Exam 1 - Ch.4 Methods of research Flashcards
Cerebral angiography
- contrast x-ray that uses a special dye
- visualize individual blood vessels
- see blockages or blood supply to tumors
Computerized Tomography (CT Scan)
- used to visualize the brain and other internal structures of the body
- can see structure only
Magnetic resonance (MRI)
- produces detailed pictures of structure of organs, soft tissues, and bone
- based off hydrogen molecules following the magnet
- distinguishes white and gray matter
Functional MRI (fMRI)
- produces images of the increase in oxygen flow to active areas of the brain
Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
- provides images of brain activity rather than brain structure
Electroencephalography (EEG)
measures all electrical activity in the brain, used to distinguish the stages of the sleep cycles
EMG
measures electrical activity in the muscles, muscle tension
EOG
tracks eye movement
EKG
measures cardiovascular activity
Stereotaxic surgery
used to position experimental devices into the brain with precision
Bregma
reference point for stereotaxic surgery
Lesioning (Stereotaxic surgery)
remove, damage, or destroy a part of the brain to observe impact on behavior
Electrical stimulation (Stereotaxic surgery)
electrical stimulation activates a structure to observe its function
Microdialysis (Stereotaxic surgery)
allows for the measurement of NTs released in a specific brain area in freely moving animals
Fixation/fixative (histological methods)
a chemical such as formalin/formaldehyde is used to prepare and preserve body tissue
Perfusion (histological methods)
animal’s blood is replaced by a saline solution or a fixative in preparing the brain for histological examination
Microtome
instrument that produces very thin slices of body tissue
Immunocytochemistry
based on the binding of labeled protein-specific antibodies
In situ hybridization
uses labeled RNA to locate neurons with complementary mRNA
Gene knockout techniques
- subjects missing a given gene can provide insight into what the gene controls (gene is taken out to see what happens)
Gene replacement techniques
insert pathological human genes in mice (gene is replaced/added to see what happens)
Open-field test
- mice are placed in a box with gridlines to see how many they cross/how they explore
- measures general activity, locomotor activity, exploration, anxiety
Colony-intruder paradigm
- introducing a stranger to the colony
- measures aggression and defensive behavior
Elevated plus maze
- one open arm and one closed arm, measure how long the animal stays in each arm
- measures anxiety (no.1 task for this)
What is another assessment of common behaviors of species?
tests of sexual behavior
Pavlovian conditioning
pairing an unconditional stimulus with a conditioned stimulus, pavlov’s dogs
Operant conditioning
conditioning based in reinforcement and punishment
Self-stimulation
animal works for electrical stimulation
Conditioned place preference
- relies on a classically conditioned association btwn drug effect and environment (given drug in one room, and will grow to prefer that room)
- important for addiction research
Conditioned taste aversion
pairing something that makes an animal ill with a taste, animals appear prepared to associate tastes and illness
Radial arm maze
- food is put in certain arms and the animal must learn which arms have food and which do not
- tests spatial memory
Conditioned defensive burying
following a single aversive stimulus delivered from an object, rates will spray bedding a the object
- measures anxiety
Morris water maze
- rat or mouse learn to find a hidden platform in a pool using spatial visual cues
- tests spatial memory
Operant chamber
- rat is trained to press a lever for a reward (can measure number of responses per unit of time)
- important for addiction research
