brain scanning techniques Flashcards
what does fMRI stand for?
functional magnetic resonance imaging
what does fMRI do?
detects change is blood oxidation and flow
what is haemodynamic response?
when a brain area is more active it consumes more oxygen and therefore blood flow is redirected to it
what type of image do fMRIs produce?
activation maps which are 3D images
what are fMRIs used for?
localisation of function, to establish damage to the brain caused by strokes, diseases or abnormality
what are the strengths of fMRI scans?
- non-invasive
- ethical
- clear localisation
- high spatial resolution
what are the weaknesses of fMRIs?
- not suitable for children chlaustrophobia, thoes in pain
- poor temporal resolotion
- expensive
what does EEG stand for?
electroencephalogram
what do EEGs do?
record changes in polarisation everywhere in the brain using electrodes attached to the scalp
what are EEGs used for?
to diagnose tumours, epilepsy, sleep disorders
what are the strengths of EEGs?
- practical application
- non-invsive
- ethical
- high temporal relolotion
what are the weaknesses of EEGs?
- cannot isolate a single event
- cannot find localisations
- low spatial resolution
what does ERP stand for?
event-related potentials
what to ERPs do?
records change in neurone polarisation relating to a specific event using a statistical averaging technique
what are ERPs used for?
to link brain activity to cognition
what are the strengths of ERPs?
- more specific the EEGs
- high temporal resolution
- on-invasive
- ethical
what are the weaknesses of ERPs?
- low spatial resolution
- hard to understand and filter information
what are post-mortem examinations?
the analysis of a persons brain after death, usually conducted on those with abnormalities or damaged areas and compared to neurotypical brains
what are the strengths of post-mortems?
- established early understanding of the brain
- improves medical knowledge
- generates a hypothesis for future study
what ar the weaknesses of post-mortems?
- ethical issues
- invasive
- hard to establish causations
- some defects are unrelated to decay or damage
