Week 1: Research Methods Flashcards
involve injecting into one compartment of the body a substance that absorbs x-rays either less than or more than the surrounding tissue
Contrast X-Rays techniques
uses the infusion of a radio-opaque dye into a cerebral artery to visualize the cerebral circulatory system during x-ray photography
Cerebral Angiography
is a computer-assisted x-ray procedure that can be used to visualize the brain and other internal structures of the living body.
Computed Tomography
First brain-imaging technique to provide images of brain activity rather than images of brain structure
Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) - injected into the carotid artery.
Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
structural brain-imaging procedure in which high-resolution images are constructed from the measurement of radio-frequency waves that hydrogen atoms emit as they align with a powerful magnetic field.
MRI
Produces images representing the increase in oxygen flow in the blood to active areas of the brain
fMRI
The blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal
BOLD signal
is a method of identifying those pathways along which water molecules rapidly diffuse
Diffusion Tensor Imaging
1) Contrast X-Rays techniques - involve injecting into one compartment of the body a substance that absorbs x-rays either less than or more than the surrounding tissue
2) Cerebral Angiography - uses the infusion of a radio-opagque dye into a cerebral artery to visualize the cerebral circulatory system during x-ray photography
3) Computed Tomography - is a computer-assisted x-ray procedure that can be used to visualize the brain and other internal structures of the living body.
X-Rays based techniques
1) Positron Emission Tomography (PET) - first brain-imaging technique to provide images of brain activity rather than images of brain structure
2) Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) - injected into the carotid artery.
Radioactivity-Based Techniques
is a technique that can be used to turn off an area of human cortex by creating a magnetic field under a coil positioned next to the skull
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
is a technique that can be used to stimulate an area of the cortex by applying an electrical current through two electrodes placed directly on the scalp
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
is a measure of the gross electrical activity of the brain.
Scalp Electroencephalography (EEG)
measures changes in magnetic fields on the surface of the scalp that are produced by changes in underlying patterns of neural activity
Magnetoencephalography (MEG)
Muscle Tension - Each skeletal muscle is composed of millions of threadlike muscle fibers. Each muscle fiber contracts in an all-or-none fashion when activated by the motor neuron that innervates it. At any given time, a few fibers in each resting muscle are likely to be contracting, thus maintaining the overall tone (tension) of the muscle. Movement results when a large number of fibers contract at the same time
Electromyography - is the usual procedure for measuring muscle tension. The resulting record is called an electromyogram (EMG)
EYE MOVEMENT. The electrophysiological technique for recording eye movements is called electrooculography, and the resulting record is called an electrooculogram (EOG)
Psychophysiological Measure
effects are deceptively difficult to interpret. Because the structures of the brain are small, convoluted, and tightly packed together, even a highly skilled surgeon cannot completely destroy a structure without producing significant damage to adjacent structures
Lesion
are methods for temporarily eliminating the activity in a particular area of the brain while tests are being conducted.
Reversible lesions
Sectioning (cutting) is used to eliminate conduction in a nerve or tract. A tiny, well-placed cut can unambiguously accomplish this task without producing extensive damage to surrounding tissue.
KNIFE CUTS
Small subcortical lesions are commonly made by
RADIO-FREQUENCY LESIONS
When a lesion is to be made in an area of cortical tissue that is accessible to the eyes and instruments of the surgeon.
ASPIRATION LESIONS
This technique takes advantage of the fact that all peptides and proteins are transcribed from sequences of nucleotide bases on strands of messenger RNA
situ hybridization
Gene Knockout and Gene Replacement Techniques
Gene knockout techniques are procedures for creating organisms that lack a particular gene under investigation
Gene replacement techniques have created interesting possibilities for research and therapy. Pathological genes from human cells can be inserted in other animals such as mice—mice that contain the genetic material of another species are called transgenic mice
Genetic Engineering
have created interesting possibilities for research and therapy. Pathological genes from human cells can be inserted in other animals such as mice—mice that contain the genetic material of another species are called transgenic mice
Gene replacement techniques
are procedures for creating organisms that lack a particular gene under investigation
Gene knockout techniques
is a protein that exhibits bright green fluorescence when exposed to blue light
Green fluorescent protein (GFP)
are light-sensitive ion channels that are found in the cell membranes of certain bacteria and algae
Opsins
neuroscientists started to use genetic engineering techniques to insert the opsin gene, or variants of the opsin gene, into particular types of neurons. In effect, by inserting an opsin gene into a particular type of neuron, a neuroscientist could use light to hyperpolarize or depolarize neurons.
Optogenetics
