Techniques to study the brain

Question 1

What does MRI stand for?

Answer 1

Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Question 2

What does MRI measure?

Answer 2

Brain structure using magnetic fields and radio waves.

Question 3

Does MRI require injection of a tracer?

Answer 3

No.

Question 4

What is a key advantage of MRI over CAT scans?

Answer 4

Better spatial resolution and more detailed images.

Question 5

What is one disadvantage of MRI?

Answer 5

Cannot be used with patients who have metal implants or are claustrophobic.

Question 6

What is a limitation of MRI in brain activity studies?

Answer 6

Delay in detecting brain activity due to blood flow lag.

Question 7

What was the aim of Maguire (2000)?

Answer 7

To investigate if London taxi drivers’ brains had structural differences due to navigation experience.

Question 8

What imaging technique was used in Maguire?

Answer 8

MRI.

Question 9

Who were the participants?

Answer 9

6 male right-handed taxi drivers vs. 50 matched controls.

Question 10

What brain region showed changes in taxi drivers in Maguire?

Answer 10

Posterior hippocampus was larger; anterior was smaller.

Question 11

What was the role of voxel-based morphometry (VBM) in Maguire?

Answer 11

Measured grey matter density.

Question 12

What did pixel counting measure in Maguire?

Answer 12

Area of the hippocampus on MRI slices.

Question 13

What correlation was found in the study of Maguire?

Answer 13

Right posterior hippocampus volume increased with years spent driving.

Question 14

What does this study suggest about the hippocampus?

Answer 14

It shows neuroplasticity and adapts to environmental demands.

Question 15

Was Maguire’s study experimental or correlational?

Answer 15

Correlational.

Question 16

What controlled for researcher bias in the study?

Answer 16

It was a single-blind study.

Question 17

What possible sampling bias exists in the study?

Answer 17

All participants were male, limiting generalizability.

Question 18

Is the study ethically sound?

Answer 18

Yes—MRI is safe and all participants gave consent.

Question 19

What argument is made about pre-existing brain structure?

Answer 19

Ruled out by the correlation between driving years and hippocampus size.

Question 20

Why does MRI have high validity in this study?

Answer 20

It only measured brain anatomy—no tasks were performed.

Question 21

What is a strength of MRI scans?

Answer 21

MRI does not use ionizing radiation, making it a safer option for repeated imaging.

Question 22

What is another strength of MRI scans?

Answer 22

MRI provides detailed images of soft tissues, making it particularly effective for detecting issues in the brain, spinal cord, muscles, and internal organs.

Question 23

Why do MRI scans have high reliability?

Answer 23

MRI scans provide objective, highly reliable data. In the case of the Maguire study, the imaging data provided clear and replicable results, showing differences in hippocampal volume between taxi drivers and control participants.

Question 24

What did the Maguire study conclude in relation to MRI scans?

Answer 24

MRI scans showed structural plasticity in response to environmental demands, supporting the idea that experience can lead to changes in brain structure.

Question 25

How did the Maguire study use MRI scans in terms of quantitative and qualitative data?

Answer 25

The data was analyzed using statistical methods to compare differences. While the study was primarily quantitative, it involved a qualitative aspect in interpreting how environmental demands (e.g., navigation) might influence brain structure.

Question 26

What was the first step in the procedure of the Maguire study?

Answer 26

Participants underwent an MRI scan to capture detailed images of their brain structure.

Question 27

What did the researchers do after scanning the participants in the Maguire study?

Answer 27

They analyzed the MRI images using Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM) to measure hippocampal volume and compared the taxi drivers with the control group.

Question 28

What were the participants in the Maguire study required to do regarding their health?

Answer 28

Participants were selected based on having no neurological disorders and being right-handed to control for brain asymmetry.

Question 29

How did Maguire's team ensure the data from MRI scans were accurately analyzed?

Answer 29

They used pixel counting to measure hippocampal volume and analyzed it statistically to compare the taxi drivers' and control group’s brain structures.

Question 30

What was the key finding in the hippocampus of taxi drivers?

Answer 30

Taxi drivers had a larger posterior hippocampus compared to the control group.

Question 31

What about the anterior hippocampus in taxi drivers?

Answer 31

Taxi drivers had a smaller anterior hippocampus than controls.

Question 32

Was there a correlation between experience and brain structure?

Answer 32

Yes — positive correlation between years of taxi experience and posterior hippocampal volume.

Question 33

What did the results suggest about brain plasticity?

Answer 33

The results supported neuroplasticity — the brain can change structurally in response to environmental demands like navigation.

Question 34

What is a methodological strength of the study?

Answer 34

Controlled variables like age, handedness, and health, increasing internal validity.

Question 35

One limitation of Maguire’s study?

Answer 35

Only included male, right-handed taxi drivers — limits generalizability.

Question 36

Why is causation a problem in this study?

Answer 36

As a quasi-experiment, it shows correlation, not causation — unclear if brain changes were caused by the job or pre-existing differences.