Ways of Studying the Brain

• FMRIs measure blood flow in the brain from when a person performs a task
• FMRI - the most active neuron's form when a person peforms a task use the most energy
• FMRI - Energy requires glucose and oxygen, the active neurons release oxygen so then the haemoglobin then becomes deoxygenated
• The deoxygenated haemoglobin has a different magnetic qaulity to oxygenated haemoglobin - the FMRI show the difernce
• FMRI - Low temporal resolution, 1-4 seconds after the image occurs in the brain
• FMRI - High spatial resolution, 1-2mm accuracy
• EEG measures electrical activity i the brain using electrodes attached to the scalp
• The information from the EEG is processed as electrical impulse or action potential
• EEG - small electrical charged are recorded and graphed over a period of time

  Types; alpha, beta delta and theta
• What can an EEG detect?


  Sleep disorders, Alzheimer’s and epilepsy
• Amplitude - size intensity of wave

  Frequency - speed of wave

  Synchronised - recognisable pattern

  Desynchronised - no pattern
• ERP uses electrodes attached to scalp, with a researcher presenting a stimulus an then searching for related activity in the brain
• During an ERP, the researcher presents hundreds of images and graphs an average
• Time between presentation and response is called latency during an ERP
• ERP’s - High temporal resolution, every millisecond
• ERPs - Low spatial resolution , general area
• Post mortem studies the brain of someone who displayed behaviour while still alive
• Post mortem - Broca’s area is in the posterior left frontal lobe and controls speech production
• Post mortem allows for deeper understanding of anatomical + neurochemical affects of the brain that wouldn’t be possible with other methods
• With post mortem studies, Iverson found high levels of dopamine in the limbic area of schizophrenics compared to non-schizophrenics
• ERP allows for causation to be found unlike other methods