Neuroscientists from MIT (Cambridge, MA) have developed an MRI sensor that could greatly improve brain imaging. The sensor changes its magnetic properties in response to dopamine. "This new tool connects molecular phenomena in the nervous system with whole-brain imaging techniques, allowing us to probe very precise processes and relate them to the overall function of the brain and of the organism," says Alan Jasanoff, associate professor of biological engineering at MIT. Since the sensor responds to the chemicals involved in information processing in the brain, they can more precisely measure brain activity. Measuring dopamine in the brain could have potential for shedding light on neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's disease as well as how dopamine works in relation to addiction and motivation.