Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Combining step-by-step explanations and intuitive analogies, this text for undergraduates and up offers a rigorous introduction to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Written in an accessible, jargon-free writing style, the text begins with a foundation in the physics and biology of fMRI, referring frequently to fMRI applications. Coverage then extends to principles and practice of fMRI experimentation, encompassing areas such as neurovascular organization, experimental design, and signal processing. Learning features include margin definitions, boxes on high-interest topics, equation summaries, and thought questions. The book's appealing art program features color and b&w photos, diagnostic images, anatomical drawings, and explanatory illustrations of biological and cellular processes on every page. This second edition incorporates the many advances in the field in the past five years, with separate chapters on standard hypothesis-driven fMRI data analysis and advanced exploratory analyses, increased coverage of the integration of fMRI with other cognitive neuroscience techniques, and a new chapter on ethical issues. Huettel is affiliated with Duke University's Brain Imaging and Analysis Center. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

SCOTT A. HUETTEL is Associate Professor in the Brain Imaging and Analysis Center and Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at Duke University. He is also faculty in the Departments of Psychiatry, Neurobiology, and Psychology. He received a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from Duke University. His research uses behavioral and functional neuroimaging techniques to investigate the executive control of behavior, with particular focus on decision-making, reward evaluation, and neuroeconomics. ALLEN W. SONG is Director of the Brain Imaging and Analysis Center and Professor in the Departments of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering at Duke University. His Ph.D., in Biophysics, was earned from the Medical College of Wisconsin. His research involves the development and optimization of new methods to improve the functional sensitivity and specificity of fMRI. A central focus is the development of alternative contrast mechanisms for fMRI, including diffusion and perfusion imaging and direct imaging of neuronal activity. GREGORY MCCARTHY is Professor of Psychology at Yale University. He is also a Research Career Scientist for the Department of Veterans Affairs. He received his Ph.D. in Biological Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. McCarthy is broadly interested in the functional anatomy of the human brain, an interest he has pursued using behavioral, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging methods. One goal of his research is to elucidate the brain mechanisms of high-level visual function, particularly with regard to perception of faces and visual motion cues for social cognition. Another line of research investigates executive functions, particularly in the frontal lobe, and how they are altered by distracting or emotional stimuli.