Early detection is vital to managing brain disorders effectively. When neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis (MS), and stroke are detected early, patients have a much higher chance of slowing the progression of the disease and improving their quality of life. At Neurotherapeutix, we utilize advanced functional MRI (fMRI) technology to detect brain disorders,, including various mental health conditions, even before physical symptoms or structural changes manifest.

By identifying biomarkers at early stages, we can develop personalized treatment strategies that enhance outcomes and provide hope for long-term management.

Contact us or continue reading below to learn more about our advanced treatment.

Benefits of Early Detection in Brain Diseases

When diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are diagnosed early, patients and healthcare providers have more time to implement preventive strategies and slow the disease’s progression. Research has shown that early detection, especially with fMRI, can help avoid severe cognitive decline, allowing for interventions such as medication or therapeutic treatments, like repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), that improve brain function and overall well-being​.

Early detection of brain diseases also opens the door for participation in clinical trials, which are often only available in the early stages of conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. With our resting-state fMRI services, we can identify these conditions early, improving opportunities for clinical trial participation.

Using fMRI for Early Detection of Brain Disorders

fMRI plays a crucial role in early brain disorder diagnosis. By measuring brain activity and detecting changes in blood flow, fMRI provides insights into the earliest signs of neurological disorders. For example, fMRI scans can detect disruptions in the neural networks of patients with Alzheimer’s disease well before memory loss or behavioral symptoms emerge.​

Additionally, fMRI is increasingly used to identify early markers of Parkinson’s disease, which could lead to more timely interventions. In both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, changes in brain regions associated with cognition and motor control can be mapped before significant structural deterioration occurs.

Brain Diseases Detectable Early with fMRI

Some of the brain diseases that benefit most from early detection through fMRI include:

• Alzheimer’s Disease: A progressive neurodegenerative disorder that impacts memory and cognitive functions. fMRI can detect early disruptions in brain networks related to memory and learning.
• Parkinson’s Disease: A degenerative disorder affecting movement and motor control. Early detection focuses on brain motor circuits, helping mitigate symptoms like tremors and muscle rigidity.
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS): An autoimmune disease that damages brain and spinal cord nerve cells. fMRI can track inflammation and neural damage, providing critical insights into disease activity.
• Stroke: A sudden disruption of blood flow to the brain, leading to potential brain damage. Identifying areas at risk before a full stroke occurs can be life-saving, allowing for early intervention to prevent or mitigate damage.

Understanding fMRI-guided TMS for Early Intervention

After early detection, fMRI is used to guide TMS treatment of malfunctioning regions. A tailored TMS targeting approach based on a network-based method is used to extract individual optimal targets. The localization of these targets based on an fMRI-guided TMS approach is a powerful technique that accounts for inter-individual functional variability while achieving high precision for targeting core networks of neurological diseases.

Take Control of Your Brain Health with Early Detection in NYC

Early detection is the best way to preserve cognitive function and maintain quality of life.

At Neurotherapeutix, we proudly offer leading-edge diagnostic services. We combine the power of fMRI with expert neurological care to give patients a head start in fighting brain disorders.

Contact us today to schedule an fMRI consultation and control your brain health proactively.

References:

Yin W, Li L, Wu FX. Deep learning for brain disorder diagnosis based on fMRI images. Neurocomputing. 2022 Jan;469:332-345.

Celebrities and Brain Disorders

Preventing Cognitive Decline

An article discussing celebrities and brain disorders in Vanity Fair has revealed that Chris Hemsworth has two copies of the gene ApoE4. This makes him between eight and ten times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those without both copies of the gene.

He has not been formally diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Although he is now aware of his heightened risk of facing the disease, rsfMRI-guided TMS therapy may offer a personalized approach to managing cognitive decline and addressing early symptoms.

fMRI-guided TMS

Mr. Hemsworth’s treatments using “sleep management, stress management, nutrition, movement, and fitness” may offer some benefits. However, much more can be done to reduce declines for those at risk. fMRI-guided TMS is used to reconstruct brain networks and guide magnetic pulses to specific brain regions. This treatment method provides a highly personalized treatment strategy for addressing various mental health conditions.

fMRI Early Detection in At-Risk Patients

Manhattan TMS Therapy

For more information, please contact us for a consultation in our Manhattan, NY location.

