Ways Of Studying the Brain Flashcards
what is meant by temporal resolution
how quickly the scanner can detect changes in brain activity
what is meant by spatial resolution
the smallest feature a scanner can detect
what are the 4 different ways of studying the brain
- fMRI
- EEG
- ERP
- Post Mortem
explain how an fMRI works
detects changes in blood oxygenation levels. When a brain area is more active it consumes more oxygen
explain how an EEG works
measures electrical activity within the brain via electrodes that are fixed to an individuals scalp. These are graphed over a period of time
explain how an ERP works
statistical averaging technique which is a measure of a specific form of brainwave that relates to specific stimulus
what how a post mortem works
analyse a persons brain after death
give the spatial resolution for the 4 techniques
- fMRI - very high
- EEG - very poor
- ERP - very poor
- post mortem - high
give the temporal resolution for the 4 techniques
- fMRI - low
- EEG - very high
- ERP - very high
- post mortem - poor
give a strength and weaknbess for the following:
fMRI
- strength = non invasive, helps plan safe surgeries
- weakness = expensive, poor temporal resolution
give a strength and weaknbess for the following:
EEG
- strength = non invasive, cheaper, useful for stydying sleep and epilepsy
- weakness = low spatial resolution, uncomfortable
give a strength and weaknbess for the following:
ERP
- strength = more specific measurement, non invasive, cheaper
- weakness = not alwytas possibke to eliminate background noise, uncomfy
give a strength and weaknbess for the following:
post mortem
- strength = invasive, vital in understanding brain eg brocas area
- weakness = lack of causation
give a strength PEELH for ways of studying the brain
P - fMRI have high accuracy
Eg - high spatial resolution with 1 to 2 mm of accuracy
Ex - allows casual relationships to be formed
L - data has high internal validity
H - low temporal validity
give a limitation PEELH for ways of studying the brain
P - weakness of post mortem is lack of causation
Eg - brain can be affected by changes after death
Ex - evidence is correlational and casual relationahip cant be formed
L - data will lack validity
H - high spatial resolution so deeper regions of the brain can be examined compared to other methods
