Science Inquiry Skills- Neuroscience

Introduction:

Cognitive Neuroscience is a more specific area in Neuroscience which is all about the study of how the brain processes information, learning, memory, emotions and makes decisions. It is a mix of Neuroscience (How the brain works) and Psychology (How we think and behave) so that scientists can understand how different areas of the brain act or process thoughts.

Techniques For Brain Imaging:

In Cognitive Neuroscience, since it’s mainly focusing about how the brain operates during specific tasks, scientists can use neuroimaging, a way of scanning the brain and taking various pictures of it, usually done by an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and CT (Computed Tomography).

This is some of the different ways scientists can take pictures of brains:

  • fMRI- Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a way that scientists use to map brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow. It is also used to show which parts of a brain are responsible for different activities like memory or awareness.

  • EEG- Electroencephalography is basically a way to record electrical signals in the brain to track responses in real time. EEG is used by attaching lots of small metal discs on the scalp of your head and they’re attached to wires that send information to the computer that tells scientists electric signals that are happening in your brain.

  • PET- Positron Emission Tomography- Another type of scanning technique which is used to view metabolic or biochemical functions in the body’s tissue or organs by using a radioactive drug called a tracer. Doctors use this method to find out if the patient has a heart disease, tumors or dementia.

Cognitive Neuroscience Successes:

Now, with Cognitive Neuroscience, scientists have been able to understand and identify brain disorders such as Alzheimer's or depression. We’ve also improved in technology, so we have a more variety of different imaging scanners such as MRI, CT, PET, and EEG to see the brain in real time and analyze the images to see if there are any underlying issues. Finally, it has also improved insights on how other people think/react to specific scenarios and how people make choices or process emotions.

Conclusion:

Cognitive Neuroscience is the study of how the brain works in different areas such as processing thoughts or reacting to various emotions. Throughout the past years, cognitive neuroscience has helped scientists and doctors to better diagnose and help those with mental disorders, thanks to our advanced technology and neuroimaging!