If you are preparing for a brain scan or exploring advanced mental health treatment options, you may come across two similar-sounding terms: MRI and fMRI. Although they use related technologies, they serve different purposes and provide various types of information about the brain.

Understanding the difference between MRI and fMRI can help you feel more confident about your care, especially if you are considering brain-based treatments such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

Here, we explain how MRI and fMRI scans work, how they differ, and why fMRI plays an important role in personalized brain-based treatment.

What is an MRI?

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique that creates detailed pictures of the structures inside your body using magnetic fields and radio waves. Unlike CT scans or X-rays, MRI does not use ionizing radiation.

In brain imaging, MRI is commonly used to visualize anatomy. It can show the size, shape, and structure of the brain, helping clinicians identify physical changes such as tumors, lesions, bleeding, or signs of injury. MRI is also effective for imaging soft tissues, including the brain, spinal cord, blood vessels, and discs.

Because MRI focuses on structure rather than activity, it provides crucial information about what the brain looks like, but not how different areas of the brain are functioning or communicating with one another.

What is an fMRI?

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a specialized type of MRI that measures brain activity rather than structure alone.

An fMRI scan detects subtle changes in blood oxygen levels, known as blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signals, which reflect how different areas of the brain become active and interact with each other. These changes occur when neurons are working and require more oxygen.

Instead of showing only anatomy, fMRI reveals patterns of brain function. It can help clinicians understand how neural networks communicate, which areas are underactive or overactive, and how different regions work together to support mood, cognition, and behavior.

At Neurotherapeutix, fMRI data is used as part of functional MRI–based computational brain mapping to support precision-guided, personalized TMS therapy.

Key differences between MRI and fMRI

Although MRI and fMRI use the same underlying technology, the information they provide is fundamentally different.

MRI focuses on structure. It shows detailed images of brain anatomy and helps identify physical abnormalities or changes in tissue. It answers the question: What does the brain look like?

fMRI focuses on function. It measures brain activity and connectivity by tracking changes in blood oxygen levels. It answers the question: How is the brain working?

Another important distinction is clinical application. MRI is widely used for diagnosis across many medical specialties. fMRI is typically used when understanding brain function, connectivity, and network activity is essential, such as in neurological research or advanced brain-based treatment planning.

Both scans are non-invasive and do not involve radiation exposure.

Why fMRI matters for brain-based treatment

Many psychiatric and neurological conditions are not caused by visible structural damage, but by disruptions in how brain networks communicate. In these cases, structural imaging alone may not provide enough information to guide treatment.

fMRI allows clinicians to see how specific brain circuits function and interact. This insight is especially important for treatments like TMS, where accurate targeting of neural circuits plays a central role.

By using functional MRI–based computational brain mapping, clinicians can design more personalized treatment plans that reflect each individual’s unique brain connectivity patterns. This precision-driven approach supports informed treatment planning and ongoing evaluation over time.

If you are interested in how fMRI compares with other functional imaging approaches, you can also explore our detailed comparison of rsfMRI vs SPECT imaging.

Learn more about advanced brain imaging at Neurotherapeutix

Understanding the difference between MRI and fMRI can help you make informed decisions as you explore advanced mental health care options.

At Neurotherapeutix, we use functional MRI–based computational brain mapping to guide individualized, non-invasive TMS therapy for psychiatric and neurological conditions.

If you are preparing for imaging or want to learn how fMRI supports precision-guided treatment, you can request an appointment to speak with our team.

FAQs about MRI and fMRI

What is the main difference between MRI and fMRI?

MRI shows the physical structure of the brain, while fMRI shows how the brain is functioning. MRI focuses on anatomy, whereas fMRI measures brain activity and connectivity using changes in blood oxygen levels.

