10 replies to this topic

[rhythmboy]

1)I've been looking at a lot of fMRI scans of brains listening to music lately and

2) looks like next year I may have access to an FMRI scanner to run some music experiments in (true!)



I was thinking, aside from the serious stuff, I wonder if I may be able to scam a scan of me listening to.. say... Callum b and Linius 'Folkstep' or some other extremely busy mix - could make some purdy pictures in my head



So what would you get yourself scanned doing if you had the chance?

[Jester_Fu]

I'm not sure i'd like the results...

[Captain Terrific]

coool!

Are you going to see if your brain does anything different when you listen to classical vs hard rock or summink?

Wish i had access to an MRI machine

[ryanedward85]

I dare you to run an MRI whilst watching any Michael Bay Movie. The laugh as you watch your brain shrink whilst doing so.

[rhythmboy]

Captain Terrific, on 09 August 2011 - 09:13 PM, said:

coool!

Are you going to see if your brain does anything different when you listen to classical vs hard rock or summink?

Wish i had access to an MRI machine

More specific - comparing two sounds that are very similar to each other vs two sounds that are very different from each other. See if we use the same parts of the brain to detect changes in timbre no matter what the amount of perceived difference. They've already been able to point to parts of the brain responsible for detecting timbral changes at all, I just want to extend this into degrees of change. Ties into the bigger picture of how we organize sounds in our own heads.

Listening to bangin choons under the scanner would be just for the fun of it - although I saw something yesterday that showed the whole brain light up with no definable hot spots when someone listened to a whole song rather than just the test tones they tend to use, so it might be a waste of time...

[AdrianS]

The human brain is still the least known "organ" in the human body. All those neurons and sensors is fascinating. We probably know more about the moon than we do about our brain.

[TonyG]

Aren't MRI's meant to be extremely expensive. Hence why waiting lists to use them are so long?

[rhythmboy]

TonyG, on 18 August 2011 - 08:11 PM, said:

Aren't MRI's meant to be extremely expensive. Hence why waiting lists to use them are so long?

In Australia about $300-$500 depending on body part

In the US about $1000-$2000 I've read... sound about right?

I dunno how much the university scanner will cost, as it's used for research more than medical diagnosis it may be subsidized by the university. Otherwise I'll be applying for a grant for a few grand so I can get up to 6 people scanned twice each.

[TonyG]

Yep, I thought they were costly.

[ryanedward85]

About 9 years ago I dislocated my shoulder and broke my clavicle. I had to wait almost 3 years for an MRI (they kept telling me just how expensive it was) Luckily I put an injury claim against my employer and they caved in before it even came to court.

[TonyG]

I take it we are talking about a full size unit, the type where you lie down and are brought into the tube like machine? Will you have to go to the unit, or are they going to transport the MRI Unit to you?