Neuroimaging Techniques Flashcards
State the meaning of the letters EEG when referenced to in psychology
Electroencephalogram
Explain why pregnant woman would require an MRI for a brain injury but not be sent for a CT scan
A CT scan (much like and X-ray) uses radiation which could be potentially harmful to an unborn baby so an MRI (which uses magnetic pulses) would be safer
Explain the advantages of using an fMRI instead of an MRI when diagnosing the effects of stroke or Alzheimer’s disease
An fMRI produces a dynamic image which can pinpoint oxygen use of the brain to better see the issue, whereas a MRI can only produce a static image so continuous brain activity cannot be evaluated, therefore, in this instance, a fMRI is better
What does an EEG do
Electroencephalograph:
Uses electrodes fastened to scalp to detect and amplify electrical activity in brain; recorded as peaks and troughs on a chart
What does a CT (or CAT) do
Computed tomography:
X-ray scans brain at different angles; information is fed to a computer that generates pictures of ‘slices’ of the brain
What does an MRI do
MRI- Magnetic resonance imaging:
Uses strong magnetic field, radio frequency pulses and computers to produce 3D images
What does an fMRI do
fMRI- Functional magnetic resonance imaging:
Measures brain activity when neurons consume oxygen where higher levels of oxygen indicate higher level of activity; colour
indicates activity levels
