It’s the perfect antimeme
Is it really an x-ray of the brain? Surely that’s just of the skull.
There are brain x-rays called pneumoencephalographs where they replace the cerebrospinal fluid with air, x-ray, and then put the fluid back. Pneumoencephalography and angiography were really the only neuroimaging techniques available for most of the 20th century, so it was pretty common.
Having to look up MRA. It’s just MRI (NMR) but with contrast that goes specifically to the brain (maybe carb-based)?
Magnetic Resonance Angiogram. Yeah it’s an MRI. I guess they’re processing it somehow to enhance bloodflow like FMRI. Seems like it doesn’t require contrast.
Radiologist here. 👋🏻
You are right it does not require contrast. The scan uses a special technique to reduce signal from tissue that isn’t moving so only things that are moving produce high signal and show up “bright.” Since blood is the only thing really moving in the brain - voila!
Neat, I was thinking it was something like motion amplification. I guess the lungs would mess with imaging of the torso, or can you pick the motion frequency to isolate bloodflow but ignore respiration?
I love it!