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PSYC 211 > L4 > Flashcards

L4 Flashcards

1
Q

What is Cognitive Neuroscience?

A

• Cognitive neuroscience is a branch of neuroscience that focuses on brain function and brain dysfunction (neuropsychology) on a cognitive level.

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2
Q

what do Cognitive Neuroscientists do

A

• Cognitive neuroscientists relate behaviour to brain function.

Eg what cognitive functions each bit of the brain is responsible for

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3
Q

What is Cognitive Psychology?

A

• Cognitive psychology is a branch of psychology that focuses on complex mental processes, such as
perception, learning, and memory.

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4
Q

what do Cognitive psychologists do

A

• Cognitive psychologists study mental processes (e.g., how people focus their attention) and information-processing problems (e.g., bottlenecks and limitations).

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5
Q

what are some Tools used in Cognitive Neuroscience

A

• Brain lesion analysis (neuropsychology research)
• Electroencephalography (EEG)
– Event-related potentials (ERPs)
• Functional brain imaging
– Positron emission tomography (PET)
– Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
• Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

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6
Q

what is the aim of Brain Lesion Analysis

A

• This method of research aims to uncover how the brain normally functions by investigating the behaviour of a patient with a brain lesion in a specific region.

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7
Q

what does Brain Lesion Analysis

involve

A

• Brain lesion analysis involves comparing people with a brain lesion in the region of interest (ROI) with people in which the ROI is intact.

eg
– Experimental Group: Participants are selected based on having a brain lesion in the ROI.
– Control Group: Participants are selected based on not having a brain lesion in the ROI.

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8
Q

what would you expect to find from Brain Lesion Analysis

A

• If a specific brain structure is hypothesized to perform a particular mental operation, then damage to that brain structure should be associated with deficits in performing tasks that rely on the mental
operation.

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9
Q

what is cognition

A

Cognition = thinking processes

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10
Q

what are 2 examples of information processing problems that cognitive psychologists might study

A

bottlenecks (when you are focusing on one thing and then a second thing happens but you won’t process it properly because you weren’t paying attention to it)

limitations (eg 7+-2 in lists)

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11
Q

in what ways do neuroscientists and psychologists overlap

A

There is a lot of overlay between cognitive neuroscientists and psychologists in terms of the techniques they use

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12
Q

what is the posterior part of the thalamus

A

Most posterior part of the thalamus is the pulvinar

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13
Q

in terms of resolution which is better, MRI or computer tomography

A

MRI

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14
Q

what could you use structural neuroimaging for

A

You can use structurally neuro imaging to identify damage within your region if interest and then form your experimenta root

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15
Q

what does EEG stand for

A

Electroencephalography (EEG)

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16
Q

what does an EEG provide

A

• EEG provides a recording of the brain’s electrical activity.

(not individual neurons but large pools of neurons particularly if they are positions close to the surface of the brain)

17
Q

how do you get an EEG recording

A
  • Electrodes are attached to the surface of the scalp.

* The signal detected by each electrode is amplified and recorded.

18
Q

how can EEG’s be used to detect abnormalities

A

• Predictable EEG patterns occur during different behavioural states.
• Because normal EEG patterns are consistent across individuals, EEG recordings can detect
abnormalities in brain function (e.g., seizure activity).

19
Q

what are Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) based on/what is an ERP

A

• ERPs are based on electroencephalography (EEG).

  • The EEG recording is time locked to an event.
  • The EEG trace that is elicited by an event is called an ERP (i.e., a signature of the electrical activity that occurred in the brain in response to a specific event).
20
Q

how do you get a clear reading of ERP

A

there are always things going on the the brain will pick up on, to get rid of this noise you….

• The EEG traces associated with each event are averaged across many trials such that the background
noise is removed and the electrical response to the event can be observed.
• The averaged EEG traces are then compared (e.g., averaged EEG activity when Stimulus A occurred
vs. when Stimulus B occurred).

21
Q

• ERP research considers electrical activity in response to an event in terms of:

A

– Latency (when)
– Amplitude and Polarity (positive or negative)
– Scalp Topography (in space/where)

22
Q

why is the spatial resolution of ERPs is not very accurate.

A

• Because ERPs are recorded from the scalp, when electrical activity is generated from a central brain
structure, it is difficult to determine which structure was active.

23
Q

what are ERPs good at providing information about

A

ERPs provide a good account of the timing of brain activity (i.e., the temporal resolution is quite accurate)

24
Q

• Neuroimaging falls into two broad categories. what are these

A

structural imaging and functional imaging.

25
Q

what are some examples of structural imaging techniques

A

– CT, MRI and DTI provide structural images of the brain.

26
Q

what are some examples of functional imaging techniques

A

– PET and fMRI provide functional images of the brain.

Structural Imaging

27
Q

how does CT work

what does CT stand for

A

• Computed tomography (CT) uses X-ray technology to produce a series of brain images, enabling the
structure of the brain to be viewed.

28
Q

what does Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) show

A

• Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) provides a view of white matter tracts (i.e., axons) using an MRI scanner.

29
Q

compare and contrast CT, MRI and DTI

A

CT = Older technique but still commonly used. Spatial resolution is not grate

MRI = Good resolution but more expensive and more risks (Eg cannot have metal in their brain)

DTI = Can see whaite matter tracts

30
Q

what does PET stand for

A

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

31
Q

what does a PET scan detect

A

• A PET scanner detects radioactive material.

32
Q

how does a PET scan work

A
  • Participants either inhale or are injected with a radioactive material.
  • When the radioactive material gets into the bloodstream, it goes to areas of the brain that are metabolically active. (the neurons that are firing)
33
Q

what does a PET scan show

A

• The PET scanner provides an image of the concentration (and distribution) of the radioactive
substance, thus showing a functional view of the brain.

it shows what areas of the brain are active when shown/doing a stimuli/activity

34
Q

what colour are the ventricles in a PET scan

A

blue because there is no activity there

35
Q

what is Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

A

• fMRI is an adaptation of MRI that records changes related to metabolic activity in successive images
in order to produce a functional view of the brain.
• fMRI is a sensitive method for measuring neural activity that has considerably greater spatial
resolution than PET scanning.

36
Q

why do people prefer fMRI to PET

A

because there is less risk (more peace of mind) as there is no need for radioactive material it also has better spatial resolution

37
Q

what is Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

A

• TMS is a non-invasive method that causes a transient disruption of brain activity by emitting a brief magnetic pulse. The disruption can be excitatory or inhibitory.

38
Q

what is Converging Methods

A

• Combining the information gained from these tools can lead to clearer conclusions about the
underlying system. For example:
– fMRI data shows that a given structure is involved in a given mental operation; however, disruption of the structure (via TMS or brain damage) is not associated with a deficit in performing the mental operation. Conclusion?
– fMRI data shows that a given structure is involved in a given mental operation and disruption of
the structure (via TMS or brain damage) is associated with a deficit in performing the mental operation.

Then you would try and find people with damage in this area to see if they can still do the task. If they have difficulty then it is involved if they cant do it then it is critically involved

PSYC 211 (26 decks)

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