Figure 5.

Task-related fMRI refers to the use of MRI to measure regional brain responses to cognitive and/or behavioral stimulation. (A) In the fMRI paradigm, an experimental task is performed at known times during imaging, and the resulting expected brain response (measured by MRI as the ‘hemodynamic response’ due to the phenomenon of neurovascular coupling) can be statistically analyzed to determine regions of the brain supporting the operations used to perform the task. (B) Activation patterns associated with behavioral fluctuations during a sustained attention task in 145 veterans from the TRACTS cohort (image courtesy of Dr. Michael Esterman, VA Boston Healthcare System).