2A Flashcards
Ways to understand the brain
- Phrenology
- Brain vs Heart debate
- Mind-body Problem
What is the brain vs heart debate
- Believed by ancient Egyptians
- Debated for 2000 years
- Whether the brain or heart controls mental processes
- Alacameon was on brain side
- Empedolces were on heart side.
What is the mind body problem
whether our mind and body are distinct, separate entities or whether they are one and the same thing.
what is phrenology
The study of the relationship between the skull’s surface features and a person’s personality and behavioral characteristics.
proposed by Gall
what are the first brain experiments
- brain ablation
- electrical stimulation
- split brain experiments
what is brain ablation
disabling, destroying or removing selected brain tissue to observe changes in behavior
what is electrical stimulation
sending pulses of electricity to the brain to stimulate neural activity
what is the split brain surgeries
involves cutting the band of nerve tissue (the corpus callosum) connecting the two hemispheres of the brain
what are split brain experiments
roger Sperry found that the brain’s two cerebral hemispheres specialize in different tasks.
what are the five neuroimaging techniques
- CT
- MRI
- PET
- fMRI
- EEG
what is a CT scan and what are its strengths/weaknesses
x-ray equipment to scan the brain at different angles.
( strengths ) Does not use invasive or risky procedures
( weaknesses ) In black and white and doesn’t show a lot of detail
what is a EEG and what are the strengths and weaknesses
Detects, amplifies and records general patterns of electrical activity in the brain.
Strengths- Not invasive, useful in studying sleep patterns
Weaknesses- Cannot produce an image. Cannot detect activity deep inside the brain well.
what is a pet scan and what are the strengths and weaknesses
Produces colour images (rainbow) showing brain structure, activity and function
Strengths- shows brain activity
Weaknesses- Images are less detailed than MRI and takes a long time.
what is an MRI and what are the strengths/ weaknesses
Uses magnetic fields to vibrate atoms in the brain’s neurons
strengths-more sensitive than CT. clearer and more detailed
Weaknesses- Expensive, more time consuming
what is an fMRI and what are the strengths/weaknesses
Detects and records brain activity by measuring oxygen consumption across the brain
Strengths- Can take numerous pictures in rapid succession
Weakness- Expensive. Can only capture a clear image if subject is completely still.
