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A Level Psychology (Miss Cherry) - Year 1 > Biopsychology - Ways Of Investigating The Brain > Flashcards

Biopsychology - Ways Of Investigating The Brain Flashcards

1
Q

What are the 4 different ways to investigate the brain?

A

fMRIs
EEGs
ERPs
Postmortem examinations

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2
Q

What is a MRI?

A

Magnetic resonance imaging

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3
Q

What does a MRI do?

A

Uses a strong magnetic (makes the hydrogen atoms in the water molecules in the body align up) to take a static image of the brain

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4
Q

What is a fMRI?

A

Functional magnetic resonance imaging

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5
Q

How does a fMRI work?

A

Similarly to an MRI but detects the changes blood oxygenation & flow due to neural activity in the brain. If the brain area is more active it consumes more oxygen so the blood is directed to the area.

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6
Q

What do fMRIs tell us?

A

Shows which parts of the brain are involved in a particular mental process which has an important implication for our understanding of localisation of function

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7
Q

What does an EEG stand for?

A

An Electroencephalogram

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8
Q

What is an EEG?

A

A record of the tiny electrical impulses produced by brain activity

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9
Q

How is brain activity measured using an EEG?

A

Electrodes that are fixed onto the individual’s skull using a skull cap

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10
Q

What are EEGs used for?

A

Diagnosing disorders e.g. epilepsy, tumours & sleep disorders

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11
Q

What are the 4 types of EEG?

A

Alpha
Beta
Theta
Delta

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12
Q

What does an alpha EEG show?

A

Light sleep

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13
Q

What does a delta or theta EEG show?

A

Deep sleep

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14
Q

What is amplitude?

A

The intensity of the size of activity

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15
Q

What is frequency?

A

The speed or quantity of activity

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16
Q

What are the 2 distinctive states produced by an EEG?

A

Synchronised
Desynchronised

17
Q

What is a synchronised EEG?

A

A recognisable waveform

18
Q

What is a desynchronised EEG?

A

No pattern shown

19
Q

What are the strengths of using a fMRI?

A

Non invasive, no risks as no radiation is used & straightforward to use
Good spatial ability (produces good images)

20
Q

What are the limitations of using a fMRI?

A

Expensive
Can only work if the individual stays completely still (difficult for children)
Poor temporal resolution (has a 5 second lag) -> misses information
Measures blood flow in the brain but cannot home in on the activity of individual neurons

21
Q

What are the strengths of using an EEG?

A

Valuable for the diagnosis of epilepsy as bursts of electrical activity will appear on the screen)
Contributed to the knowledge of sleep stages
High temporal resolution as it can detect brain activity in a single millisecond

22
Q

What are the limitations of using an EEG?

A

Low spatial resolution as the information is generalised you cannot pinpoint the exact source of neural activity

23
Q

What does ERP stand for?

A

Event-related potentials

24
Q

What are ERPs?

A

Measures electrical activity in the bran similar to an EEG but uses a stimulus to measure the brain activity related to that stimulus which is repeated many times & averaged

25
Q

What is a sensory ERP?

A

ERPs that occur within 100 milliseconds

26
Q

What is a cognitive ERP?

A

ERPs that occur after 100 milliseconds

27
Q

What is latency?

A

The time/interval between the presentation of the stimulus & response

28
Q

What are some strengths of ERPs?

A

More specific & have better spatial resolution
Excellent temporal resolution

29
Q

What are some criticisms of ERPs?

A

There is a lack of standardisation & complete elimination of EVs is difficult to achieve

30
Q

What are postmortem examinations?

A

Analysing a person’s brain after their death, usually if they suffered unusual deficits or disorders in their lifetime, to find the cause of the affliction they suffered

31
Q

What are some examples of postmortem examinations?

A

Broca & Wernicke

32
Q

What is a strength of postmortem examinations?

A

Vital in providing a foundation for early understanding of key processes in the brain (Broca & Wernicke)

33
Q

What are some limitations of postmortem examinations?

A

Causation is an issue as any observed damage may not be linked to deficits under review but due to other unrelated trauma

Ethical issues as patients may not be able to give informed consent

A Level Psychology (Miss Cherry) - Year 1 (17 decks)

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