Clinical Vignette: Functional MRI in Preoperative Assessment of Neurosurgical Patients

Blood oxygen level‐dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can be used to identify eloquent areas of the brain. Long used in research, the technique is now being used in the clinical setting, most commonly as part of the preoperative evaluation for neurosurgical candidates. We described the fundamentals of fMRI and reviewed the cases of several patients in which the information garnered aided operative planning or altered patient management, which emphasizes the clinical utility of this technique.