ways of investigating the brain

Question 1

spatial resolution

Answer 1

level of accuracy in identify the axact location of brain structure in space (where it happened)

Question 2

temporal resoultion

Answer 2

level of acuracy in identifying the exxact lcoation of brain structure in time (when it happened)

Question 3

FMRI

Answer 3

detects changes in blood oxygenation due to neural activity in specific brain parts

when brain more active, requires more oxygen , due to demand oxygenated blood is directed towards the area which is active
known as the haemodynamic response

produces 3d acitvity maps
which shows where blood is flowing and where is most concentrated

Question 4

adv and dis of FRMI scans

Answer 4

good spatial resoultion. pictires we recive are clear of how functions are localised

strightforward to use
virtually risk free

dis-expensive and can only capture good picture if person is completely still

measure blood flwo therefore not looking at nrueons in brain, gives lesss sepcific insight into neural activity of brain

Question 5

EEG

Answer 5

measures electical aciity
electrodes are attached to individuals scalp using sjull cap
acan recording reprent brain wave patterns
often used as diagnostic tool for abnormilities such as elipespy

Question 6

adv of EEG

Answer 6

very useful in diagnostic of psychological conditions e.g eplepsy

high temporal resoultion as it can detect brain acitvity within a millisecond

Question 7

dis of EEG

Answer 7

poor spatial resoultion as cannot pinpoint exact locationn of neural activity

signals can also be missed

Question 8

ERP

Answer 8

more specific EEG recordings by eliminating all extraenous neural acivity and taking a statisticsal averge of activity relevent to task being performed

Question 9

adv of ERP

Answer 9

more spefic
has good temporal resoultion which means clear understanding of time at whcih happened

Question 10

dis of ERP

Answer 10

bakground noise and extrenous variables must be elimited which is not always easy to achieve

Question 11

Post mortems

Answer 11

looking at persons brain after death

those subject are often those with rare disorders ir experinced unusual deficits in their lifetime

areas of damage are assessed after death

Question 12

adv of post mortems

Answer 12

provided foundaition for the understanding of processes in the brain
e.g karl wernicke and paul broca both relied on this to establish links betweeen the brain, behaviour and language

Question 13

dis of post mortems

Answer 13

ethical issues as in formed conset is not always given before persons death
e.g HM was unable to give his consent but they did the reserach still anyway after his death

Question 14

what is a biological rythmn

Answer 14

distinct patterns of changes in body activity that conform to cyclyical time periods

can be influenced by internal body coacks (endogenous pacemakers) or external changes to enviroment (exogenous zeitegbers)

Question 15

circaidan rythem

Answer 15

type of biological rythem which operates on a 24 hour scheldule

regulates bodily processes e.g sleep/wake cycle and core body temp

Question 16

cicadian clock

Answer 16

regulates core bood temp, urine production

most important hormone affected by ciracdian clock is melotonin, produced in pineal gland chemically causes drowsiness and lowers body temp
cortisol produced in adrenal gland used to form glucose sugar

located in SCN (suprachiastic nucleus) in hypothalamus of brain
SCN-contains thousands of neuorns
has responsibility of sending signals to other parts of brain to regualte sleep, wake cycle and body temp andd more

Question 19

core body temp

Answer 19

core temp- usualy reaches its minimum around 4:30-5:00 am in the morning for adults

melatonin-abesnt during daytime hours
begins to be produced around 8-9 at night and stops 7-8 in morning

sleepiness-deepest tendancy to sleepiness ccurs in middle of night around 2-3 am along with shorter shallower preiod of sleepiness around 12 hours after, around 2-3pm in afternoon

Question 20

adv of sleep wake cycle

Answer 20

application to shift work

lead to desynchronisation of circadian rythmns abd can lead to psychological effects

research shown that night shift workers fuffer conenration at 6 am, increasing likekihood of accidents and they are also 3 times more likely to suffer from heart disease as a refuly from stress adjusting to sleep/wake cycle
shows it is intollerant to any major alternations to sleep and wake cyeles through processes such as shift work or jet lag

Question 21

adv of sleep wake cycle

Answer 21

support from cave study

micheal siffre spent two months in caves of southern alps deprived of sunlight and sound, determining circaidan rythems remained between 24-25 hours

assumed that only natural light has an influenve on biological rythmns,

mean may lack valdiity

Question 22

what are infradian rythms

Answer 22

biological rythem with a frequency of less then one cycle in 24 hours

Question 23

what are ultradian rythms

Answer 23

biological rythemn with frequency of more than 1 cycle in 24 hours

Question 24

examples of infradian rythms

Answer 24

Menstual cycle-governed by monthly changes in homrone levels within femaless, whcih govern ovulation
Seasonal affective disorder(sad)-depressive disorder with pattern of onset wich varie every season

Question 25

examples of ultradian rythms

Answer 25

sleep cycle-5 distinct stages of sleep

Question 26

menstrual cycle

Answer 26

governed by changes in hormone levels

cycle lasts for approxiamelty 28 days

during each cyle, increased hormone oestrogen caues overy to develop egg and release it
after ovultion, hormone progesterone causes womb lining to grow thicker, readying body for pregnancy

Question 27

SAD

Answer 27

seasonal pattern of onset
symptoms such as low mood, lack of acitvity etc