Annotation:
Throughout my research, I have continuously come across the technique, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and felt that using an fMRI machine as my artifact was extremely appropriate. Doctors and researchers use fMRI as a noninvasive and safe way to measure brain activity. In many of the resources that I have reviewed, the fMRI experiments involve a patient who alternates between listening to specific genres of music and a control state (silence). While this is taking place the fMRI machine uses a magnetic field and radio waves to identify the changes in blood flow in the brain. In the 1990’s it was discovered by a physicist by the name of Seiji Ogawa, that oxygen-rich hemoglobin and oxygen-poor hemoglobin react differently to magnetic fields. It was also discovered that the active areas of our brain at any given time, receive much more oxygen-rich blood than the areas of our brain that are inactive. It is because of these discoveries that we are now able to map which areas of our brain are active and which areas are not during a fMRI scan. These scans not only give us images of our brain activity, but looking at the changes in blood flow gives insight into how a patient is feeling and what they are thinking throughout the experiment.
By exploring this resource, I now know all about how functional magnetic resonance imaging works and even more about brain activity. I can also see how fMRI has helped many researchers understand music’s impact on the brain and our mood more clearly.
References:
Image:
DiNota, P. (n.d.). Being bold: Understanding functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). True Image. Retrieved on July 4, 2017 from http://www.trueimpact.ca/being-bold-understanding-functional-magnetic-resonance-imaging-fmri/
Information on fMRI:
Wilson, S. (2008, October 1). How fMRI works. How stuff works. Retrieved July 4, 2017 from http://science.howstuffworks.com/fmri.htm
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