Studying the brain

• Studying patients with brain damage

  • If a small part of the brain has been damaged, the effect this has in the patient can tell you a lot about what the damaged part of the brain does
  • E.g. If an area at the back of the brain was damaged by a stroke and the patient went blind, you know that that area has something to do with vision
• Electrically stimulating the brain

  • Brain can be stimulated electrically by pushing a tiny electrode into the tissue and giving it a small zap of electricity
  • By observing what stimulating different parts of the brain does, its possible to get an idea of what those parts do
  • E.g. when the motor area is stimulated, it causes muscle contraction and movement
• MRI scans

  • A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner is a big fancy tube-like machine that can produce a very detailed picture of the brains structure
  • Scientists use it to find out what areas of the brain are active when people are doing things like listening to music or trying to recall a memory
• Benefits of studying the brain

  • Electrical stimulation of the brain can help reduce muscle tremors caused by nervous system disorders such as Parkinson's disease
  • Surgery to remove a part of the brain that's causing seizures can be an option to treat epilepsy if itt can't be controlled by medication
• Risks of studying the brain

  • The brain is incredibly complex and delicate- the investigation of brain function and any treatment of brain damage or disease is difficult
  • Also carries risks, such as physical damage to the brain or increased problems with brain function (e.g. difficulties with speech)