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Psych101: 4-Neurons, Hormones, and the Brain > Mapping the Brain > Flashcards

Flashcards in Mapping the Brain Deck (14)
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1
Q

What are 2 approaches to studying the brain?

A
  • studying patients with damages or diseased parts of the brain
  • lesion method (damaging or removing sections of the brain in animals and observing the effects)
2
Q

What are electrodes?

A

-coin-shaped devices that can probe the brain

3
Q

How do electrodes probe the brain?

A

-they detect electrical activity of neurons

4
Q

How do we interpret the information electrodes give us?

A

-electrodes are connected to a machine that translates the electrical energy into wave patterns, known as “brain waves”

5
Q

Define: EEG (electroencephalogram)

A
  • a brain wave recording
  • reflects activity of many cells at once (not precise)
  • combined with computer technology, it can suppress background noise, leaving only electrical responses to the specific event being studied
6
Q

What are 2 specific types of electrodes?

A
  • needle electrodes

- microelectrodes

7
Q

Define: needle electrodes

A
  • wires or hollow glass tubes inserted directly into an exposed brain, or through tiny holes in the skull
  • they can also be used to stimulate the brain with weak electrical currents
8
Q

Define: microelectrodes

A

-they can be inserted into single cells

9
Q

Define: TMS (transcranial magnetic simulation)

A
  • a newer method of brain stimulation
  • delivers a current through a wire coil placed on a person’s head
  • procedure causes neurons to fire
10
Q

What is known as a “virtual lesion method”?

A

-TMS (transcranial magnetic simulation)

11
Q

Describe: PET Scan (positron-emission topography)

A
  • records biochemical changes in the brain as they are happening
  • uses radioactive glucose-like injections to observe activity levels in different parts of the brain
  • color coded
12
Q

Describe: MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

A
  • uses magnetic fields and radio frequencies to produce vibrations in the nuclei of atoms that make up bodily organs
  • signals are converted into a high-contrast image
13
Q

Describe: fMRI (functional MRI)

A
  • ultra-fast version of MRI

- scans to correlate activity in specific brain areas

14
Q

What do brain scans tell us exactly?

A

-they tell us WHERE an activity is happening, but not HOW or WHY