What does an fMRI scan measure?

An fMRI scan measures changes in blood oxygenation associated with neural activity. These changes provide information about which areas of the brain are active and how different regions communicate with one another.

Is fMRI safe?

Yes. fMRI uses magnetic fields and radio waves and does not involve ionizing radiation. It has a strong safety record when performed according to established medical guidelines.

How long does an fMRI scan take?

The length of an fMRI scan can vary depending on the type of study being performed. In general, scans may take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. Your care team can provide more specific guidance based on your situation.

Why is fMRI important for TMS therapy?

TMS therapy relies on accurate identification of the brain circuits involved in symptoms. fMRI provides detailed information about brain function and connectivity, helping clinicians personalize stimulation targets rather than relying on standardized anatomical locations.

Brain Connections from Birth and Beyond

The human brain is one of the most complex parts of the human body. It controls our ability to walk, talk, feel, see, hear, remember things, and much, much more! Even though the ability to talk might seem like a pretty basic skill set to an adult, the science behind how we actually learned to walk… to talk… to remember, is fascinating! Let’s talk about it.

Millions of Neural Connections That Keep Growing (and growing!)

Did you know that from birth to age three, babies gain more than a million neural connections every second? Every new experience creates connections between neurons. Scientifically speaking, these connections are known as synapses, and they’re very important to brain growth and development.

These connections enable basic brain functions like walking and talking, but they don’t happen overnight. Therefore, there’s a reason many babies start walking somewhere around age one, and not right at birth. The brain connections (synapses) take time to occur, but gaining more than a million neural connections every second is still pretty impressive!

• At birth, the baby has 50 trillion connections or synapses
• In the first three months of life, the synapses multiply more than 20 times
• At one year, the brain has 1,000 trillion synapses

The bottom line is, stronger connections early in life lead to more functional brains.

Impaired Connections Play a Role in Brain Disorders

Now, let’s take a look at what happens after the first three years of life. Let’s talk about what happens when some of those essential neural connections are damaged or broken. With our resting-state fMRI services, we can better understand these neural disruptions and develop more precise treatments for brain recovery.

Think of brain development as a wiring process. Imagine a circuit board where connections between neurons are made and fine-tuned. The connections we use regularly, usually become stronger and more complex, but neglected connections are eliminated over time, which causes problems.

In fact, many (if not all) psychiatric disorders are a result of improper connectivity of some very important brain networks.

Individual Brain Networks for Good Brain Health

Let’s dive a little deeper and explore the complexity between neural connections.

To start, think of your brain as a small country with 4 states (Cerebrum, Cerebellum, Brainstem, and the Diencephalon). Imagine now that each of these brain regions has “highways” that help connect to the other highways in their region, and other brain regions. Similar to how within New York State we have highways connecting cities, and we have highways connecting to other states. These brain highways are called network connections, and healthy connections are essential for good brain health.

But, as we know, illnesses of the brain do NOT follow a one-size-fits all treatment approach. You are as unique as your neural connections. Our advanced fMRI-guided TMS therapy, helps us treat complex brain illnesses with an advanced precise approach using TMS.

At Neurotherapeutix, we’ll look beyond incomplete (abnormal) connections. Our research points to many ways a network can fail, and it doesn’t always mean the connection is “broken”; it is just not optimal.

• We go beyond the standard protocol.
• We look for connections with weak connectivity within the network…
• Weak connectivity from one network to another…
• Excessive connectivity within the network, or from one network to another.
• All of these network connectivity issues are markers for most brain disorders.

You’re in good hands at Neurotherapeutix! Our treatment course is guided by a personalized plan that uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to compute brain networks, which when used in combination with our Localite neuro-navigation system, it guarantees the highest accuracy and delivers TMS treatments to the identified troubled brain networks.This approach is particularly effective in treating various mental health conditions, ensuring a targeted and personalized therapeutic experience.

We believe it’s important for the community to understand both how we help and who we can help.

