post mortem

• post mortem

  used to understand neurological explanations for behaviour

  looking for abnormalities compared to a control

  brocas patient (tan) - speech problems - found to have a lesson in an area now known as brooks area = speech production
• +detailed examination of anatomical and neurochemical differences that aren't possible with other methods
• +deeper investigation - hypothalamus and hippocampus
• +central role in understanding origins of schizophrenia - structural abnormalities, changes in neurotransmitter system (harrison et al 2000)
• -causality - reason for dying impacts the reasoning, as well as how long they had been deceased
• -a retrospective approach to research is problematic - can't follow anything up