The role of fMRI in drug development.

Drug Discov Today. 2017 Nov 15;:

Authors: Carmichael O, Schwarz AJ, Chatham CH, Scott D, Turner JA, Upadhyay J, Coimbra A, Goodman JA, Baumgartner R, English BA, Apolzan JW, Shankapal P, Hawkins KR

Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been known for over a decade to have the potential to greatly enhance the process of developing novel therapeutic drugs for prevalent health conditions. However, the use of fMRI in drug development continues to be relatively limited because of a variety of technical, biological, and strategic barriers that continue to limit progress. Here, we briefly review the roles that fMRI can have in the drug development process and the requirements it must meet to be useful in this setting. We then provide an update on our current understanding of the strengths and limitations of fMRI as a tool for drug developers, and recommended activities to enhance its utility.

PMID: 29154758 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]