Methods of Analysis: Functional MRI for Presurgical Planning

Abstract

There are many technical and nontechnical steps involved in a successful clinical functional MRI (fMRI) scan. The output from scanning and analysis can only be as good as the input, so task instruction and rehearsal are the most important steps during an clinical fMRI procedure. Properly pre-processed data significantly affects statistical analysis, which has a great impact on image interpretation. Even though there is general agreement on how to process clinical fMRI data, such as algorithms for head motion detection and correction, the theory and practicalities associated with data processing remain complex and constantly evolving.

Keywords: Functional MRI (fMRI); Methods of analysis; Post-processing; Pre-processing; Statistical analysis.