Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 3 complete abstracts (509 words), 9 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Non-invasive method of demonstrating internal anatomy based on the principle that atomic nuclei in a strong magnetic field absorb pulses of radiofrequency energy and emit them as radiowaves which can be reconstructed into computerized images. The concept includes proton spin tomographic techniques.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Imaging, Magnetic Resonance; NMR Imaging; Imaging, NMR; Zeugmatography; Tomography, MR; Steady-State Free Precession MRI; Steady State Free Precession MRI; NMR Tomography.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Tomography
- Narrower topics
- Cholangiopancreatography, Magnetic Resonance; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Dynamic Contrast Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Echo-Planar Imaging; Fluorine-19 Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Magnetic Resonance Angiography; Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine; Magnetic Resonance Myelography; Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Perfusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- See also
- Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Anatomy, Cross-Sectional
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 610,309 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Magnetic Resonance Imaging” (counts retrieved 2026-11-04). 156,344 of them (25.6%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2010-2019 with 240,391 records.
Reviews account for 72,858 records (11.9%) and meta-analyses for 4,635. Randomized controlled trials number 9,300 (1.5%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up only a small share of this literature, so much of what is known comes from laboratory, observational or descriptive work.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 65,076 |
| 2000-2009 | 148,498 |
| 2010-2019 | 240,391 |
| 2020 onward | 156,344 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 72,858 | 11.9% |
| Meta-analyses | 4,635 | 0.8% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 9,300 | 1.5% |
Method: PubMed query "Magnetic Resonance Imaging"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-11-04.
Reading the evidence in diagnostics and medical technology
A test or device is judged by how well it detects a condition, how often it gives false alarms or misses cases, and whether using it improves outcomes for people. Accuracy depends on who is tested and how common the condition is, so a test that performs well in a specialist hospital can perform differently in the community. Check the reference standard, the population studied, the sensitivity and specificity and whether results were confirmed in a separate group.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency and laminar profile of feature-specific visual activity revealed by interleaved EEG-fMRI | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 3 | cc by PMID 42689526 · DOI · PMC13541303 |
| Non-invasive characterization of perivascular subarachnoid spaces | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 2 | cc by PMID 42693113 · DOI · PMC13542271 |
| Biphasic acclimation for simultaneous wide-field fluorescent Ca2+ imaging and fMRI of awake mice | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 2 | cc by PMID 42730032 · DOI · PMC13563530 |
Frequency and laminar profile of feature-specific visual activity revealed by interleaved EEG-fMRI [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- The role of cortical oscillations in brain function has been extensively debated, resulting in a variety of theoretical frameworks.
- Closing excerpt
- We conclude that the role of α band oscillations extends beyond widespread inhibition and might be involved in active stimulus processing on the level of visual features.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (145 words)
The role of cortical oscillations in brain function has been extensively debated, resulting in a variety of theoretical frameworks. Using interleaved simultaneous electroencephalography-functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined the layer-specific relationship between oscillatory activity and visual processing. We could demonstrate that γ band activity positively correlates with feature-specific signals in superficial layers, but we were able to report a deep layer contribution as well. In addition, we could demonstrate that α band power not only correlates negatively with the feature-unspecific BOLD signal but is related to feature-specific BOLD as well. Lower frequency α was predominantly related to feature-unspecific superficial layer BOLD, while upper frequency α was found to be related to feature-specific BOLD in superficial and deep layers. We conclude that the role of α band oscillations extends beyond widespread inhibition and might be involved in active stimulus processing on the level of visual features.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42689526 · DOI · PMC13541303
Non-invasive characterization of perivascular subarachnoid spaces [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is thought to facilitate brain waste clearance and immune surveillance, yet its compartmentalization remains unclear.
- Closing excerpt
- We find that CSF dynamics may be more spatially distinct than previously thought, providing a possible foundation for understanding brain CSF patterns in health and disease.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (168 words)
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is thought to facilitate brain waste clearance and immune surveillance, yet its compartmentalization remains unclear. Previous work, using invasive dynamic intrathecal MRI contrast imaging, identified a perivascular subarachnoid space (PVSAS) that enhances along the major cerebral arteries with a 'donut'-like appearance. These findings suggest that the PVSAS may be separated from the surrounding broader subarachnoid space (SAS) by a semipermeable perivascular membrane. To investigate if the PVSAS could be observed non-invasively in healthy controls, we used a magnetic resonance imaging technique, CSF-STREAM (CSF-Selective T2-prepared REadout with Acceleration and Mobility-encoding), that assesses CSF-mobility at a high spatial resolution by isolating CSF from blood and tissue signal. Here, we observe high CSF-mobility next to the vasculature, with a steep drop-off into the surrounding SAS around both the middle and anterior cerebral arteries, suggesting the presence of the PVSAS in healthy controls. We find that CSF dynamics may be more spatially distinct than previously thought, providing a possible foundation for understanding brain CSF patterns in health and disease.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42693113 · DOI · PMC13542271
Biphasic acclimation for simultaneous wide-field fluorescent Ca2+ imaging and fMRI of awake mice [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can be applied in mice and humans, making it a key technology in translational neuroimaging research.
