ABSTRACT
In the last few decades, there has been a constant need to develop new imaging techniques that aid in the investigation of biological function of the brain in conjunction with the associated anatomical information. Blood oxygenation level-dependent imaging (BOLD) is one such method that has been researched and developed to measure and map the location of activation in the brain related to neuronal activity. Although measured indirectly, this method has enabled the neuroscience community at large to noninvasively study brain functions in a reliable and fairly reproducible manner in humans. In the last two decades, this ability has enabled the mapping of the functions of various regions of the brain, and has helped to understand the complex connections in brain circuitry; it continues to be an exciting method to study brain functions. In recent years, this technique has moved from bench-top research to clinical bedside applications, particularly in the area of presurgical localization of cortical structures. This chapter discusses the principles underlying this technique, and the application of this method in clinical medicine.
