Apparatus, systems, and methods for comparative analysis of tissue and organ scans between patients or groups of patients without sensitivity to patient-specific or scanner specific characteristics, including prediction, diagnosis, prognosis, tracking, and treatment guidance are disclosed. Blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) fMRI is performed on a patient, and the resulting structural and functional data is preprocessed to remove artifacts and correct motion defects. A BOLD value is selected from the Vein of Galen as the maximum anatomically plausible intensity and from the Middle Cerebral Artery as the minimum anatomically plausible intensity. The maximum and minimum intensities are used to normalize the BOLD data and generate a neurovascular coupling statistical map of the brain.
