Lecture 1: Research Methodlogy

Question 1

What is the orientation in vertrebrate NS? Starting from the top and going clockwise. Use both terminologies. Name at which point the axis rotates for humans.

Answer 1

1. Dorsal, Caudal, Ventral, Rostral
2. Superior, Posterior, Inferior, Anterior
   The midbrain-diencephalic junction marks the point the axis rotates. Seprating the brain to the spinal cord

Question 2

T/F Lateral = the medium, the middle. Medial = Lats, the sides

Answer 2

False

Question 3

If I peel off the side of your head/skull, what view would I be seeing? If I sliced you in half, what view would I get?

Answer 3

1. Lateral view of brain, 2. Medial view of the brain

Question 4

Name the three references planes + one more. What are they?

Answer 4

1. Horizontal plane (horizon),
2. Coronal/Frontal plane (corona = lime, how do you slice a lime),
3. Sagittal (include midsagittal)
4. Oblique plane

Question 5

Explain structure and function

Answer 5

Structure: The morphology / forms of things
Function: Tells the activity

Question 6

What is the name of:
“puncture/incision skin and denote procedure/test require insertion of foreign instrument/material into body.”

Answer 6

Invasive!

Question 7

Answer the following:
Frank lives at 15 Llitchem St, Woolongaba, and Mary lives at 28 Bing St, Holongo.
What would this be considered in an experimental context?

Answer 7

High SR: Two small regions are located. High precision of WHERE

Question 8

Answer the following:
Bob was born on 99, 9th month, 9999. Steven was born on 1st, 1st month, 0001.
What would this be considered in an experimental context?

Answer 8

High TR: Small interval of two events. High precision of WHEN

Question 9

What are three possibilities of correlation? What does this imply?

Answer 9

Correlation could be:
1. One causes other to happen
2. Both result from common underlying cause
3. Relationship is a total concidence
Correlations does not mean CAUSATION; if X is taken away, does Y stop happening?

Question 10

What are some other important experimental considerations in regard to achieving necessary means?

Answer 10

Cost, resources, time, discomfort, direct/indirect.

Question 11

What type of responses are the following?
Reaction times, detection threshold, stimulus discrimination

Answer 11

Behavioural response!

Question 12

What type of response are the following:
Startle response, pupilometry, muscle tension, polygraph, heart rate

Answer 12

Physiological response

Question 13

What does electrodermal activity refer to? What type of response is this?

Answer 13

Electrodermal activity refers to changes in the electrical properties in the skin in response to various stimuli.
Psychological measure for emotional arousal: detect fight or flight, anxiety, stress, and provides indexof autonomic activity

Question 14

ABI stands for?

Answer 14

Acquired Brain Injury, e.g., stroke, alcohol/drug abuse

Question 15

What does lesion study involve? What are some issues involved

Answer 15

Removing/disability proportion of the brain & observing resulting behaviour. Issues involved with lesions include rarely being 100% accurate with neighbouring tissues also lesioned - some portions remain, including function -, and therefore function is inadvertenly attributed to accidental lesion

Question 16

What does tDCS stand for? What does this instrument involve and how does it work?

Answer 16

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation. A small current between anode (+) and cathode (-) which transiently disrupts activity: neurons under anode likely to fire (depolarised), those under cathode are less likely to fire (hyperpolarised). Anode improves behaviour, cathode hinders

Question 17

Which of the two, Magneto-enceophalography (MEG) and electro-encephalography (EEG), does the following description match:
- electrical activity generates electrical field which can be measured
- scalp-measures gross electrical activity of brain; sum of electrical events (action potentials, post-synaptic potentials, muscle activity, etc.)
- measured electrical activity correlates with neural activity.

Provide a description of the other measurement not described.

Answer 17

EEG!
The other measurement, MEG, involves:
- measures magnetific field generated by electric activity in the brain
- measure at scalp
- very high TR
- relativeity direct measure of activity
- not good for subcortical & expensive

Question 18

Name the two recording associated activities

Answer 18

MEG & EEG

Question 19

What does the event related potentials (ERP) measure involve? What are the pros and cons?

Answer 19

The waveforms that accompany an event is measured (onset of a stimulus, or response evolved).
Pros:
High TR because event time is measured
Able to measure activity (function)
Non-invasive
Relatively low cost

Cons:
Low SR
Poor for activity below superficial layers
low signal to noise & signal contaminable.
Lots of trials and lots of subjects required

Question 20

Name the 4 measures of imaging the brain. What type of information do they provide

Answer 20

Position Emission Tomography
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Diffusion Tenor Imaging (DTI)
Function Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

Correlational information is provided

Question 21

Match the description to the specific measure (PET, MRI, DTI, fMRI):
1. Measure desinsity & motion of water molecules
2. Use magnetic field & radio waves to create detailed image of internal structure
3. Radioactive tracer coupled to biological active molecule
4. Measures changes in blood flow in the brain in response to neural activity

Answer 21

1. DTI
2. MRI
3. PET
4. fMRI