How Can Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Help Detect, Visualize, and Treat Strokes?

Stroke is one of the most frequent neurological disorders, befalling over 250.000 persons each year in Germany alone. The research underlying this video explores the role of non-invasive methods for stroke diagnosis and therapy. The use of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), which produces image-signals on the basis of the oxygen-concentration in the blood, allows for the detection of increased or decreased activity in the brain. ARNO VILLRINGER explains how this method helps detect affected networks of the brain in the acute phase and enables a tracking progress in the chronic phase of a stroke: The networks of disturbed blood flow in the brain correspond to changes in the neurological functions of the patient. By identifying and visualizing the affected areas non-invasively a continuous monitoring of the patient and a targeted application of treatments, e.g. magnetic stimulation or drugs, is possible and is already tested in clinical studies