What is a functional MRI scan and why does my child need one?
Functional imaging has an established role in evaluating patients for epilepsy surgery. It can be helpful when results from standard diagnostic methods, such as clinical information, electroencephalography (EEG) and MRI are insufficient to identify where seizures start in the brain in relation to eloquent parts of the brain responsible for function. The main difference between a normal MRI scan and a functional MRI scan is the results that can be obtained. Whereas a normal MRI scan gives pictures of the structure of the brain, a functional MRI scan shows which parts of the brain are activated when certain tasks are carried out such as language, memory and movement. Functional MRI (fMRI) evaluates blood flow in the brain called the blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) contrast technique. This means that brain activity can be picked up by the MRI scanner because of tiny chemical changes in the blood. This particular type of scan can be extremely useful when planning brain surgery as
