Ways of Studying the Brain

• Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI) - measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood oxygen and flow, creating a 3D map of active areas.

  • Temporal resolution - image shows activity 5s after occurring
  • Spatial Resolution - images are accurate within 2 mm
• Electroencephalogram (EEG) - electrical activity via electrodes on the scalp, reflecting brain activity as action potentials or nerve impulses.

  • Alpha waves
  • Beta waves
  • Theta waves
  • Delta waves
• Electroencephalogram (EEG):

  EEG produces 2 distinctive states:

  Synchronised - regular wave patterns during sleep (alpha),

  • High amplitude, low frequency

  Desynchronised – irregular patterns while active.

  • Low amplitude, high frequency
• Electroencephalogram (EEG) - records electrical activity in the brain using electrodes placed on the scalp, measuring general brainwave patterns

  • Alpha waves are associated with light sleep
  • Theta/Delta is associated with deep sleep
• Event Related Potentials (ERP) - A stimulus is repeatedly presented, and the brain's electrical response is measured to identify consistent activity linked to that event.
• (ERP) - the time or interval between the presentation of the stimulus and the response is known as latency
• Post Mortem Examination - a study of the physical brain of a person who displayed particular behaviour while they were alive
• Temporal resolution - EEG/ERP show activity every millisecond, recording activity in (nearly) real time
• Spatial Resolution - EEG/ERPs only detect activity in superficial, general areas of the brain
• Amplitude - size of brain activity
• Frequency - speed of brain activity