Biopsych - ways of studying the brain Flashcards
What are the 4 forms of studying the brain
Post mortem, FMRI, EEG, ERP
What are post mortems
Brain examined after death, to see where damage is and behaviour before death. Can be sliced into sections to detect abnormalities (invasive)
What is a positive or post mortem examinations
Allow for detailed examination in deep areas of brain
What are 2 disadvantages of post mortem examinations
May not tell us how the person functioned before death
Brain structure changes after death so accuracy of findings is low
What are FMRI’s
Use of magnetic and radio waves to monitor blood flow in brain. Areas of high activity can be shown by blood flow in relation to specific tasks (non invasive)
What are 2 advantages of FMRI’s
Provides a moving picture of brain when linking to behaviour
Non invasive so no radiation or harm occurs - ethical
What are 2 disadvantages of FMRI’s
Interpreting activity is complex and has a time delay of scan
Overlooks network nature of brain, does not scan for communication between areas
What are EEG’s
Small sensors attached to scalp to find electrical signals in brain. Measures size and frequency of these to identify anomalies
What are 2 advantages of EEG’s
Cheaper so can be used extensively due to availability
Can help in diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy
What are 2 disadvantages of EEG’s
Specialist knowledge to interpret output
Activity can be picked up from neighbouring electrodes, not pin point
What are ERP’s
Same as EEG but measures response to certain stimuli, and tales multiple recordings then finds average
What are 2 advantages of ERP’s
Useful for reliability of self report studies
Directly measures neuronal activity by changing stimuli
What are 2 disadvantages of ERP’s
Only detects strong voltage changes on scalp, not deep in brain
Output needs specialist interpretation
What are the 4 ways to compare methods in evaluations
Spatial resolution
Temporal resolution
Invasive vs non invasive
Causation
What does spatial resolution refer to and what are it’s measurements for the methods
Smallest measurement possible
FMRI = 1-2mm
EEG/ERP = general regions only
What does temporal resolution refer to and what are it’s measurements for the methods
How quick changes in activity are detected
FMRI = 1-4 secs (time lag)
EEG/ERP = 1-10 ms (real time)
What does invasive vs non invasive refer to and what are it’s measurements for the methods
Use of instruments that are a risk
FMRI/EEG/ERP = all non invasive
