Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a non-invasive and widely used human neuroimaging method, is most known for its spatial precision. However, there is a growing interest in its temporal sensitivity. This is despite the temporal blurring of neuronal events by the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal, the peak of which lags neuronal firing by 4 to 6 seconds. Given this, the goal of this review is to answer a seemingly simple question – “What are the benefits of increased temporal sampling for fMRI?”. To answer this, we have combined fMRI data collected at multiple temporal scales, from 323 to 1000 milliseconds, with a review of both historical and contemporary temporal literature. After a brief discussion of technological developments that have rekindled interest in temporal research, we next consider the potential statistical and methodological benefits. Most importantly, we explore how fast fMRI can uncover previously unobserved neuro-temporal dynamics – effects that are entirely missed when sampling at conventional 1 to 2 second rates. With the intrinsic link between space and time in fMRI, this temporal renaissance also delivers improvements in spatial precision. Far from producing only statistical gains, the array of benefits suggest that the continued temporal work is worth the effort.

功能磁共振成像 (fMRI) 是一种非侵入性和广泛使用的人类神经成像方法，以其空间精度而闻名。然而，人们对其时间敏感性的兴趣越来越大。尽管血氧水平依赖性 (BOLD) 信号使神经元事件在时间上变得模糊，但其峰值滞后神经元放电 4 到 6 秒。鉴于此，这篇综述的目的是回答一个看似简单的问题——“增加时间采样对 fMRI 有什么好处？”。为了回答这个问题，我们结合了从 323 到 1000 毫秒的多个时间尺度收集的 fMRI 数据，以及对历史和当代时间文献的回顾。在简要讨论了重新点燃人们对时间研究兴趣的技术发展之后，我们接下来考虑潜在的统计和方法学好处。最重要的是，我们探索了 fMRI 能以多快的速度发现以前未观察到的神经时间动力学——在以传统的 1 到 2 秒速率采样时完全错过的效果。由于 fMRI 中空间和时间之间的内在联系，这种时间复兴也提高了空间精度。一系列的好处不仅仅产生统计收益，还表明持续的时间工作是值得的。