At Neurotherapeutix, our goal is to give patients access to the highest level of mental health care available today, by offering an innovative and scientifically proven TMS treatment plan for restoration and wellness. 

TMS Treatment for Depression

1. We have success in treating patients who’ve been failed by therapy, medication, and other first-line treatments.

The symptoms of depression can be crippling for those who suffer from this illness.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a debilitating illness associated with frequent relapses, persistent symptoms, and incomplete recovery.

MDD can interfere with daily activities, causing persistent feelings of sadness, loss of interest, and hope. It negatively impacts relationships, disrupts school and career goals, and robs people of the peace and happiness they hope for in life. In the worst cases, some people feel as if life isn’t worth living anymore.

The darkness of depression is something that affects an estimated 1 in 6 Americans. Luckily, many will find relief in medications and/or therapy, but what about the 30% of patients who still can’t find relief from their depression symptoms?

At Neurotherapeutix, we use neuroimaging in combination with TMS Therapy. TMS uses a magnetic field to stimulate brain areas that control mood, and which may be under-active or over-active in the depressed individual. By integrating rsfMRI-guided TMS therapy, we can further personalize the treatment to target specific brain regions, enhancing its effectiveness.

2. We have success in treating patients who didn’t get well with Standard TMS.

Standard TMS therapy does bring relief for many.

It’s an FDA-cleared treatment for Major Depression, but sometimes, standard TMS doesn’t help. It’s easy to feel discouraged if you have undergone TMS without significant success. But now, there’s hope!

Our fMRI-guided TMS Therapy helps us address specific areas of your brain that need to be stimulated. Neuroimaging technology helps us identify brain networks not working as they should. We then create a TMS treatment plan that targets a specific spot (or spots) that require treatment.

Other Mental Health Conditions

It’s also important to remember that we’ve had great success in treating many other off-label conditions with TMS Therapy, including a range of mental health conditions.

Such as:

• Anxiety 
• OCD 
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Autism spectrum disorders 
• Dementia
• Chronic Pain
• Auditory Hallucinations
• and other neuropsychiatric disorders.

Call our office to discuss our experience with depression and the results we’ve seen with any brain disorder where current treatments are not working well enough.

Using Imaging Technology to Show Blood Flow in the Brain

What is fMRI-TMS?

The beauty of our special treatment system is found in fMRI-TMS technology. Though it might sound like a jumbled alphabet soup, it’s some of the most exciting news that has come along in decades! Here’s an overview of how it works…

• First, let’s talk about functional magnetic resonance imaging. You may know that Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a method of forming pictures of the organs in your body using magnetic fields, their gradients, and radio waves. CT scans and x-rays use the ionizing radiation of x-rays, which can be damaging; but MRI uses magnetic fields and radio waves. It’s especially useful for visualizing soft tissue like blood vessels, brain tissue, and muscles.

Now, whereas MRI specializes in displaying structures, fMRI specializes in showing function. And the way the fMRI does it is by showing blood flow. For example, when a football player runs across the field in hopes of scoring a touchdown, he’s really working his leg muscles, right? The blood flow to his leg ramps up to feed and empower the muscles to do the job they need to do.

In other words, when something is functioning, the blood flow to the area increases. Therefore, by identifying areas of increased blood flow, the fMRI highlights the locations of these functioning areas. This approach is crucial in precisely targeting treatments, such as rsfMRI-guided TMS therapy, to improve brain function and address underlying issues effectively.

The more the brain functions the greater the blood flow

Now, let’s take it a step further. Some of those functioning areas are functioning well, but some are functioning badly. Like a strained or broken ligament. Sometimes it’s important to find areas that are functioning in the wrong way so we can change and improve them. In a word, FIX them. That’s exactly what we are doing at Neurotherapeutix, especially when it comes to treating various mental health conditions.

We’re addressing, not guessing. We’re able to identify specific areas in your brain that need to be restored. From that, we’ll create a customized treatment plan for YOU! Our TMS treatment course is precisely guided by a personalized plan. Our team uses computerized imaging and Neuro-navigation for greater success rates with longer-lasting results.