable, for every client or patient that schedules an anxiety-related appointment, it would be a welcomed possible alternative when clients present with treatment resistant mood
For cells to continue to function, blood flow must increase to the area of cellular activity to remove waste and replace glucose and oxygen. BOLD, or blood oxygen level dependent activity, utilizes these metabolic processes to identify neural activity to a localized region (Baars & Gage, 2010). As oxygen consumption occurs, it triggers the need for additional blood, rich in oxygen, to flow into that region of neural activity. In anticipation of the potential need for additional activity, even more oxygen/blood begins to flow to the area. Once it is no longer needed, this overflow of oxygen rich blood is reduced and the blood flow returns to baseline levels (Baars & Gage, 2010). According to Baars and Gage (2010), this depletion, to overcompensation, to baseline level is measured as a BOLD signal which allows the indirect monitoring of neural activity. This activity appears as color, with varied intensities of activity represented by different colors. The colored regions are then superimposed by co-registration of the functional representation onto the structural MRI information. The advantages of the fMRI are that it is non-invasive and not radioactive, while providing useful functional information on an otherwise nearly inaccessible area of the …show more content…
This technology has increased the understanding of the human brain. Current fMRI research from psychiatry and psychology includes exploring clinical the clinical utility of fMRI in the field of mental health therapies. Although it is this current author’s opinion that fMRI technology would not be beneficial, nor reimbursable, for every client or patient that schedules an anxiety-related appointment, it would be a welcomed possible alternative when clients present with treatment resistant mood