way of studying the brain

Created by

nicole

Cards (13)

four ways of studying the brain
FMRI - functional magnetic resonance imaging
EEG - electroencephalogram
ERP - event related potentials
PME - post mortem examinations
what is FMRI
functional magnetic resonance imaging
what is EEG
electroencephalogram
what is ERP
event related potentials
what is PME
post mortem examinations
FMRI description
like a video showing brain activity as it occurs
measures the blood flow in the brain
active areas require more oxygen
FMRI evaluation
:) patterns of activity can be compared rather than just physiology
:) accurate description of brain activation e.g clive wearing piano
:( only shows an association
:( expensive to buy and maintain
:( requires trained operators
:( cost per p is high so samples are small leading to less generalisability
EEG description
measures electrical activity in the brain
electrodes placed on the scalp to detect small charges from the activity of brain cells
different wave patterns show during different brain activities
ERP description
measures electrical activity in the brain with electrodes on the scalp that show brain wave patterns
given a stimulus like a photo to see a reaction
EEG evaluation
:) accurate data for activity close to the electrodes
:) cheap and widely available leading to diagnosis of epilepsy
:( cant pinpoint source of activity
:( needs a level of expertise to interpret
ERP evaluation
:) more accurate than self reports
:( can’t pinpoint
:) cheap and widely available
Costa nude pictures study
post mortem description
to see where brain damage had occurred and how that might explain behaviour prior to death
Broca - patient Tan
post mortem evaluation
:) more detailed examination of anatomical and neurochemical aspects of the brain
:) no discomfort - dead
:( limited in what info you can gain because tissue may’ve been affected by death
:( retrospective - can’t follow up on findings - dead