investigating the brain

• What are the four ways to investigate the brain?

  Post mortem, fMRI, EEG, ERPs
• What is the purpose of post mortem examinations in brain research?


  • Establish underlying neurobiology of behavior
  • Study individuals with interesting behaviors for possible brain damage
  • Examine brains after death for abnormalities
• How did Broca's work with patient Tan contribute to our understanding of brain function?


  It revealed a lesion in Broca's area linked to speech production issues.
• What are the strengths of post mortem examinations?


  • Early example: Broca’s work with patient Tan
  • Vital for early psychology before advanced technology
  • Improves medical knowledge
• What are the weaknesses of post mortem examinations?


  • Cause and effect issues; differences may not relate to behavior
  • Informed consent challenges in some cultures/religions
• What does fMRI stand for?


  Functional magnetic resonance imaging
• How does fMRI measure brain activity?


  It measures changes in blood flow to areas of the brain during tasks.
• What are the strengths of fMRI?


  • Non-invasive and risk-free
  • High spatial resolution, accurate to the millimeter
• What are the weaknesses of fMRI?


  • Expensive and requires trained experts
  • Patients must remain still for clear images
  • Poor temporal resolution; 5-second delay in detecting activity
• What does EEG stand for?

  Electroencephalogram
• What does an EEG measure?


  It measures electrical activity in the brain using electrodes on the scalp.
• What are the strengths of EEG?


  • Detects various brain disorders (e.g., epilepsy, Alzheimer’s)
  • High temporal resolution, detecting activity in under one millisecond
• What are the weaknesses of EEG?


  • Poor spatial resolution; cannot pinpoint specific brain areas
  • General measure, not exact like fMRI
• What are ERPs in brain research?


  Event-related potentials triggered by specific stimuli or tasks.
• What are the strengths of ERPs?


  • Show abnormalities in neurological conditions (e.g., dementia, OCD)
  • More specific than raw EEG readings
  • Excellent temporal resolution
• What are the weaknesses of ERPs?


  • Non-standardized procedures make comparison difficult
  • Hard to eliminate extraneous interference for accurate results