Recent breakthroughs in MRI instrumentation and techniques are revolutionizing neuroscience, driven by the increasing demand for powerful, non-invasive tools to probe the living human brain. MRI continues to evolve beyond its traditional structural and functional applications, offering unprecedented sensitivity to microstructural, metabolic, and physiological processes. MRI-accessible information is substantially enhanced in multimodal and multiparametric approaches that expand MRI’s reach across spatial and temporal scales.
Diffusion, relaxometry, magnetization transfer, and susceptibility-based techniques on one side, functional spectroscopy and imaging in their multiple aspects on the other, are enabling more direct inferences about tissue composition, microstructure, and biochemistry. These approaches are developing also thanks to continuous innovations in hardware and acquisition strategies, such as ultra-high field systems, novel gradient and coil designs, and accelerated imaging methods that enhance spatial resolution and sensitivity while reducing scan times. Moreover, biophysical modeling and computational approaches allow merging the MR-derived experimental information into integrated frameworks that enable access to parameters that are not directly measurable, as well as a deeper understanding of biological phenomena underlying MRI measurements
Crucially, MR can be integrated seamlessly with other modalities, creating richer and more interpretable datasets. Combined MRI–PET techniques merge high-resolution anatomical and functional information with molecular specificity, enabling the study of neurochemical processes in vivo. Simultaneous MRI–electrophysiology and MRI–optical imaging approaches bridge the gap between hemodynamic, cellular, and electrical signals, providing direct insight into the neural substrates of MR contrasts. Together, these multimodal strategies address MRI’s inherent limitations in temporal resolution and contrast specificity.
The XIV workshop of the International School on Magnetic Resonance and Brain Function (ISMRBF) has been held from the 24th to the 29th of October 2025 in Erice (Italy). The ISMRBF workshops offer scientists working at the intersection of MRI development and neuroscience applications the opportunity to gather, discuss the latest results and establish new collaborations. This Research Topic covers the themes presented at the Workshop.
Topic Editor Harald Möller holds patents related to magnetic resonance devices. All other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regards to the Research Topic subject.
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Keywords: fMRI, MRI, brain function, MR methods, ISMRBF Erice
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