ways of studying the brain

Question 1

functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

Answer 1

works by detecting the changes in blood oxygenation and flow that occur as a result of neural activity in specific parts of the brain.
produces 3D activation maps showing which parts of the brain are linked to which function

Question 2

electroencephalogram (EEG)

Answer 2

measures electrical activity wiyhin the brain via elecrtodes that are fixed to an individuals scalp using a skull cap
scan represents brainwave patterns generated from action of thousands of neurons providing overall brain activity. used as a tool to diagnose arrhythmic conditions such as epilepsy

Question 3

event related potentials

Answer 3

using a statistical technique all extraneous general brain activity can be filtered out leaving only responses that relate to performance of a specific task- what is left is ERP triggered by particular events

Question 4

post mortem examinations

Answer 4

analysis of a persons brain following their death
in psych research those subject to post mortem exams are usually people who had experienced a rare disorder which may aslo involve comparisons to a neurotypical brain