Ways of studying the brain

what does an fMRI scan do?

measures small changes in blood oxygenation and flow that occur w/ brain activity

what are fMRI scans used for?

to examine which parts of the brain are handling critical functions

give some strengths of fMRI scans.

• non-invasive

• safe → does not use radiation

• high spatial resolution

give some weaknesses of fMRI scans.

• expensive compared to other neuroimaging techniques

• can be misinterpreted

• (potentially) uncomfortable

how does an EEG scan work?

• small sensors attached to scalp to pick up electrical signals produced by the brain

• signals detected traced onto graph paper

give some strengths of EEG scans.

• more cost-effective than fMRI

• high temporal resolution

what conditions can EEG scans detect?

• epilepsy

• narcolepsy

• sleep apnea

give a weakness of EEG scans.

poor spatial resolution → less accurate

what do ERP scans do?

shows how an EEG wave pattern changes in response to a stimulus

change = ERP

give some strengths of ERP scans.

• more cost-effective than fMRI

• extraneous brain activity from EEG filtered out

give weaknesses of ERP scans.

• not easy to completely eliminate background noise

• poor spatial resolution

what is a post mortem?

studying the brain of a patient that exhibited certain behaviours after they have died

give some strengths of post-mortems.

• detailed examination of the anatomical structure and neurochemical aspects of the brain

• comparison with neurotypical brain can be used

give some weaknesses of post- mortems.

• deficits displayed in a persons lifetime may not be linked to deficits in the brain

• extraneous factors can affect conclusions

• ethical issues/considerations (e.g. informed consent)

which method of studying the brain has been involved in studying sleep?

EEG

which neuroimaging technique is the most expensive?

fMRI

which method of studying the brain did broca and wernicke use?

post-mortem