Brain Scanning Techniques Post Mortem

Question 1

These involves the analysis of

Answer 1

Subjects brain after death
Most often individuals who experienced from a rare disorder and who experienced deficits in mental processes/behaviour
Brain dissected and examined in order to establish possible causes of these deficits such as which areas have been damaged

Question 2

Example research Broca

Answer 2

Lerborne- expressive aphasia ‘Tan’
Damage base of left frontal lobe
Language functions are lateralised to the left hemisphere
Speech productions are localised to the base of the left frontal lobe

Question 3

Post mortem exams may also involve comparisons with the brains of

Answer 3

Control subjects (neurotypicals) in order to establish the extent of the difference

Question 4

Influential in early brain research

Answer 4

Before the introduction of brain scanning techniques in the late 20th century, PM were the primary way of researching the brain. Vital in providing a foundation for understanding key process in the brain (link between Broca’s area and language processes)

Question 5

Those means that PM studies have been

Answer 5

Valuable in helping improve medical knowledge and also in helping general hypothesis for general study

Question 6

Flaws in methodology

Answer 6

Cause and effect, brain damage not directly manipulated by researcher, certain for responsibility for the problems or some other trauma/decay.
Changes in neuronal activity could have occurred after death rather than before

Question 7

This means that conclusions drawn from post mortem research may not be

Answer 7

Valid as this evidence is retrospective reducing the validity