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SP604 > Research Methods > Flashcards

Research Methods Flashcards

1
Q

Structural Brain - Phrenology

A

Individual differences in skull anatomy link to behaviour

Assumes that different regions have different functions for controlling different behaviours - localisation of function

Assumes that the size of distortion in proportion to the size of the region relates to the effects on cognition and personality

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2
Q

Structural Brain - Pathology

A

Studying the brain posthumously

Looking at the differences in eminent brains

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3
Q

Structural Brain - Pathology, Einstein

A

Examined brain after death

Had extremely high IQ
Missing the sub-marginal gyrus

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4
Q

Structural Brain - Pathology, Limitations

A

Biased sample due to need for donations

Cannot correlate activity in the area to abilities as a deceased brain cannot be stimulated to produce bodily responses

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5
Q

Structural Brain - Modern Approaches

A

Assume that different types of tissue have different properties and so will absorb or reflect different amounts of radiation which can then be detected and computerised to form an image

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6
Q

Structural Brain - Computerised Axial Tomography

A

Dye is injected into the body to increase contrast
X-rays are passed through the brain and unabsorbed rays are detected
Detectors use computers to form an image of the brain

White matter is dense and so will absorb lots of xray radiation - if few rays are detected, the region must have lots of white matter

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7
Q

Structural Brain - CAT Evaluation, Strengths

A

Can pick up details in large abnormalities
High contrast
Low intrusivity

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8
Q

Structural Brain - CAT Evaluation, Weaknesses

A

Poor spatial resolution ( .5 - 1 cm )
Low temporal resoultion
Radiation exposure
Possible reaction to dye

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9
Q

Structural Brain - Magnetic Resonance Imaging

A

H+ atoms orient parallel to magnetic fields
Radio waves cause H+ to move 90 degrees, resulting in a change in the magnetic field which is detected by magnets and formed into an image

H+ are protons found surrounding each atom, more dense tissue has more atoms and so more H+, more H+ atoms causes more vibrations, indicating denser tissue

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10
Q

Structural Brain - MRI Evaluation, Strengths

A

High spatial resolution ( 1 - 2 mm ) in comparison to CAT

Low intrusiveness

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11
Q

Structural Brain - MRI Evaluation, Weaknesses

A

Cannot scan those with internal metallic devices
Relatively low spatial resolution
Poor temporal resolution
Chance of claustraphobia

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12
Q

Structural Brain - Ultrasound / Sonogram

A

Passes high frequency pulses throuhg the body that are reflected back when they hit dense matter
The time take for a pulse to be reflected back (echo) is translated into distance and used to create an image

White matter is denser than grey matter so will reflect more pulses

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13
Q

Structural Brain - US Evaluation, Strengths

A 
High temporal resolution ( 10 - 30 ms )
High spatial resolution
Low cost
No exposure to radiation
Able to detect blood flow
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14
Q

Structural Brain - US Evaluation, Weaknesses

A

High amounts of tissue distort pulses so cannot be used on patients with excess fat
Pulses cannot pass through bone so the brain can only be scanned during open-skull surgery or within the first 18 months of life

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15
Q

Functional Brain

A

Assumes that neural activity produces physiological changes in the brain

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16
Q

Functional Brain - Electroenchephalogram

A

Conduction gel and an electrode cap are applied to the head of the participant, with electrodes in a 10 - 20 formation
Electrodes continuously detect neuronal electrical activity of neurons firing together, measuring the oscillations and frequencies of brain waves
Differences between electrodes are used to calculate relative activity
Computer will filter artefacts and average the waves to produce Event-Related Potentials

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17
Q

Functional Brain - EEG Evaluation, Strengths

A 
High temporal resolution
Relatively cheap
Can be used on many different samples
Detects change in activity over time so can look at differences between activties
Low invasiveness
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18
Q

Functional Brain - EEG Evaluation, Weaknesses

A 
Signals are easily contaminated
Interpretation is difficult
Poor spatial resolution
Cannot produce an image of the brain
Takes many trials to be able to average across and filter out noise
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19
Q

Functional Brain - Positron Emission Tomography

A

Radioactive trackers (glucose) are injected
Glucose releases positrons when metabolised
Positrons collide with electrons, producing 2 photos and gamma rays which shoot out in opposite directions
Computers detect the centre of the gamma rays to identify where glucose was consumed

Higher glucose consumption indicates increased activity, if many gamma rays are released from a particular area, lots of lguocse has been consumed therefore more activity is occurring

20
Q

Functional Brain - PET Evaluation, Strengths`

A

Produces detailed images during tasks
More sensitive than EEG
High spatial resolution due to size of glucose molecules ( 5 - 10 mm2 )

