Ways of studying the brain

• What does fMRI stand for?

  Functional magnetic resonance imaging
• What is the primary purpose of fMRI?

  To measure blood flow in the brain during task performance
• How does fMRI determine which areas of the brain are active?

  By detecting changes in blood flow related to oxygen demand
• In what way can fMRI be used in memory research?

  By asking participants to recall previously learned words during the scan
• What does high spatial resolution in fMRI allow researchers to do?

  Pinpoint specific brain activity and identify exact sources of activity
• What is an example of a brain region that fMRI can detect activity in?

  The hypothalamus
• What is a limitation of fMRI related to temporal resolution?

  It has a five-second time lag between neural activity and the image displayed
• Why is the time lag in fMRI scans a problem for psychologists?

  It prevents accurate real-time recording of brain reactivity
• What does fMRI measure instead of direct neural activity?

  Changes in blood flow
• What is a critical limitation of fMRI regarding causation?

  It cannot infer causation at a neural level
• What do psychologists argue about the localization of function in fMRI scans?

  They can show localization but may not capture communication among brain areas
• What are the main features of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)?

  • Measures blood flow in the brain during tasks
  • High spatial resolution: pinpoint specific brain activity
  • Low temporal resolution: five-second time lag
  • Cannot directly measure neural activity
  • Useful in understanding localization of function
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of fMRI?

  Strengths:

  • High spatial resolution
  • Can detect activity in deeper brain regions

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Low temporal resolution
  • Cannot infer causation
  • Limited in showing communication among brain areas
• What does an electroencephalogram (EEG) measure?

  Electrical activity within the brain
• How do electrodes in an EEG detect brain activity?

  They detect small electrical changes resulting from the activity of brain cells
• What does the scan recording of an EEG represent?

  Patterns generated from the action of millions of neurons
• What is the resulting representation called when electrical signals from electrodes are graphed over time?

  EEG
• How can EEGs be used in clinical settings?

  As a diagnostic tool for neurological abnormalities
• What types of neurological abnormalities can EEGs help detect?

  Epilepsy, tumors, and sleep disorders
• What is a strength of EEG regarding temporal resolution?

  It takes readings every millisecond, recording brain activity in real time
• How does EEG's temporal resolution compare to MRI scans?

  EEG does not suffer from a time lag like MRI scans do
• What is a potential discomfort associated with EEGs?

  Electrodes attached to the scalp can be uncomfortable
• How might participant discomfort affect EEG readings?

  It could result in unrepresentative readings due to cognitive responses
• What is a clinical application of EEGs related to epileptic seizures?

  EEGs can detect sudden changes in normal readings during seizures
• What is a limitation of EEG regarding spatial resolution?

  EEGs only detect activity in superficial regions of the brain
• Why is poor spatial resolution a weakness of EEGs?

  It limits information about deeper brain activity
• What might be required to measure deeper brain activity if EEGs are limited?

  More invasive procedures, such as inserting electrodes into the brain
• What does ERP stand for?

  Event-related Potentials
• What are ERPs related to?

  Specific functions such as the presentation of a stimulus or performance of a task
• How do ERPs differ from EEGs?

  ERPs filter out extraneous brain activities to focus on event-related potentials
• What triggers ERP voltage changes in the brain?

  Specific events or stimuli
• Why is it difficult to identify specific ERP responses?

  Because they are hard to distinguish from other electrical activities in the brain
• What is required to establish a specific ERP response to a target stimulus?

  Many presentations of the stimulus and averaging the responses
• What is a key advantage of ERP in terms of temporal resolution?

  It takes readings every millisecond
• How does ERP's temporal resolution compare to fMRI?

  ERP has a higher temporal resolution and does not suffer from a time lag
• What is a potential drawback of using ERP for participants?

  It can be uncomfortable due to electrodes attached to the scalp
• How might participant discomfort affect ERP readings?

  It could lead to unrepresentative readings as discomfort may affect cognitive responses
• Why might fMRI scans be considered more advantageous than ERP?

  fMRI scans are less invasive and do not cause discomfort
• What is a limitation of ERP in pinpointing brain activity?

  It does not provide a useful signal for pinpointing the exact source of brain activity
• Why is it difficult to distinguish between activities in closely adjacent brain locations using ERP?

  Because electrical activity can be picked up by several neighboring electrodes