- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive technique that captures images of soft tissues within the body, such as the brain, cardiovascular system, spinal cord, muscles, liver, and arteries.
- It’s pivotal for diagnosing and monitoring conditions like Alzheimer’s, dementia, epilepsy, stroke, and specific cancers including prostate and rectal cancer.
- MRI operates using a powerful superconducting magnet housed within a large, donut-shaped machine. This magnet aligns hydrogen atoms in body tissues, which are abundant in fat and water.
- During a scan, a radiofrequency pulse targets these atoms, causing them to emit signals that are converted into detailed 2D or 3D images by a computer.
- Functional MRI, a variation of the technique, assesses changes in blood flow to study brain activity.
- However, the strong magnetic fields generated by MRI machines may prevent individuals with metallic implants like pacemakers or embedded objects like shrapnel from undergoing this procedure.
- While MRI is generally safe and lacks long-term adverse effects, its safety for pregnant women remains uncertain.
Dig Deeper: What is Computed Tomography?
