ways of studying the brain

• what is functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)?

  method used to measure brain activity while a person is performing a task. fMRI detects radio waves from changing magnetic fields. this enables researchers to detect which regions of the brain are rich in oxygen and are active
• what is an electroencephalogram (EEG)?

  record of tiny electrical impulses produced by the brains activity. by measuring characteristic wave patterns, the EEG can help diagnose certain conditions of the brain
• what is an event related potentials (ERPs)?

  the electrophysiological response of the brain to a specific event can be isolated through statistical analysis of EEG data
• what is post mortem examinations?

  brain analysed after death to determine whether certain observed behaviours during the persons lifetime can be linked to structural abnormalities in the brain
• strength of fMRI?

  doesn't rely on the use of radiation. if administered correctly its virtually risk free, non invasive and straight forward to use. produces images with very high spatial resolution and provides a clear image of how the brain is localised. so fMRI can safely provide a clear picture of the brain activity.
• limitation of fMRI?

  expensive, has poor temporal resolution as has 5 sec time lag behind the image on screen and the initial firing of neuronal activity. so doesn't truly represent moment to moment brain activity.
• strength of EEG?

  useful in studying stages of sleep and in diagnosis of conditions like epilepsy. has very high temporal resolution. can accurately detect brain activity at a resolution of a single millisecond so shows real world usefulness.
• limitation of EEG?

  EEG signal is not useful for pinpointing exact source of neural activity so doesn't allow researchers to distinguish between activities originating in different but adjacent locations.
• strength of ERPs?

  good temporal resolution so frequently used to measure cognitive functions and deficits. bring more specificity to measurement of neural processes
• limitation of ERPs?

  lack of standardisation in ERP methodology between different research studies so difficult to confirm findings. in order to establish pure data in ERP studies background noise and extraneous material must be eliminated which is hard to achieve.
• strength of post mortem examinations?

  post mortem evidence vital in providing a foundation for early understanding of key processes in the brain. used to establish links between language brain and behaviour and also used to study HM's brain to identify areas of damage. provides useful information
• limitation of post mortem examinations?

  causation is an issue. observed damage nit linked to deficits under review but to some other unrelated trauma. ethical issues of consent of individual