Studying the Brain Flashcards
What are fMRI scans?
- 3D scans providing structural and functional information,
- they show changes in brain activity as they actually happen, by using strong magnetic field and radio waves.
How do fMRI scans work?
1) More oxygenated blood flows to active areas of the brain,
2) Molecules in oxygenated blood respond differently to a magnetic field than those in deoxygenated blood,
3) The more active areas of the brain can be identified.
What are the uses of fMRI scans?
1) used to research the function of the brain as well as its structure,
2) Can be used to diagnose medical problems; they can show damaged or diseased parts of the brain,
3) Also used to study abnormal activity in the brain.
What are EEGs? how do they work?
- Electroencephalograms show overall electrical activity of the brain, picks up on the signal of many neurons firing together,
- Multiple electrodes are placed on the scalp and the electrical activity in the brain is recorded for a period of time,
- This produces a pattern of waves; patterns represent different levels of arousal or consciousness.
What are the uses of EEGs?
1) Commonly used in sleep studies,
2) Been used in the study of conditions such as depression and schizophrenia,
3) Abnormal EEGs have also been identified in patients suffering from eating disorders,
4) EEGs have the potential to be used as a diagnostic tool.
What are ERPs? how have they been used?
- EEG wave pattern changes in response to a stimulusm
- If a specific situation is presented, it produces a specific change in a wave pattern,
- Been used a lot in memory research, give lots of clues about information processing in the brain,
- Shown differences in the ERPs of people suffering from psychiatric disorders compared to healthy individuals.
What are post-mortem examinations?
- Dissections of the brain of a person who has died,
- Allows researchers to physically look at the internal structure of the brain.
