In a method for controlling a magnetic resonance imaging system as part of functional magnetic resonance imaging, a main magnetic field B0 is provided having a field strength of at most 1.4 tesla at a main field magnet system (4) of the magnetic resonance imaging system (1); and a measurement is performed as part of functional magnetic resonance imaging, wherein a measurement sequence (MS) is applied that has a longer echo time TE (e.g. longer than 100 ms).