Research methods in neuroscience

Question 1

What are the five methods of studying the nervous system?

Answer 1

1. ) Visualising and stimulating the brain
2. ) Recording psychophysiological activity
3. ) Invasive research methods
4. ) Pharmacological research methods
5. ) Genetic manipulations

Question 2

Visualising and stimulating the brain

Answer 2

1. ) X Ray techniques
2. ) Contrast X- Ray techniques
3. ) MRI
4. ) fMRI
5. ) PET
6. ) EEG and MEG

Question 3

fMRI technique

Answer 3

• Very sensitive to the effect of iron in the blood on the way the energy given to tissues by the radio frequency is re-emitted

Question 4

PET technique

Answer 4

• Be more specific on a molecular level
• Make a contrast agent that is targeted to the biological process we want to image
• Get a chemical that binds to the target
• Attach a radioisotope to the chemical
• Inject the tracer into the subject
• Detect the emitted radiation + use a computer to work out where it is coming from

Question 5

EET technique

Answer 5

• Gives an indication of regional brain activity underlying electrodes
• Has good temporal resolution but poor spatial resolution
• Helps to have subject in an eletrivally shielded environment to minimise electrical noise
• Signals are often separated into different frequency bands (slow waves and fast waves)

Question 6

MEG technique

Answer 6

• The electrical current of large numbers of cells and white matter tracts induce a magnetic field that can be detected by a machine
• MEG singals are small and hard to detect.
• Offer better spatial resolution than EEG

Question 7

TMS

Answer 7

• Induces electrical current in brain tissue which disrupts ongoing activity
• Hard to target precisely

Question 8

TDCS

Answer 8

• Pass current through the brain between positively charged anode + the negatively charged cathode
• Can excite/inhibit underlying brain tissue which may be useful in experiments

Question 9

Invasive methods in animal models

Answer 9

• strictly regulated
• three guiding principles for all research involving animals:
  1. ) Replacement
  2. ) Refinement
  3. ) Reduction

Question 10

Possibilities with invasive methods

Answer 10

1. ) Make direct measurements of the activity of brain cells
2. ) Determine connectivity between structures + flow of information
3. ) Disrupt connectivity between structures to determine effects upon circuit function
4. ) Lesion specific structures to inform us about what function that structure performs

Question 11

What are pharmacological research methods?

Answer 11

It is a field that investigates the effect of drugs on thoughts or behaviour

Question 12

How do different drugs affect neurotransmission?

Answer 12

1.) Mimic the neurotransmiiter to act on the receptor
Some will block the receptor
Some will prevent the manufacture of the neurotransmiiter
Block re-uptake

Question 13

What is genetic manipulation

Answer 13

Have engineering and optogenetics
- Optogenetics: a process whereby we can make specific brain cells sensitive to light so that we can control them in very precise ways