Ways Of Studying The Brain Flashcards
Post-mortem Examinations
Involves studying the brain after death to investigate structural abnormalities or damage that may explain behaviour. Often used in cases of rare disorders or brain injuries to provide detailed insights and help with future research and developments of treatments.
FMRI - functional magnetic resonance imaging
Measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow using radio waves and a magnetic field while a person performs tasks. Produces 3D images showing active brain regions.
EEG - Electroencephalogram
Records electrical activity of the brain using electrodes that are placed on the scalp that detect small electrical charges resulting from the activity of brain cells. Commonly used for studying brain states like sleep and diagnosing epilepsy.
ERPS - Event Related Potentials
A type of EEG that measures brain responses to specific stimuli eg sounds or visuals. Neural activity is isolated to sensory, cognitive or motor events and data is averaged over multiple trials.
EVALUATION - Post Mortems
Spatial Resolution - High - can see brain on cellular level
Temporal Resolution - Low - person is dead
Practical - No - extensive
Functionality - No - task can not be completed as dead
EVALUATION - fMRI
Spatial Resolution - High - depict detail by the millimetre
Temporal Resolution - Low - 5 second time lag behind image on screen
Practical - No
Functionality - Yes - they can do activities
EVALUATION - EEG
Spatial Resolution - Low - not useful for pinpointing exact source
Temporal Resolution - High - detects brain activity at a resolution of a millisecond
Practical - Yes - inexpensive and easy to do
Functionality - Low - less functional than ERP
EVALUATION - ERPS
Spatial Resolution - Low - can not go deep into structure, only cortex
Temporal Resolution - High - similar to EEG
Practical - Yes - inexpensive and easy to do
Functionality - Yes - can pinpoint specific areas of the cortex
