Cog Neuro Quiz 3: Research Techniques Flashcards
Provides a structural image based on relative density of structures.
A. CT
Records changes in cortical voltage time-locked to a specific event.
C. ERPs
Uses a magnet to create a high-resolution image of the brain
E. MRI
Uses radioactive tracers to track chemical substances in brain
F. PET scan
Measures cortical activity and can distinguish brain states
B. EEG
Stimulates the brain temporarily using low-voltage currents
G. tDCS
Combines high spatial resolution images and the BOLD signal
D. fMRI
Causes momentary changes in brain activity using magnetic fields
H. TMS
a. identify the most ideal technique for project
b. explain your reasoning based on the goal(s) of the study, practical issues (financial costs, availability, etc.), and risk/benefit analysis (participants, ethics)
- Amy is an undergraduate student interested in how the brain processes facial expressions. They need a way to measure the timing of neural activity associated with identifying whether a face is happy, angry, or neutral immediately after the response is made. They plan to collect data from at least 50 participants at OWU.
a. ERP
b. ERP would be best for this study because it is focusing on specific times events and needs to record the brain reaction activity. This would also be fairly cost effective.
a. identify the most ideal technique for project
b. explain your reasoning based on the goal(s) of the study, practical issues (financial costs, availability, etc.), and risk/benefit analysis (participants, ethics)
- Hermes has recently secured significant grant funding to determine the role of the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) in risky decision making. He wants to access whether excitation or inhiation of the vlPFC changes the assessment of risk in a gambling task.
a. TMS
b. Since Hermes has a grant, he could go for TMS (which is a little costly). TMS would allow him to send electrical signals to the brain to see if a certain part is involved with a task. He can excite or inhibit areas, too. Also, TMS cannot see deep brain structures.
a. identify the most ideal technique for project
b. explain your reasoning based on the goal(s) of the study, practical issues (financial costs, availability, etc.), and risk/benefit analysis (participants, ethics)
- Phillip, a PhD candidate, is examining traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and their treatment in college athletes. They plan to correlate the general location of hematomas with individual differences in behavior following the accident. They plan to find at least 100 cases of TBI in athletes and will collect behavioral measures and brain images before and after treatment in each case.
a. CT
b. Since Phillip is a PhD candidate, he is probably provided with access to most equipment. CT’s are good for imaging the brain for TBIs. IF Phillip wants a clearer image though, he could use and MRI
a. identify the most ideal technique for project
b. explain your reasoning based on the goal(s) of the study, practical issues (financial costs, availability, etc.), and risk/benefit analysis (participants, ethics)
- Leela, a researcher at John Hopkins University (ranked consistently among the top 15 universities in the world), studies the progression of Dementia and the risk factors related to early inset Alzheimer’s Disease. She is planning a multi year study that maps the development of amyloid plaques in families with history of early onset over time.
a. PET scan
b. Leela most likely has access to most equipment because she’s a researcher at John Hopkins. PET scans are good to see the function of the brain and are mostly used to see how drugs, neurotransmitters, Alzheimer’s affects the brain areas.
Dr. Bailey wonders what role the amygdala plays in the formation of emotional memories. Why is EEG not the best method to use for this research?
EEG’s can capture cortical activity related to memories, however we’re looking at the amygdala here and that is a deep brain structure which the EEG cannot reach or measure.
Dr. DiLillo wants to find out how stress affects academic performance. She hypothesizes that high levels of stress slow down brain activity related to executive functioning. Why is MRI not the best method to test this hypothesis?
MRI would image the brain structures, but would tell us the activity of it. She would have to use an EEG/ERP/ or fMRI in order to see the function and activity.
