With the brain, the spinal cord forms the central nervous system. Initially considered a passive relay between the brain and the periphery, the spinal cord is now recognized as being active and plastic. Yet, it remains largely overlooked by the human neuroscience community, in stark contrast with the wealth of research investigating the brain. In this review, we argue that fMRI, traditionally used to image cerebral function, can be extended beyond the brain to help unravel spinal mechanisms involved in human behaviors. To this end, we first outline strategies that have been proposed to tackle the challenges inherent to spinal cord fMRI. Then, we discuss how they have been utilized to provide insights into the functional organization of spinal sensorimotor circuits, highlighting their potential to address fundamental and clinical questions. By summarizing guidelines and applications of spinal cord fMRI, we hope to stimulate and support further research into this promising yet underexplored field.

脊髓与大脑一起构成中枢神经系统。脊髓最初被认为是大脑和外周之间的被动中继，现在被认为是主动的和可塑的。然而，它在很大程度上仍然被人类神经科学界忽视，这与研究大脑的大量研究形成鲜明对比。在这篇综述中，我们认为传统上用于大脑功能成像的功能磁共振成像可以扩展到大脑之外，以帮助揭示与人类行为有关的脊柱机制。为此，我们首先概述了为应对脊髓功能磁共振成像固有挑战而提出的策略。然后，我们讨论如何利用它们来深入了解脊髓感觉运动回路的功能组织，强调它们解决基本和临床问题的潜力。通过总结脊髓功能磁共振成像的指南和应用，我们希望刺激和支持对这个有前途但尚未充分探索的领域的进一步研究。