Techniques used to study the brain in relation to behaviour

Question 1

MRI

Answer 1

Magnetic Resonance Imaging uses strong magnetic fields to align the protons in a person’s body, and then fires radio waves through the person that misalign these protons. When the radio waves stop firing and the protons return to their alignment, the protons emit radio signals that are detected and processed to form an image of the person’s brain structure.

Question 2

fMRI

Answer 2

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging uses strong magnetic fields to align the protons in a person’s body, and then fires radio waves through the person that misalign these protons. When the radio waves stop firing, the protons return to their alignment and emit radio signals that are detected and processed to form an image of blood flow in the person’s brain. fMRI scans use Blood Oxygenation Level-Dependent (BOLD) Contrast in order to see which areas are receiving more oxygenated blood, as differences between the magnetic signals of oxygenated and deoxygenated haemoglobin in the blood can be detected and measured. This shows the activation of different parts of the brain as increased blood flow occurs in the activated parts of the brain, creating an image of the brain’s activity.