Ways of investigating the brain

Question 1

What is FMRI?

Answer 1

Functional magnetic resonance imaging- detects changes in blood flow in the brain and shows them in a 3D image

Question 2

What is EEG?

Answer 2

An electroecephalogram measures brain activity through electrodes fixed to an individual’s scalp and shows it as a graph of brain wave patterns

Question 3

What are ERPs?

Answer 3

Event related potentials are the changes in brain activity observed by EEGs which are caused by external stimuli rather than conscious brain functions, these are usually taken out of the EEG in order to see brain activity more accurately

Question 4

What is a post-mortem examination?

Answer 4

A way of investigating the brain which envolves manually looking at a person’s brain after they have died

Question 5

What is an advantage and disadvantage of FMRI?

Answer 5

+ Risk free- does not use radiation
+ Good spatial resolution
- Can be very expensive

Question 6

What is an advantage and disadvantage of EEG?

Answer 6

+ Very valuable in diagnosis of epilepsy
+ Good temporal resolution
- Gives very general information

Question 7

What is an advantage and disadvantage of ERPs?

Answer 7

+ Addresses the limitations of EEG (gives more specific information)

• Unstandardised
• Very difficult to eliminate every external stimulus

Question 8

What is an advantage and disadvantage of post-mortem examinations?

Answer 8

+ Has advanced knowledge of brain greatly (Wernicke and Broca’s areas)

• Ethical/consent issues
• Findings may be related to other trauma