3.15 Studying Causality in the Brain

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to studying causality in the brain, including methods and techniques used in neuroscience.

fMRI

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging; a technique used to measure and map brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow.

Causation vs Correlation

Causation refers to a direct cause-effect relationship, whereas correlation indicates a relationship between two variables without implying one causes the other.

Wilder Penfield

A neurosurgeon known for his pioneering work in brain stimulation techniques to map sensory and motor cortices.

Brain Stimulation

A method of directly manipulating brain activity to observe effects on behavior.

Lesions

Areas of brain damage created intentionally or observed from injury, used to study brain function.

Cryogenic Blockades

A technique involving freezing a small area of the brain to temporarily disable it and observe its effects on behavior.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

A non-invasive technique that uses magnetic pulses to activate or deactivate specific brain regions to study their function.

Phineas Gage

A famous case study in neuroscience where a man survived a severe brain injury, providing insight into the relationship between brain injury and personality.

Surgical Cuts

A method of directly severing nerve connections in the brain for experimental purposes, typically performed on animal models.