Neuroimaging is an emergent method of investigation for studying the human brain in healthy and impaired populations. An increasing number of these investigations involve topics important to rehabilitation. Thus, a basic understanding of the more commonly used neuroimaging techniques is important for understanding and interpreting this growing area of research. Included in this article is a description of the signal source, the advantages and limitations of each technique, considerations for study design, and how to interpret cortical imaging data. Particular emphasis is placed on functional magnetic resonance imaging because of its ubiquitous presence in rehabilitation research. Neuroimaging is the discipline that deals with the in vivo depiction of anatomy and function of the central nervous system (CNS) in health and disease. The term ‘neuroimaging’ is more comprehensive than the older term of neuroradiology; although in the past, neuroimaging was considered the domain of radiologists with a specific interest in the nervous system, the participants in this rapidly changing field now come from diverse backgrounds. Contributors exist in all areas in the neurosciences, including basic scientists, neurologists, neurosurgeons, psychologists, psychiatrists, physicists, chemists, and clinicians in radiology and nuclear medicine. It is important to realize that neuroimaging is a dynamic and evolving field.