Research Interests
Recent developments in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
make it possible to study human brain function non-invasively. Functional
MRI (fMRI), as it is called, relies on changes in the MR signal produced
by increased blood flow and oxygenated hemoglobin in active regions of
the brain. Images of brain activation are obtained by comparing the MR
signals obtained during a task with those obtained before and after. This
makes it possible to localize which areas of the brain are involved in
performing a particular task or function. Cooperation with the Radiology
department on campus makes it possible to use their two MR scanners outside
of clinic hours. My current research is being done in collaboration with
Dr. Sharleen Sakai of the Psychology department and is focused on motor
control, with an emphasis on internally generated movement. This research
is highly interdisciplinary and is part of a research group in cognitive
neuroscience, which plans to use fMRI in a broad range of studies. This
group, in turn, is part of a recently formed interdepartmental cognitive
science program.
Selected Publications
Search all publications in the NCBI Journal Database
Bernard RA, Goran DA, Sakai
ST, Carr, TH, McFarlane D, Nordell B, Cooper, TG and Potchen EJ. (2002).
Cortical activation during rhythmic hand movements
performed under three types of control: An fMRI study. Cogn. Affect.
Behav. Neurosci. 2 (3): 271-281.
Bernard RA, Goran DA, Carr
TH, McFarlane DK, Bailey ML, Cannon JR, Cooper TG and Potchen EJ. (1998).
Effect of force on cortical activation produced by
finger movement: an fMRI study. NeuroImage 7: S931.
Goran DA, Bernard RA, Carr
TH, McFarlane DK, Bailey ML, Cannon JR, Cooper TG and Potchen EJ.(1998).
Comparison of acute pain and motor activation of second
somatic sensory cortex: an fMRI study. NeuroImage 7: S427.
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Rudy
A. Bernard