Ways of studying the brain

Question 1

What is an fMRI?

Answer 1

• functional magnetic resonance imaging, measures brain activity while performing a task, detects radio waves from changing magnetic fields, enables researchers to detect which regions of the brain are rich in oxygen/active

Question 2

What is an EEG?

Answer 2

• Electroencephalogram, records tiny electrical impulses, by measuring characteristic wave patterns, can help diagnose certain conditions of the brain

Question 3

What are ERP’s?

Answer 3

• Event-related potentials, electrophysiological response of brain isolated through statistical analysis of EEG data

Question 4

What is a post mortem examination?

Answer 4

• brain is analysed after death to determine whether observed behaviours in a persons life can be linked to structural abnormalities in the brain

Question 5

What is a strength and a weakness of fMRI’s?

Answer 5

• Strength: does not rely on use of radiation, risk-free, non-invasive and straightforward to use, provides images with high-spatial resolution, depicting detail by the mm
• Limitation: Expensive, poor temporal resolution (5 second time lag)

Question 6

What is a strength and a weakness of EEG?

Answer 6

• Strength: useful in studying stages of sleep and in diagnosing epilepsy, high temporal resolution
• Limitation: generalised nature of information received, cannot pinpoint exact source of neural activity, cannot distinguish between activities originating in different but nearby locations

Question 7

What is a strength and a weakness of event related potentials?

Answer 7

• Strength: eliminate some limitations of EEGs, excellent temporal resolution, measures cognitive functions/deficits e.g allocation of attention/maintenance of working memory
• Limitation: lack of standardisation making it difficult to confirm findings. In order to establish pure data for ERPs there must be no extraneous variables, hard to achieve

Question 8

What is a strength and a weakness of post-mortem examinations?

Answer 8

• Strength: provided a foundational understanding of key processes in the brain, Broca/Wernicke relied on them and on HM’s brain, provide useful info
• Limitation: causation issues, observed damage may not be linked to what is thought but another trauma, also issue of informed consent