Methods for Studying Specific Regions of the Brain and Neuroimaging Techniques

Vocabulary flashcards covering brain lesioning, electrical and magnetic stimulation methods, anatomical planes of section, and structural and functional neuroimaging techniques based on the lecture text.

Lesioning

A procedure used on nonhuman animals in which an electrode is surgically inserted into the brain and an electrical current is passed through it, heating the tip to destroy target brain tissue and study its function.

Electrical Stimulation of the Brain (ESB)

A research technique involving mild electrical current applied to specific brain areas to temporarily disrupt or enhance normal functioning and observe behavioral or cognitive changes without damaging neurons.

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)

An invasive form of ESB where neurosurgeons implant electrodes in specific deep-brain areas and route wires to an impulse generator under the collarbone to stimulate brain regions.

Impulse Generator

A pacemaker-like device surgically implanted under the collarbone during deep brain stimulation (DBS) that sends electrical signals to implanted brain electrodes.

Optogenetics

An invasive brain stimulation technique in which neurons are genetically modified to be sensitive to light, allowing light devices inserted in the brain to alter neuronal activity.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

A noninvasive brain stimulation technique that uses copper wire coils placed over the scalp to apply magnetic pulses, stimulating targeted areas of the cortex.

Repetitive TMS (rTMS)

A noninvasive procedure in which magnetic pulses are administered repetitively to produce longer-lasting brain stimulation in targeted cortical areas.

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)

A noninvasive technique using scalp electrodes to pass low-amplitude direct current to the brain, modifying the excitability of cortical neurons beneath the electrodes.

Spatial Resolution

The degree to which a neuroimaging technique can resolve fine structural or functional detail within the brain.

Temporal Resolution

The ability of a neuroimaging method to precisely time-lock and record brain activity over time.

Planes of Section

Imaginary vertical or horizontal slices drawn through an upright head, used by anatomists and researchers to describe the locations of brain structures.

Coronal Plane

An anatomical plane that cuts vertically from front to back, dividing the brain into anterior (front) and posterior (back) halves.

Sagittal Plane

An anatomical plane running from left to right that divides the brain sideways into equal left and right halves.

Horizontal Plane

An anatomical plane perpendicular to the vertical plane that cuts the brain into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) portions.

Computed Tomography (CT) Scan

A neuroimaging method that takes a series of X-rays of the brain aided by a computer to map structural slices, useful for imaging skull fractures, stroke damage, or metal in the body.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

A neuroimaging technique that uses a powerful magnetic field and radio pulses to align hydrogen atoms in brain tissues, producing highly detailed three-dimensional images of brain structure.

MRI Spectroscopy

An MRI-based technique used by researchers to estimate the concentration of specific chemicals and neurotransmitters in the brain.

Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI)

An MRI technique that measures brain connectivity by imaging the location and orientation of white matter tracts composed of myelinated axons.

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

A recording of the electrical activity of the cortex recorded using scalp electrodes, offering high temporal resolution to study brain wave activity.

Event-Related Potentials (ERPs)

EEG-based measures formed by averaging multiple responses to a specific stimulus, removing background electrical noise to isolate stimulus-related brain activity.

Magnetoencephalography (MEG)

A neuroimaging technique that detects small magnetic fields produced by neuronal electrical activity to directly identify active brain regions.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

A functional imaging method in which radioactive glucose is injected into a patient, allowing a computer to visualize active brain cells consuming the sugar during tasks.

Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT)

A functional imaging method related to PET that utilizes radioactive tracers to measure blood flow in the brain.

Functional MRI (fMRI)

A functional neuroimaging technique that measures blood oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signals, overlaying functional activity data onto detailed structural brain images.

Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS)

A noninvasive functional imaging method that uses near-infrared light to measure concentration changes in oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin within top layers of the cortex.