Researchers at Stanford University are developing new methods of communicating that will allow scientists from around the world to share information about how the brain works.

Scans called functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRIs, are the most common tool for scientists who study how the brain works. It's safe, non-invasive, and it is a powerful way to see what's going on inside the brain in real time.

A fMRI measures and maps brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow. When different areas of the brain are being used, such as when a person is speaking or hearing, blood flow to the spot that controls that activity increases.

However, one fMRI or even a single study can't answer questions about how the brain works. And even though there are more than 2,000 studies done each year worldwide, say Stanford researchers, there hasn't been any means to share information.

The ability to share information could expand our understanding of how the brain functions. For example, if data is available from multiple studies, scientists can begin to figure out details of which regions of the brain are involved in specific mental processes.

Until now, there has been little ability to share study results because of the large size of the databases and the complexity of the material.

To solve the problem, scientists at Stanford lead by cognitive neuroscientist Russell Poldrack and backed by support from the U.S. National Science Foundation, initiated a new program called Open fMRI, which will allow scientists to share raw neuroimaging data easily through a computer data base that will be available to scientists worldwide.

"The overall purpose of Open fMRI is to give people a framework for sharing their data," Poldrack told Science Nation. He and his colleagues have standardized their format so large, cumbersome files can be easily uploaded.

"You have to be able to bring together a lot of data to answer questions," says Poldrack.