Using the MRI to map mental states

For most clinicians, the MRI is a practical tool used primarily to diagnose illness. For Dr. Nancy Andreasen, a neuroscientist and psychiatrist, it becomes a completely different tool. Dr. Andreasen, who's based at t he University of Iowa, is studying how extremely creative people's nervous systems differ from the rest of the world, how mentally-ill brain physiology differs from normal brains, and other issues that address tracking changes in the brain. In this Q&A, she describes how her process works. Article