Cognitive Neuroscience 2

Question 1

What are the two main types of neuro-imaging methods?

Answer 1

Those that measure electrical activity (e.g. EEG, MEG, ERP)

Those that measure changes in the blood in different areas of the brain (e.g. fMRI, PET)

Question 2

What is one method of electric imaging and what does it involve?

Answer 2

Electroencephalography (EEG): Place electrode on scalp during rest or a task.

Question 3

What is an Event Related Potential?

Answer 3

The change in electrical activity when a person performs a particular task

Note: ERP can reveal brain responses to event even when the person doesn’t have to do anything

Different ERP peaks correspond to different kinds of mental processes

Question 4

What are some advantages and disadvantages of electrophysiological methods of imaging?

Answer 4

Great Temporal Resolution: Can detect changes as quickly as 50 ms after stimulus

Shitty Spatial Resolution: Pretty vague idea of where it happened ae

Question 5

How does blood based imaging work?

Answer 5

Regions in the brain that actively participate in activities take up more oxygen in the blood. Therefore activity can be measured from these changes.

Question 6

How does PET work?

Answer 6

Maps uptake of a radioactively tagged substance (usually oxygen)

Question 7

How does fMRI work?

Answer 7

Measures magnetic changes in blood as it deoxygenates

Question 8

What are some advantages and disadvantages of PET and fMRI?

Answer 8

They have great spatial resolution: very precise info about location of brain activity.
PET has piss poor temporal resolution (can’t tell which regions activated first and which ones activated later). fMRI is better but still not as good as electrophysiological methods

Question 9

What does shitty task choice do for studying brain activity?

Answer 9

Fuck all

Question 10

What are the strengths and limitations of blood change imaging methods?

Answer 10

Strengths:

• Can examine which cognitive processes are shared across tasks, and which are distinct
• Good spatial resolution, new methods have good temporal resolution also.

Limitations:

• Need a good cognitive theory of the task at hand
• If the cognitive theory is wrong, your results mean dick all

Question 11

In what processes is the orbitofrontal cortex involved in?

Answer 11

Planning
Decision Making
Risk Taking
Working towards long term goal

Example: Michael

Note : Pretty sure you know what happens if this shit get damaged

Question 12

What is Damasio’s Somatic Marker Hypothesis?

Answer 12

• Orbitofrontal cortex connects memories with our emotions at the time
• When we recall an unpleasant memory, we recall the emotional and physical sensations we felt at the time
• We use these to avoid future similar situations
• Facilitates fast decision making