Neuroscientific Methods and Brain Injury

Question 1

What are the methods to study the structure of the human brain (static)?

Answer 1

CT, DTI, MRI

Question 2

What are functional methods to study the brain (during activity/dynamic)?

Answer 2

PET, fMRI and EEG

Question 3

What method is used to stimulate the brain?

Answer 3

TMS - transcranial magnetic stimulation

Question 4

What are the two important types of resolutions?

Answer 4

Temporal and spatial

Question 5

When was the first Electroencephalograph introduced?

Answer 5

1929

Question 6

What does the term ERP stand for?

Answer 6

Event related potential

Question 7

What is ERP?

Answer 7

ERP refers to the brain signals directly related to the task being completed during the EEG

Question 8

What is the N400 responsible for?

Answer 8

Processing the meaning of the stimulus

Question 9

What does the N170 do?

Answer 9

Processing the face

Question 10

Why are x-rays not a method used to observe the brain?

Answer 10

Lack of density means that isn’t visible

Question 11

What does MRI stand for?

Answer 11

Magnetic resonance imaging

Question 12

What are the pros and cons of a MRI machine?

Answer 12

pro- no radiation, better spatial imaging
Con- expensive and no metal

Question 13

What does DTI stand for?

Answer 13

Diffusion tensor imaging

Question 14

How does the DTI work?

Answer 14

Quantifies the relative water molecules in the bundles of axons in white matter to determine their location

Question 15

What is functional imaging?

Answer 15

Computerised methods of detecting metabolic or chemicals changes within the living brain

Question 16

What is FMRI dependent on?

Answer 16

BOLD - blood oxygen dependent signal

Question 17

What are the pros and cons of the FMRI?

Answer 17

pro - not radioactive, relatively quick
con- 2/3 second lag

Question 18

How does TMS stimulate the brain?

Answer 18

Current passes through and into the coil and generates a magnetic field. The tissue current alters normal patter of neural activity

Question 19

What are the causes of brain injury?

Answer 19

Stroke - blood flow is disrupted
Hypoxia- lack of oxygen
Tumours - abnormal cell growth
Degenerative disorders - Alzheimer’s
Epilepsy

Question 20

What is the neuropsychology method of studying the brain?

Answer 20

Lesions

Question 21

How do psychologists use lesions to study the brain?

Answer 21

Infers brain function by observing consequences of brain injury

Question 22

How are head injuries assessed?

Answer 22

Glasgow coma scale, scores range from 3 -15

Question 23

What are the classifications of GCS?

Answer 23

Mild (14-15), Moderate (9-13), Severe (3-8)

Question 24

What are potential treatments for traumatic brain injury?

Answer 24

Reduce swelling and intercranial pressure, assure adequate blood flow, treat symptoms that develop after injury, assess long term behaviour and cognitive changes

Question 25

What is autoregulation?

Answer 25

The intrinsic ability of the cerebral blood vessels to dilate and constrict in response to change in the brain environment

Question 26

What are cerebrovascular incidents?

Answer 26

Haemorrhagic strokes caused by a rupture of cerebral blood vessels

Question 27

What is a thrombus?

Answer 27

A blood clot that forms within blood vessels which occulde it

Question 28

What are potential treatments for autoregulation fails?

Answer 28

Surgery, anticoagulant drugs, tissues plasminogen’s activator, prevention (lifestyle) rehabilitation

Question 29

What are tumours?

Answer 29

Are a mass of cells whose growth is uncontrolled and serves no useful function

Question 30

What are the different types of tumours? (4)

Answer 30

Malignant tumour - cancerous and lacks distinct border
Benign tumour- non-cancerous and has a distinct border
Glioma - cancerous composed of one of several types of glial cells
Meningioma- benign brain tumour compose of cells that constitutes meninges