Studying the Brain

• fMRIs detect changes in blood/oxygen flow as a result of neural activity in specific parts of the brain to produce 3D images
• fMRIs do not rely on the use of radiation so are safer
• fMRIs are non-invasive and straightforward
• fMRIs are expensive
• fMRIs have poor temporal resolution as they have a time lag of around 5 seconds
• EEGs measure electrical activity in the brain via electrodes fixed to an individuals head using a skull cap
• EEGs have very high temporal resolution of a single millisecond
• EEGs can detect random burst of activity so are useful in studying epilepsy and stages of sleep
• EEGs have low spacial resolution so are not useful in pinpointing exact areas of neural activity
• Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) filter out the original EEG recordings to leave only the types of brainwave that are triggered by a certain event
• ERPs provide more specificity to measurements of neural processes
• ERPs have a lack of standardisation in the methodology between different research studies
• Post-Mortem Examinations analyse a person's brain following death
• Post-Mortem Examinations provided a foundation for the early understanding of key processes
• Post-Mortem Examinations provided a foundation for the early understanding of key processes
• Post-Mortem Examinations may not be accurate in identifying causation
• Post-Mortem Examinations may be unethical as the participant cannot provide informed consent
• In fMRIs, parts of the brain working will have higher oxygen consumption so more blood will be sent to the areas