ways of studying the brain

Question 1

what do fMRI detect?

Answer 1

• which part of the brain is most active
• blood oxygenation

Question 2

strengths of fMRIs

Answer 2

non - invasive
high spatial resolution

Question 3

limitation of fMRIs

Answer 3

expensive
poor temporal resolution

Question 4

what do EEGs do?

Answer 4

• monitor brain activity
• electrodes attached to head

Question 5

strength of EEGs

Answer 5

cheaper
high temporal resolution

Question 6

limitation of EEGs

Answer 6

poor spatial resolution
hard to distinguish the exact area of brain responsible for activity - electrical activity detected across several regions

Question 7

what do ERPs detect?

Answer 7

• general brain activity

Question 8

what are the two types of ERPs?

Answer 8

1. sensory ERPs = early waves (first 100ms of exposure)
2. cognitive ERPs = later waves (once person processes stimulus)

Question 9

strength of ERPs

Answer 9

high temporal resolution
cheaper

Question 10

limitation of ERPs

Answer 10

poor spatial resolution
‘background’ electrical activity must be removed

Question 11

what are post-mortems?

Answer 11

dissecting brain of dead person

Question 12

strength of post-mortem

Answer 12

in depth examination
learnt a lot about brain from this method

Question 13

limitation of post-mortem

Answer 13

cause and effect can’t be determined
not practical - no endless supply of brains