Investigating the brain

• What does fMRI stand for?

  Functional magnetic resonance imaging
• How does fMRI detect changes in brain activity?

  It uses a magnetic field and radio waves to detect changes in blood oxygenation and flow
• Why do more active areas of the brain require more blood flow?

  Because they need more oxygen
• What does the fMRI scanner use to detect blood flow?

  Magnets to pick up the iron in the haemoglobin
• What is one application of fMRI?

  Examining brain activity during tasks
• Who used MRI to scan the brains of taxi drivers?

  Maguire
• What was found in the brains of taxi drivers compared to controls?

  There was more grey matter in the hippocampus of taxi drivers
• What correlation was observed in the study of taxi drivers?

  There was a positive correlation between length of time in the job and size of structural differences
• What does the study of taxi drivers support regarding the brain?

  It supports the plasticity of the brain
• What are the advantages of fMRI?

  • Risk-free and non-invasive
  • High-quality images
  • Provides an image of the brain
• What are the disadvantages of fMRI?

  • Poor temporal resolution (time lag)
  • Only measures blood flow, not neuronal activity
  • Expensive (starts at £1200)
  • Uncomfortable for some patients (e.g., claustrophobia)
• What does EEG stand for?

  Electroencephalogram
• How does an EEG work?

  Electrodes placed on the scalp detect small electrical charges from neurons
• What is one use of EEG?

  Monitoring electrical activity in the brain
• For what condition is EEG commonly used?

  Epilepsy
• What did Dement and Kleitman (1957) use EEG for?

  Detecting the stages of sleep
• How can EEG be used in children?

  To detect autism in children as young as 3 months
• What are the advantages of EEG?

  • Practical applications in diagnosing conditions like epilepsy and autism
  • High temporal resolution
  • Quicker, easier to use, and cheaper than fMRI
• What are the disadvantages of EEG?

  • Produces generalized information of brain activity
  • Does not provide a clear image of the brain
• What does ERP stand for?

  Event-related potentials
• How does ERP work?

  It uses an EEG to filter out inconsistent brain activity after a stimulus is presented
• What is the purpose of ERP?

  Measuring electrical activity that results from specific stimuli
• What are the advantages of ERP?

  • High temporal resolution
  • Measures specific activity related to a specific task
• What are the disadvantages of ERP?

  • Requires large repetitions of activities to average results
  • Difficult to eliminate extraneous noise
• What is the purpose of post-mortem studies?

  Examining structural damage to the brain after death
• What is one application of post-mortem studies?

  Done on patients with rare deficits in mental processes or behavior
• Who used post-mortem studies to establish areas of the brain that process language?

  Broca
• What are the advantages of post-mortem studies?

  • Vital before neuroimaging became possible
  • Allows exploration of deeper areas within the brain
• What are the disadvantages of post-mortem studies?

  • Difficult to establish causation of functions
  • Many factors can affect data quality and variety