- Closing excerpt
- Comparisons of cortex-wide neuronal activity (WF-Ca2+ imaging) and blood-oxygen-level dependent fMRI signals between isoflurane-anesthetized and awake mice reveal both convergent and divergent patterns in brain function between modalities and across time.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (196 words)
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can be applied in mice and humans, making it a key technology in translational neuroimaging research. Yet, most fMRI studies in rodents use anesthesia to limit subject motion and stress. This puts a hard boundary on the range of brain and behavioral states that can be studied in animals, and deviates from the near-universal practice of imaging people while awake. Recent years have seen a push toward the development of acclimation protocols for performing fMRI in mice without anesthesia, but the results have been mixed. In parallel, imaging mice without anesthesia has become routine for complementary neuroimaging methods, including wide-field fluorescence calcium (WF-Ca2+) imaging. Our group works with a unique co-implementation of WF-Ca2+ and fMRI which enables the collection of complementary measures of brain function, but-until now-has necessitated the use of anesthesia. We present the first longitudinal protocol for simultaneous WF-Ca2+ and fMRI in awake mice. Our approach comprised a two-phase (biphasic) acclimation protocol that results in high-quality multimodal data. Comparisons of cortex-wide neuronal activity (WF-Ca2+ imaging) and blood-oxygen-level dependent fMRI signals between isoflurane-anesthetized and awake mice reveal both convergent and divergent patterns in brain function between modalities and across time.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42730032 · DOI · PMC13563530
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Study design features increase replicability in brain-wide association studies [4]
- Research article Predicting treatment outcomes in major depressive disorder using brain magnetic resonance imaging: a meta-analysis [5]
- Research article Node-RADS: a systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic performance, category-wise malignancy rates, and inter-observer reliability [6]
- Research article Common neural correlates of chronic pain - A systematic review and meta-analysis of resting-state fMRI studies [7]
- Research article Evaluating the robustness of DTI-ALPS in clinical context: a meta-analytic parallel on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases [8]
- Research article Add, subtract and multiply: Meta-analyses of brain correlates of arithmetic operations in children and adults [9]
Full-text reviews on EvidenceLib
Open-access review articles about this topic, reproduced in full with authors, licence and references.
Image-based biomechanical models of the musculoskeletal system
Fabio Galbusera, Andrea Cina, Matteo Panico et al. · European Radiology Experimental 2020 · CC BY 4.0
References
- Clausner T, Marques JP, Scheeringa R, Bonnefond M. Frequency and laminar profile of feature-specific visual activity revealed by interleaved EEG-fMRI. . 2026. PMID 42689526 · DOI · PMC13541303
- Fultz NE, Ringstad G, Debiasi M, Roefs ECA, Svensson SF, Eide PK, et al.. Non-invasive characterization of perivascular subarachnoid spaces. . 2026. PMID 42693113 · DOI · PMC13542271
- Mandino F, Kang T, Shen X, Horien C, Papademetris X, Strittmatter SM, et al.. Biphasic acclimation for simultaneous wide-field fluorescent Ca2+ imaging and fMRI of awake mice. . 2026. PMID 42730032 · DOI · PMC13563530
- Kang K, Seidlitz J, Bethlehem RAI, Xiong J, Jones MT, Mehta K, et al.. Study design features increase replicability in brain-wide association studies. Nature. 2024. PMID 39604734 · DOI · PMC11655360
- Long F, Chen Y, Zhang Q, Li Q, Wang Y, Wang Y, et al.. Predicting treatment outcomes in major depressive disorder using brain magnetic resonance imaging: a meta-analysis. Mol Psychiatry. 2025. PMID 39187625 · DOI
- Zhong J, Mao S, Chen H, Wang Y, Yin Q, Cen Q, et al.. Node-RADS: a systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic performance, category-wise malignancy rates, and inter-observer reliability. Eur Radiol. 2025. PMID 39505734 · DOI · PMC12021726
- Fiúza-Fernandes J, Pereira-Mendes J, Esteves M, Radua J, Picó-Pérez M, Leite-Almeida H. Common neural correlates of chronic pain - A systematic review and meta-analysis of resting-state fMRI studies. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2025. PMID 40086716 · DOI
- Costa T, Manuello J, Premi E, Mattioli I, Lasagna L, Lahoz CB, et al.. Evaluating the robustness of DTI-ALPS in clinical context: a meta-analytic parallel on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Sci Rep. 2024. PMID 39487289 · DOI · PMC11530450
- Istomina A, Arsalidou M. Add, subtract and multiply: Meta-analyses of brain correlates of arithmetic operations in children and adults. Dev Cogn Neurosci. 2024. PMID 39098250 · DOI · PMC11342769
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-11-04; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-11-04.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.