Methods of Studying the Brain

Question 1

how does fMRI work?

Answer 1

detects the changes in blood oxygenation and flow that occur as a result of activity in specific parts of the brain

Question 2

what does fMRI stand for?

Answer 2

functional magnetic resonance imaging

Question 3

what is the haemodynamic response? (fMRI)

Answer 3

when a brain area is more active, it consumes more oxygen, and to meet this demand, blood flow is directed to the active area

Question 4

what does an fMRI do?

Answer 4

produces 3D images (activation maps) showing which parts of the brain are involved in a particular mental process

this has important implications for our understanding of localisation of function

Question 5

what are the strengths of fMRI?

Answer 5

does not rely on the use of radiation. if administered correctly, it is virtually risk-free, non-invasive and straightforward to use

high spatial resolution

Question 6

what are the weaknesses of fMRI?

Answer 6

expensive

can only capture a clear image if someone is perfectly still

poor temporal resolution (5-second time lag)

can only measure blood flow, can’t home in on specific neurons, so it is difficult to tell exactly what kind of brain activity is represented on screen

Question 7

what does EEG stand for?

Answer 7

electroencephalogram

Question 8

what does an EEG do?

Answer 8

measures electrical activity within the brain via electrodes fixed to the scalp using a skull cap

Question 9

what do EEGs show?

Answer 9

shows the brainwave patterns that are generated from the action of millions of neurons, providing an overall account of brain activity

Question 10

can EEGs detect epilepsy?

Answer 10

yes

Question 11

what are the strengths of EEGs?

Answer 11

valuable diagnosing conditions such as epilepsy, which is characterised by random bursts of activity in the brain that can be easily detected on screen

contributed to understanding in stages of sleep

high temporal resolution

Question 12

what are the weaknesses of EEGs?

Answer 12

generalised nature of information received

poor spatial resolution

Question 13

what does ERPs stand for?

Answer 13

event-related potentials

Question 14

what do EEG data contain that may be of interest to cognitive neuroscientists?

Answer 14

neural responses associated with specific sensory, cognitive and motor events

Question 15

how are ERPs obtained?

Answer 15

a statistical averaging technique is used to remove all extraneous brain activity from the original EEG recording, leaving only the responses relating to the presence of a specific stimulus or performance of a specific task

Question 16

what are the strengths of ERPs?

Answer 16

excellent temporal resolution

much more specific than raw EEG data

Question 17

what are the limitations of ERPs?

Answer 17

lack of standardisation makes it difficult to confirm findings

in order to establish pure data, all extraneous material such as background noise must be completely eliminated, which is not always easy to achieve

Question 18

what is a post-mortem examination?

Answer 18

a technique involving the analysis of a persons brain after death

Question 19

what are post-mortem brains compared to?

Answer 19

neuro-typical brains so as to ascertain the extent of the difference

Question 20

what are the strengths of post-mortem examinations?

Answer 20

vital in providing a foundation for early understanding of key processes in the brain

improves medical knowledge and helps generalise hypotheses for further study

Question 21

what are the weaknesses of post-mortem examinations?

Answer 21

damage can be caused during the post-mortem process

ethical issues as the patients may not have given their consent before death

can’t be sure damage is linked to issues under review, cold version due to some unrelated trauma