Functional magnetic resonance imaging research in China

Abstract

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) non-invasively measures the activity of the human brain and provides a unique technological tool for investigating aspects of the human brain including cognition, development, and disorders. As one of the main funding agencies for basic research in China, the National Natural Scientific Foundation of China (NSFC) has initiated various research programs during the last two decades that are related to fMRI research. In this review, we collected and analyzed the metadata of the projects and published studies in research fields using fMRI that were funded by the NSFC. We observed a trend of increasing funding amounts from the NSFC for fMRI research, typically from the General Program and Key Program. Leading research institutes from economically developed municipalities and provinces received the most support and formed close collaboration relationships. Finally, we reviewed several representative achievements from research institutions in china, involving data analysis methods, brain connectomes, and computational platforms in addition to their applications in brain disorders.