electrophysiology and other brain research techniques

Question 1

optogenetics

Answer 1

brain stimulation using light; Deisseroth
insert light-sensitive proteins into a type of neuron

Question 2

cons of optogenetics

Answer 2

very invasive

Question 3

what methods are recording devices?

Answer 3

EEG and MEG, intracranial EEG

Question 4

what methods are stimulation devices?

Answer 4

transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
deep brain stimulation

Question 5

what methods are neuroimaging?

Answer 5

MRI, fMRI, resting-state fMRI

Question 6

EEG and MEG

Answer 6

electroencephalography; use of electrodes to measure the current

Question 7

pros of EEG and MEG

Answer 7

very good time resolution (milliseconds)

Question 8

cons of EEG and MEG

Answer 8

bad spatial resolution; not good to tell you specific parts of the brain

Question 9

intracranial EEG (ECOG)

Answer 9

electrocorticography; electrodes placed directly on the brain

Question 10

pros of ECOG

Answer 10

good spatial and temporal resolution

Question 11

cons of ECOG

Answer 11

very dangerous and invasive

Question 12

when is ECOG used?

Answer 12

when patients are going through brain surgery already; epilepsy

Question 13

transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

Answer 13

magnetic stimulation to a portion of the scalp; activations or inactivates neurons in a narrow area below the magnet

Question 14

limitations of TMS

Answer 14

a little painful (discomfort), only for cortex, difficult to target areas, transient cognitive changes

Question 15

deep brain stimulation

Answer 15

electrical stimulation of the brain

Question 16

when is deep brain stimulation used?

Answer 16

only used in severe cases where medication is not working (i.e., Parkinson’s, depression, OCD)

Question 17

MRI

Answer 17

structural image of the brain (anatomy); uses strong magnetic fields

Question 18

pros of MRI

Answer 18

non-invasive

Question 19

cons of MRI

Answer 19

only one picture

Question 20

fMRI

Answer 20

used to study brain function; measures oxygen content in the blood flowing through each region

Question 21

pros of fMRI

Answer 21

good spatial resolution

Question 22

cons of fMRI

Answer 22

bad temporal resolution (~ 2 seconds)

Question 23

difference between MRI and fMRI

Answer 23

MRI looks at the anatomy, fMRI looks at brain function

Question 24

resting-state fMRI

Answer 24

study of brain connectivity while a person is not performing a specific task

Question 25

default mode network

Answer 25

only in humans; network we use when mind wandering
it’s extremely active in every single psychological disorder

Question 26

what method is always used for sleep and consciousness?

Answer 26

EEG