Perfecting functional MRI is a priority. RIC scientists are working to make fMRI's neuroscience applications more reliable. Already fMRI holds great promise. For example, fMRI uses no radiation and researchers could use children in their studies. In PET, they cannot.
Scientists still know almost nothing about how humans develop their language skills.
PET is like a Clydesdale horse, plodding but reliable. Many laboratories report that fMRI fails to detect brain activity about a third of the time. PET usually identifies brain activation at least 90 percent of the time. Working with private industry, the RIC is developing an fMRI unit specifically designed for functional brain mapping. It is less expensive than others because it scans the head instead of the full body and its functions are integrated into one computer software package.