ways of studying the brain

Question 1

EEG S: high temporal resolution

Answer 1

ID: an advantage of the eeg, in comparison to fmri, is that it has good temporal resolution.
Q: temporal resolution refers to the accuracy of the scanner in relation to time: or how quickly the scanner can detect changes in brain activity.
EX: for example, eeg scanners take readings every millisecond, meaning it can record the brain’s activity in real time as opposed to looking at a passive brain. however, fmri scans have a temporal resolution of 1-4 seconds which is worse than other techniques (e.g. eeg).
AN: this suggests that eeg can provide a high degree of accuracy when examining the onset of brain activity, allowing psychologists to make accurate conclusions in relation to the timing of neural activity, in comparison to fmri.

Question 2

FMRI S: high spatial resolution

Answer 2

ID: however, one strength of fmri, in comparison to eeg, is that it has good spatial resolution.
Q: spatial resolution refers to the smallest feature (or measurement) that a scanner can detect
EX: for example, greater spatial resolution allows psychologists to discriminate between different brain regions with greater accuracy. fmri scans have a spatial resolution of approximately 1-2 mm which is significantly greater than the other techniques. eeg, on the other hand, can only detect the activity in superficial regions of the brain.
AN: therefore, psychologists can determine the activity of different brain regions with greater accuracy when using fmri, in comparison to when using eeg, which makes fmri an ideal choice when trying to pinpoint specific brain regions.