FMRI, before you start typing it in Google, stands for functional Magnetic Resource Resonance Imaging, but we'll go into that later. The FMRI scans can give researchers a much more clearer idea of the epilepsy source and therefore, if all goes according to plan, reduce the risk the operation carries to problems concerning language and, um, oh bugger, what is it? - Oh yeah, memory problems.
If you bothered to read our Doodle Day Story you may be aware that over 440,000 people in the UK are epileptic and at least 200,000 of those are on medication to keep their epilepsy under control. More sates, for you to take in - 500 people in the UK undergo brain surgery to control the condition.
It's believed that FMRI will reduce the risk of post surgery language as any memory loss. This will be achieved by localising the area of the brain which carries out the everyday functions which is normally screwed with during a seizure. It's also hoped that FMRI could help deslextica, sorry, dyslexia and people who have suffered strokes and those with speech problems.
Professor John Duncan who is NSE's medical director said,
“FMRI is an important breakthrough as we seek to improve the process of surgery planning. Advances in scanning technology are providing us with a more detailed picture of how the brain works. In due course we will be able to increase the number of people who might be suited to surgery.Operating on the brain will never be risk free but these studies using FMRI should improve the outcome for many.”
So, what the hell is this FMRI?
The brain is a bloody complicated little bugger and nobody fully knows how it all works. If they did then many disabilities could possibly be cured. Everything you do, from figuring out a hard mathematical sum to blinking your eye is controlled from the brain. Functional Magnetic Resource Resonance Imaging is able to figure out which part of the brain does what by linking up to a MRI Scan and the blood flow will be increased to activate parts of the brain, this will activate parts of the brain and show them up on the scan.
At the moment FRMI is at an experiment stage. Firstly a high resolution single scan is snapped up, this becomes a background which can highlight the brain areas which are activated by the stimulation which is activated from the magnet the patient lies in. After all that stuff is out the way a series of second scans taken about every 5 seconds are taken, these are known as low resolutions and about 150 scans are carried out. That means 150 scans, 1 every 5 seconds it takes about, um, er a little while! Some of the low resolution scans will be without any stimulation so a comparison can be made to see which parts of the brain were activated by the stimulates.
After the experiment all the images are analyzed. The raw input images are turned into proper images which look like brains. The rest of the analysis calls on the aid of a series of tools which restore distorted images made from any head movement from the patient and compare the low resolution images taken. Again comparing the images when there was stimulation and when there was none. The last statistical image shows up brightly where the parts of the brain were activated during the experiment.
Admittingly it is fucking complicated which makes us believe that a Doodle Day is a good thing after all and a lot more easier to write about and explain!
