MRI is one technique used to study the brain in relation to behavior. It is necessary to study the brain in relation to behavior to understand how the brain affects and causes certain behavior, and which part of the brain acts on what behavior. There are several different techniques used to study the brain, such as MRI, fMRI, PET, CAT, etc. This response will focus on MRI in particular. MRI or magnetic resonance imaging is one of the most commonly used techniques to study the brain in relation to behavior. The principle of the work of the MRI is that when some atomic nuclei such as hydrogen are placed in an external magnetic eld, they can emit energy. These pulses of energy can be detected. Since we know that the concentration of hydrogen differs in different tissue, we can use this information to produce a three-dimensional picture of brain structure. The procedure is that the subject is placed on a table that slides inside a cylindrical apparatus. Draganski et al used MRI scans to investigate neuroplasticity in the brain in response to learning behavior.

An experiment was conducted that aimed to investigate whether structural changes in the brain structure would occur in response to a simple juggling routine. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups, jugglers and non-jugglers. The juggling group practiced a simple juggling routine for three months, after which they were instructed to not practice the routine any longer. The non-juggling group did not practice any routine. Three MRI scans were conducted, one at the start of the experiment, one after three months, and one after six months to the start of the experiment for both the groups.

The results of the experiment showed that in the first MRI scan, there were no noticeable differences in the brain structure between the two groups. However, after three months, the juggling group showed a higher volume of gray matter in the mid-temporal area of the cortex in both hemispheres than in the non-juggling group. After six months, the differences had decreased, but the juggling group still had a significantly high volume of gray matter in the mid-temporal area of the cortex. The study concluded that grey matter grows in the brain in response to environmental demands and shrinks without stimulation.

Thus, we see how this study could study the phenomenon of neuroplasticity in the brain using the technique of MRI. The MRI scans were used to study and differentiate the volumes of gray matter between the two groups, which helped the researchers conclude how neuroplasticity works. Thus, we can see that MRI is an important and valuable technique to study the brain in relation to behavior.