21
Q

Functional Brain - PET Evaluation, Weaknesses

A

Invasive due to use of tracker
Low temporal resolution due to reliance on blood flow and then glucose consumption
Radiation exposure

22
Q

Functional Brain - Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

A

Haemoglobin (Hb) carries oxygen, and its magnetic properties depend on oxygen saturation
MRI scans detect the blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal where differences in oxygen saturation change magnetic fields of Hb

Higher metabolism and activity would use more oxygen resulting in lower Hb oxygen levels, affecting magnetic porperties which are detected by magnets

23
Q

Functional Brain - fMRI Evaluation, Strengths

A

Can detect activity during tasks

High spatial resolution ( 1 - 3 mm2)

24
Q

Functional Brain - fMRI Evaluation, Weaknesses

A

Requires expert handling and interpretation
Expensive
Low temporal resolution ( 1 ms < )
May cause claustraphobia
Noisy and so may disrupt or cause brain activity

25
Q

Functional Brain - Magnetoencephalogram

A

Vessel filled with liquid helium names Super-conducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) detetcs changes in magentic fields of neurons when they fire

26
Q

Functional Brain - MEG Evaluation, Strengths

A 
Non-invasive
High temporal resolution
High spatial resolution
Non-claustrophic
Silent
Low preparation time
27
Q

Functional Brain - MEG Evaluation, Weaknesses

A

Expensive
Difficult to eliminate all external signals
Does not provide structural information
Could be a liquid helium shortage

28
Q

Observing Brain Damage

A

Involves studying a person or group of people who have suffered from brain damage in order to identify the effects that is has had on their ability to function

29
Q

Observing Brain Damage - Ablation

A

Removal of a brain area

30
Q

Observing Brain Damage - Lesion

A

Damage to an area using a stereotactic instrument

Sham lesions are sometimes uses where no current is applied in order to act as a control condition

31
Q

Observing Brain Damage - Acqusition of Brain Damage

A

Neurosurgery, Neurodegenerative disease, Stroke, Traumatic head injury, Infection, Tumour

32
Q

Observing Brain Damage - Phineas Gage

A

Experienced traumatic head injury at work

Destroyed a portion of his orbitofrontal cortex resulting in defects in emotion processing and rational decision making

33
Q

Observing Brain Damage - Evaluation, Strengths

A

Informative

More ethical than creating lesions

34
Q

Observing Brain Damage - Evaluation, Weaknesses

A

Unable to determine cause and effect
Cannot use a baseline measurement unless it was taken before the incident
The brain may have adapted to the damage (plasticity) and allocated another area for specific processes
Cannot be used with within subjects designs

35
Q

Observing Brain Stimulation

A

Assumes that if brain damage impairs behaviour, stimulation can enhance behaviour

36
Q

Observing Brain Stimulation - Deep Brain Stimulation

A

Involves surgical implantation of a brain-wave ‘pacemaker’ to send pulses to specific brain areas

37
Q

Observing Brain Stimulation - DBS Evaluation, Strengths

A

Shows therapeutic effects for treatment of Parkinson’s by blocking abnormal signals which cause tremors
Does not involve reorganisation of brain function

38
Q

Observing Brain Stimulation - DBS Evaluation, Weaknesses

A

May stimulate the wrong area
Extremely invasive
Limited use on certain individuals

39
Q

Observing Brain Stimulation - Transcrancial Magnetic Stimulation

A

May stimulate or inhibit brain activity in certain areas by passing magnetic fields across the scalp to interrupt signals

40
Q

Observing Brain Stimulation - TMS Evaluation, Strengths

A

Able to show cause and effect of stimulation
Can locate and identify brain areas linking them to functions
Does not involve reorganisation of function
Temporary
Can stimulate or inhibit
Can be used in within subjects designs

41
Q

Observing Brain Stimulation - TMS Evaluation, Weaknesses

A

Stimulation is not equivalent to impulses

May stimulate or inhibit activity in the wrong area due to poor spatial resolution

42
Q

Functional Brain - PET, Raine et al 1997

A

Used PET scans on criminals and identified low amygdala and prefrontal cortex activity

43
Q

Functional Brain - fMRI, Li, Xu & Lu 2018

A

Used fMRI scans to find brain differences related to depression, where the right prefrontal cortex showed increased synchronised activity and the left prefrontal cortex showed decreased activity

44
Q

Structural Brain - CAT, Weinberger et al 1979

A

Used CAT scans to identify that schizophrenics have enlarged ventricles

45
Q

Structural Brain - MRI, Maguire et al 2000

A

Used MRI scans to find that Taxi drivers have increased hippocampus volumes

46
Q

Functional Brain - EEG, Quinn et al 2006

A

Used EEG to support the use of novel preferences to measure categorisation in children, indicating categorisation at 3-4 months

SP604 (9 decks)

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