Theory Overview
So you’ve probably seen those fancy pictures with lots of colors over an MRI of a brain, but what do they mean? That’s what this whole section is for: learning the theory behind fMRI analyses and the logic of how to perform them.
Like Rome, fMRI researchers aren’t made in a day. Take your time as you go through each section to do some of your own research to answer those burning questions about cognitive neuroscience that we all have from time to time. It is worth taking the time now to have a strong foundation because otherwise you will spend much more time later on trying to play catch up(which I can say from experience, is not a good time, at all).
If you aren’t famiiliar with these concepts, then I suggest you go through every module below in order. I even made them short and sweet for you! On that note, all of the modules link to external videos/articles/other resources to teach these concepts(why reinvent the wheel?). Make sure to open every link and you encounter to use those resources.
Modules
- How an MRI works
- fMRI/The BOLD Signal
- HRF (Hemodynamic Response Function)
- GLM (General Linear Model)
- Neuroanatomy
- More General Methods Background
After going through the above modules, I highly recommend checking out more from the following series. They provide an excellent overview of all aspects of fMRI-based research.
- MIT Open Courseware: The Human Brain, Dr. Nancy Kanwisher
- MITCBMM: fMRI Boot Camp, Dr. Rebecca Saxe
- MITCBMM: Functional MRI of the Human Brain, Dr. Idan Blank (Used for HRF)