MRI is a technique for viewing the brain's structure and functions. Two main forms exist: structural MRI provide detailed pictures of the brain's shape and size. Functional MRI allows researchers to visualize and map the parts of the brain used to perform everyday tasks, such as reading and calculation. Both structural and functional MRI are used for our studies in SPNL.

The MRI machine is, in essence, a big magnet. As you lie in its magnetic field, invisible radio waves are released around you. This will result in harmless radio waves bouncing off the different substances that make up your brain. These radio waves are then detected by a computer, which transforms the data into images of the brain's structure and activity.

In functional MRI (fMRI), as you lie in the MRI machine, you are given simple tasks, like math addition or subtraction; the MRI then maps what parts of the brain are most active during those tasks compared with activity while the brain is at rest. The areas of most activity in individuals with a healthy brain are then compared to individuals with a disorder like fragile X syndrome. This allows researchers to understand how the brain functions; this information is used together with the data from the structural MRI data to piece together a comprehensive picture of brain structure and function that fit in an overall picture of the disorders we study. Our structural and functional MRI studies also allow us to understand how the healthy brain works.