Ways of studying the brain

Question 1

What is Functional Magnetic
Resonance Imaging (fMRI)?

Answer 1

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a brain-scanning technique that measures blood flow in the brain when a person performs a task. fMRI works on the premise that neurons in the brain which are the
most active (during a task), use the most energy. An fMRI creates a dynamic (moving) 3D map of the brain, highlighting which areas are involved in different neural activities.

Question 2

What is Electroencephalogram
(EEGs)?

Answer 2

An electroencephalogram (EEG) works on the premise that information is processed in the brain as electrical activity in the form of action potentials or nerve impulses, transmitted along neurons. EEG ners measure this electrical activity through electrodes
attached to the scalp. Small electrical charges that are detected by the electrodes are graphed over a period of time, indicating the level of activity in the brain.

Question 3

What is Event-Related Potentials
(ERPs)?

Answer 3

Event-Related Potentials (ERP) use similar equipment to EEG, i.e. electrodes attached to the scalp. However, the key difference is that a stimulus is presented to a participant (for example a picture/sound) and the researcher looks for activity related to that stimulus.

Question 4

What is a Post-Mortem Examination?

Answer 4

A post-mortem examination is when researchers study the physical brain of a person who displayed a particular behaviour while they were alive that suggested possible brain damage

Question 5

What is an example of a post-mortem examination?

Answer 5

An example of this technique is the work of Broca, who examined the brain of a man who displayed speech problems when he was alive. It was subsequently discovered that he
had a lesion in the area of the brain important for speech production. This area later became known as Broca’s area.