Everything you wanted to know about neuroimaging and psychiatry, but were afraid to ask
SummaryRecent years have seen a dramatic increase in the advances and applications of medical imaging techniques. Tools with familiar acronyms such as MRI, EEG/MEG and PET/SPECT have provided invaluable information not only about the brain structure and function associated with psychiatric disorders, but increasingly about the mechanisms underpinning these disorders. This evolving understanding of the specific pathophysiology of mental disorder paves the way for improvement in the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of the disorders managed in everyday clinical practice. This article gives an overview of the main neuroimaging approaches, contemporary applications of this technology to psychiatric disorder and signposts to the exciting possibilities for the future.