ways of studying the brain

Question 1

fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging)

Answer 1

• a brain scanning technique that measures blood flow in the brain while a person completes a task
• more active brain regions require more oxygen, causing increased blood flow
• an fmri detects this to create a moving 3d map of the brain to show which areas of the brain are involved in different neural activities

Question 2

give a strength of fMRI
1/2

Answer 2

non-invasive, it doesn’t use radiation and doesn’t insert anything directly in the brain so is virtually risk free. so more people are likely to have an fMRI to help gain data on the functioning human brain

Question 3

give a strength of fMRI
2/2

Answer 3

good spatial resolution of 1-2mm, so psychologists can determine the activity of different brain regions with greater accuracy

Question 4

give a limitation of fMRI
1/2

Answer 4

poor temporal resolution of 1-4s, so psychologists can’t predict with great accuracy the onset of brain activity

Question 5

give a limitation of fMRI
2/2

Answer 5

they only measure changes in blood flow, so it is impossible to infer causation at a neural level, although blood flow can indicate activity in a certain area, we cant conclude a brain region is associated with a certain function

Question 6

EEG (electroencephalogram)

Answer 6

• measures electrical activity in the brain through electrodes placed on the head
• the electrodes detect electrical charges over time which are graphed to indicate brain activity
• there are 4 types of eeg patterns: alpha, beta, delta and theta waves
• it can detect certain disorders such as alzheimer’s

Question 7

ERP (event-related potential)

Answer 7

• it uses similar equipment to an EEG, measuring voltage changes and activity in response to different stimuli
• to separate from background EEG data, the stimulus is presented hundreds of times and an average response is graphed
• they can be split into 2 categories: sensory waves (occur within 100ms) and cognitive waves (occur after 100ms)

Question 8

give a strength of EEG’s and ERP’s
1/2

Answer 8

non-invasive, it doesn’t use radiation and doesn’t insert anything directly in the brain so is virtually risk free. also more cost effective than fMRI’s.

Question 9

give a strength of EEG’s and ERP’s
2/2

Answer 9

good temporal resolution of 1-10ms, so it can record brain activity in real time rather than observing a passive brain

Question 10

give a limitation of EEG’s and ERP’s
1/2

Answer 10

can be uncomfortable for the participant as electrodes are attached to the scalp. this could affect the accuracy of the readings as their discomfort may affect cognitive responses. fMRI wouldn’t do this so may provide more accurate readings

Question 11

give a limitation of EEG’s and ERP’s
2/2

Answer 11

poor spatial resolution as they can only detect activity in superficial areas of the brain. so unlike fMRI’s they cant provide info on what happens in deeper regions of the brain

Question 12

give a limitation of EEG’s
1/1

Answer 12

electrical activity is detected in different brain areas simultaneously so it’s hard to pinpoint the direct area of activity

Question 13

give a strength of ERP’s
1/1

Answer 13

enable us to determine how processing is affected by specific experimental manipulation

Question 14

post mortem examination

Answer 14

• researchers study the physical brain of a person who displayed a specific behaviour whilst alive that suggested possible brain damage
• allow a more detailed examination of different aspects of the brain not possible with other techniques, and deeper ones such as the hippocampus and hypothalamus

Question 15

broca

Answer 15

examined the brain of a man known as ‘tan’ who had speech problems when alive, he found he had a lesion in the area responsible for speech production, which later became known as broca’s area

Question 16

give a strength of post mortem examinations
1/1

Answer 16

provide a detailed examination of the anatomical and neurochemical areas of the brain that isn’t available with other techniques. it allows access to deeper regions like the hippocampus and hypothalamus to gain insight into them and provide a basis for future research

Question 17

give a limitation of post mortem examinations
1/2

Answer 17

issues of causation: researchers cannot conclude that deficits a patient displays during their lifetimes are the result of any deficits found in the brain, and not another illness. there are also different ev’s that can affect the results of post mortems, such as age and cause of death, any meds the patient was on and the time between death and the exam.

Question 18

give a limitation of post mortem examinations
2/2

Answer 18

there are certain ethical issues with informed consent, specifically if the patient being examined had psychological deficits that may have affected their ability to fully comprehend what they were consenting to before their death, e,g, issues with their memory