Neuroimaging techniques and the role of brain structures Flashcards
what are neuroimaging techniques
a range of techniques used to capture images of the brains structure, function and activity, used to provide info on brain injury or damage including location and severity
two types of neuroimaging techniques
structural and functional
purpose/function of structural neuroimaging techniques
obtain images of the anatomy of the brain, provide info on what the brain looks like and the physical composition
functional neuroimaging techniques
view the brain live during a response provide info on brain activty and structure
what are the functional neuroimaging techniques
positron emission tomography and functional magnetic resonance imaging
PET stands for
positron emission tomography
fMRI stands for
functional magnetic resonance imaging
MRI stands for
magnetic resonance imaging
CT stands for
computerised tomography
CT obtains
two dimensional x ray images of a persons brain
MRI
uses magnetic and radio feilds to provide 3 aqnd 2 d images
fMRI
uses magnetic and radio feilds to take coloured 2d and 3d images nof the brain and record its activity levels
PET
using a scanning device to take colopured images of the brain showing functional activity by tracing the levels of a radioactive substance in thye brain
what structures of the brain are required to know
amygdala, hippocampus, basal ganglia, cerebellum and neocortex
where is the amygdala located
within the temporal lope, in the middle of the brain and is often described as being a small almond shape structure
amygdfala function
processing emotions and memories associated with fear, may be a beneficial or harmful fear response, recieves sensory information from the environment and interperetes its emotional significance
larger amygdala means
general anxiety disorders in adolescents
what is the amygdalas role in memory
strengthens the consolidation of memeories with emotional significance, contributingt to the formation of long term memories
how is the amygdalas memory formation adaptive
if we remeber something as previously fear inducing, we avoid it for safety
location of the hippocampus
in the middle of the brain, near the amygdala, in the temporal lobe, has a seahorse shape
function of the hippocampus
plays an important role in the process of learning and the formation of new memories, it helps to consolidate the explicit aspects of emotionally signicant memories
explicit aspects
aka explicit/declarative memories meaning they can be declared or stated to someone else (e.g. date/location/time)
memory formation in amygdala vs hipocampus
amygdala: how you felt hippocampus: location, time, date
basal ganglia location
right behind the frontal lobe
basal ganglia function
encode and store procedural memories, focuses on encoding a storing responses/behaviours in a situation, this storing process is facilitated by the cerebellum
procedural memories
memories related to performing specific tasks or skills (e.g riding bike), these memories become ingrained in our behaviour, often without conscious awareness forming uncousious habits/bahaviours
cerebellum function
monitor and coordinate skeletal muscle movement, involved in maintaining balance and posture and controls voluntaring movements involving procedures or sequences
how does the cerebellum operate
cerebellum recieves info about the position of the body in space and plneed motor movements, from other brain regions, then uses this info to calculate how to move fluidly and smoothly. it then communicates this motor info to the skeletal muscles, which carry out the motor movement
neocortex structure/location
complex structure covering the outer layer of the brain
neocortex function
responsiible for encoding, storing and retrieving explicit memories
explicit memories in the context of the neocortex
memories that can be voluntarily retrieved from long term memory and brought into concious awareness, can be declared or stated to someone else
