Abstract
The development and growth of neuroimaging largely began in the twentieth century, with the rise of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) toward the end of the century made possible by discoveries in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). This chapter provides a historical perspective regarding the development of various neuroimaging techniques, a discussion of basic MR physics, a detailed review of conventional MRI as well as more advanced MRI imaging, and functional neuroimaging techniques. Such fundamental knowledge is important for understanding the present and future clinical and investigational applications of neuroimaging.