2.7: Tools for Examining Brain Structure and Function

Question 1

What Are Case Studies Useful For?

Answer 1

Doing case studies on split-brain patients helped scientists gain a deeper understanding of how the brain works and what each part of the brain is responsible for.

Interestingly enough, they found out that each hand could be drawing a completely different image at the same time without messing up.

Question 2

Left Hemisphere

Answer 2

Controls right hand, spoken language, written language, mathematical and logical thought processes, analysis, and reading.

Question 3

Right Hemisphere

Answer 3

Controls left hand, nonverbal (visual) perception.

Is responsible for musical and artistic processing and emotional thought.

Question 4

Lesioning

Answer 4

Used in circumstances to destroy certain, selective, parts of the brain in order to reduce a behavior.

We can also stimulate areas of the brain to generate a response.

Question 5

Electroencephalograms (EEGs)

Answer 5

Measures and records brain waves in various states, such as dreaming and sleeping, to study .

Question 6

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scans

Answer 6

Uses glucose to monitor which parts of the brain light up when patients are given various tasks and produces color graphics.

Using PETs, you could visualize changes in the brain as it functions. This is because when a neuron is active, blood flow in increased and more glucose and oxygen is brought into the brain.

When using PET, radioactively tagged glucose is injected into the bloodstream, and this is detected through a PET scanner. It then shows where the glucose is going when and at which instants.

Question 7

Computer Tomography (CT) Scans

Answer 7

Uses a variety of X-ray photographs to create the image of a two-dimensional slice.

Question 8

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Answer 8

Uses various magnetic fields and radio waves to create an image of the brain’s soft tissue.

Question 9

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

Answer 9

they can show us both the physical structure of the brain as well as activity and function. This has allowed us to gain more insight into which parts of the brain are responsible for specific tasks and abilities.