Functional neuroimaging

Abstract

This chapter highlights the clinical applications of functional neuroimaging. It discusses the most common functional neuroimaging modalities studied in patients with brain injuries. The chapter reviews how these modalities may be used to understand the diagnosis, prognosis, outcome, treatment, and pathophysiology of brain injury. While some functional imaging modalities have increased in popularity (i.e., functional magnetic resonance imaging) and are therefore well-represented in the recent literature, others are in their infancy (i.e., functional near-infrared spectroscopy) or have maintained a slower pace of publication (i.e., positron emission tomography [PET]). However, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) radioisotopes have a longer half-life and are more easily obtained than PET radioisotopes, making SPECT more accessible and less expensive.