Cognitive rehabilitation: functional neuroimaging tools for the assessment of cortical reorganization and for biofeedback applications

In the last few years, novel functional neuroimaging techniques have provided powerful tools for the noninvasive investigation of brain anatomy and function. In particular, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has rapidly assumed a leading role among these techniques and has been extensively used to gain insights on the functions of the normal brain. We discuss: 1) the possibility of using this technique as a tool for assessing the processes of cortical reorganization that occur in impaired patients that follow programs of cognitive rehabilitation; 2) the possibility of using real-time fMRI for biofeedback applications.