Oct, 1, 2023

Vol.30 No.2, pp. 84-88

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Review

  • Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
  • Volume 18(1); 2011
  • Article

Review

Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry 2011;18(1):5-14. Published online: Jan, 1, 2011

Abstract PDF Full Text

Understanding of Neuroimaging and Its Perspectives in Mental Illnesses

  • Jae-Jin Kim, MD, PhD1,2;Kiwan Han, PhD2;Jung Suk Lee, MD1; and Soo Hee Choi, MD1;
    1;Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 2;Department of Biomedical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
Abstract

Neuroimaging in psychiatry encompasses the powerful tools available for the in vivo study of brain structure and function. MRI including the volumetry, voxel-base morphometry(VBM) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) are useful for assessing brain structure, whereas function MRI, positron emission tomography(PET) and magnetoencephalography(MEG) are well established for probing brain function. These tools are well tolerated by the vast majority of psychiatric patients because they provide a powerful but noninvasive means to directly evaluate the brain. Although neuroimaging technology is currently used only to rule in or rule out general medical conditions as opposed to diagnosing primary mental disorders, it may be used to confirm or make psychiatric diagnoses in the future. In addition, neuroimaging may be valuable for predicting the natural course of psychiatric illness as well as treatment response.

Keywords Neuroimaging;Brain structure;Brain function;Mental illnesses.