Ways Of Studying The Brain

Question 1

FMRI - how does it work

Answer 1

• detects the change in blood oxygenation and flow that occur due to neural activity in specific areas of the brain
• brain is more active = consumes more o2 to meet increased demand - b.f directed to the active area
• 3D images showing which part of the brain are involved in particular mental processes

Question 2

EEG - how it works

Answer 2

• measures electrical activity within the brain via electrodes - fixed on skull cap
• presents brain wave patterns from neuron activity
• help identify abnormalities such as epilepsy

Question 3

ERPS - how it works

Answer 3

• brainwaves that are triggered by events
• research revealed different forms of ERP, and how they are linked to cognitive processing
• extraneous brain activity from EEG filtered into ERG

Question 4

Post mortem examinations - how it works

Answer 4

• analysis of brain post death
• areas of brain with damage are examined after death to establish the likely cause of affliction the person experienced
• comparison with neurotypical brain to see extent of the damage

Question 5

Evaluate fMRI’s

Answer 5

Strength - doesn’t use radiation:
- non-invasive and straightforward to use
- images have high spatial resolution; clear view and detailed

Limitation - expensive
- poor temporal resolution; 5 seconds time lag between screen image and neurone firing

Question 6

Evaluate EEG’s

Answer 6

Strengths - studying stages of sleep
- helps in identifying conditions e.g. epilepsy
- high temporal resolution - accurately detect brain activity very quickly
- real world application

Limitations - lies in generalised nature of the information received
- EEG signal not useful for pinpointing the exact source of neural activity
- doesnt allow researches to distinguish between activity in different areas

Question 7

Evaluate ERP’s

Answer 7

Strength - more specificity
- ERP’sderived from EEG measurements; so have good temporal resolution
- frequently used to measure cognitive functions and deficits

Limitations - lack of standardisation
- hard to confirm findings between different studies
- background noise and extraneous material must be completely eliminated; not easy to achieve

Question 8

Evaluate post-mortem examinations

Answer 8

Strengths - evidence vital in providing foundation for early understanding of key processes in the brain
- Broca and Wernikes used P.M to find links between language and brain areas before neuro-imaging was possible

Limitation - causation is an issue
- observed damage to the brain may not be linked to the deficits reviewed but to an unrelated trauma
- ethical issues; consent before someone’s death; some pts can’t give informed consent