ERQ - Techniques to study the brain in relation to behavior

What are imaging technologies used for?

Imaging technologies are techniques used to study the living brain and can provide information related to brain activity and brain structure.

What is one example of an imaging technology?

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI).

What type of information does the fMRI provide?

information related to brain activity, showing changes in oxygenated blood flow in different brain areas.

How does the fMRI show the location of brain activity?

It shows where oxygen is used up in the brain.

What additional information can the fMRI provide besides brain activity?

It can provide information about brain structure and neuroplasticity when changes in brain activity are observed.

What are some uses of fMRI in research?

Studying brain areas related to flashbulb memories (FBM), consolidation of new memories, and the effectiveness of treatments for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).

What was the aim of Sharot et al.’s study?

To investigate the potential role of biological factors in the formation of flashbulb memories (FBM).

Who were the participants in Sharot et al.’s study?

24 participants who were in New York during the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

When was the study conducted? (Sharot)

Three years after the 9/11 attacks.

What kind of experiment was used in Sharot et al.?

A quasi-experiment.

What did participants do during the fMRI scan? (Sharot)

They were presented with a word list on a screen that was paired with either “summer” or “September” to prompt memories of summer holidays or the events of 9/11.

What specific brain region did the researchers focus on? (Sharot)

The amygdala.

What did participants do after the brain scan? (Sharot)

They rated their memories for vividness, detail, and confidence, and described what they remembered about the event.

What were the results of Sharot et al.?

Participants who reported having flashbulb memories had greater detail, stronger confidence, and were often closer to the event. The amygdala activation was significantly higher for those close to the event compared to when recalling summer events.

What did the results suggest about participants farther from the event? (Sharot)

They exhibited equal levels of amygdala response when recalling both 9/11 and summer events.

What correlation was found in the study? (Sharot)

The strength of amygdala activation at retrieval correlated with the presence of flashbulb memories.

What makes Sharot et al. strong evidence for the use of fMRI?

It showed that amygdala activation was higher for participants close to the event, providing clear evidence of how fMRI can study the brain in relation to behavior.

What is a limitation regarding causation in the study? (sharot)

It only provided correlational data, not cause-effect relationships.

How did the study control for demand characteristics? (sharot)

The information from the fMRI was not affected by demand characteristics.

What are some weaknesses in ecological validity? (sharot)

The behavior studied was highly artificial, which challenges the ecological validity of the results.

What were sample-related limitations?

The sample size was small and culturally biased, including only participants from individualistic cultures (United States), making generalizability difficult.

What was the aim of Antonova’s study?

To investigate the role of acetylcholine in hippocampal activity.

Who were the participants in Antonova’s study?

20 male adults.

What design and procedure were used? (antonova)

A double-blind repeated measures design where participants were injected with either scopolamine (acetylcholine antagonist) or a placebo.

What task did participants perform during the fMRI? (Antonova)

They played the arena task, navigating to reach a pole, then after a 30-second black screen, used spatial memory to relocate it from a new starting point.

How many trials were performed? (antonova)

The experience was repeated six times.

What happened after 3–4 weeks? (antonova)

Participants repeated the test in the opposite condition.

What were the findings? (antonova)

Participants in the scopolamine group (with reduced acetylcholine) showed a significant reduction in hippocampal activity compared to those in the placebo group.

Why does Antonova provide strong evidence for the use of fMRI?

It showed that fMRI can detect differences in hippocampal activity between groups, linking brain function to behavior.

What are strengths of the study’s design? (Antonova)

It used a repeated measures design (controlling order effects) and six trials (ensuring high reliability).

What was a main weakness of Antonova’s study?

Despite observing brain activity differences, there was no difference in participants’ performance between groups.

How is the fMRI applicable in real life?

It is used in neuromarketing, where companies like Coca-Cola use it to study brain areas related to self-identity.

How is fMRI useful in clinical contexts?

It helps in proving the effectiveness of psychological treatments for mental disorders.

What did Desbordes’ study demonstrate?

A reduction in amygdala activity after eight weeks of mindfulness therapy, showing fMRI’s use in assessing treatment effects.

What is the main limitation regarding temporal resolution?

fMRI has a low temporal resolution with about a one-second delay, making it hard to detect fast neural processes.

What kinds of processes are difficult to detect with fMRI?

Very fast neural processes such as those involved in immediate decision-making.

What can affect the accuracy of fMRI data?

Noise from random thoughts or small movements made by participants during scanning, which may distort results

What practical limitations does fMRI have?

It is expensive and time-intensive, limiting accessibility and making large-scale or long-term studies difficult.