Ways of Studying the Brain

• What have psychologists discovered about sleep and language disorders?

  Impressive discoveries about psychological phenomena
• Why are the tools available to researchers important?

  They enable significant discoveries in psychology
• What are the two types of resolution in brain studies?

  • Spatial resolution
  • Temporal resolution
• What does spatial resolution refer to?

  Accuracy of brain structure position
• What is the oldest method of studying the brain?

  Post-mortem dissection
• What does temporal resolution refer to?

  Accuracy of timing of brain activity
• How are brains treated for post-mortem dissection?

  They are chemically fixed for texture
• What types of brains are chosen for dissection?

  Brains of individuals with unusual behavior
• What is compared to a neurotypical brain?

  Brains of individuals with mental illness
• Who made a famous discovery using post-mortem dissection?

  Paul Broca
• What language issue did the patient Tan have?

  Could only say "tan"
• What area of the brain was damaged in Tan's case?

  Frontal lobe above the temporal lobe
• What disorder is associated with damage in Tan's brain area?

  Broca's aphasia
• What is the primary advantage of post-mortem studies?

  Microscopic detail of brain structures
• What is a major disadvantage of post-mortem studies?

  No observation of brain in action
• What can discoveries of abnormalities lead to?

  Generation of testable hypotheses
• What does fMRI stand for?

  Functional magnetic resonance imaging
• How does fMRI detect brain activity?

  By measuring blood flow variations
• What do active brain areas require more of?

  More oxygen
• How is brain activity displayed in fMRI images?

  With colors indicating activation levels
• What is a major advantage of fMRI?

  Creates detailed spatial images
• What is a disadvantage of fMRI regarding timing?

  Delay in blood flow detection
• What is a limitation of fMRI regarding movement?

  Participants must remain perfectly still
• What does EEG stand for?

  Electroencephalogram
• How many electrodes are typically used in an EEG?

  22 to 34 electrodes
• What do EEG readouts represent?

  Patterns of brain activation
• What are the distinct patterns of brainwaves in EEG?

  Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Theta
• What is amplitude in EEG waves?

  How much the waves go up and down
• What is frequency in EEG waves?

  How close together each wave is
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of EEG?

  Advantages:

  • Non-invasive and portable
  • Cheaper than fMRI
  • Fantastic temporal accuracy

  
  

  Disadvantages:

  • Poor spatial accuracy
  • Only measures cortical activity
  • Time-consuming electrode placement
• What does ERP stand for?

  Event-related potentials
• How does ERP differ from EEG?

  Focuses on response to specific stimuli
• How is data collected in ERP studies?

  By averaging responses to repeated stimuli
• What do peaks in ERP waveforms indicate?

  Timing of cognitive processes
• What is a significant advantage of ERP over EEG?

  Isolates individual cognitive processes
• What is a limitation of ERP?

  Poor spatial resolution
• How can combining EEG and fMRI enhance brain study?

  • EEG provides excellent temporal resolution
  • fMRI provides excellent spatial resolution
  • Combined results offer deeper understanding
• What groundbreaking research was published in 2018?

  Brain-to-brain interface using EEG
• What game did the connected brains play?

  A game similar to Tetris
• What was the purpose of the brain-to-brain interface research?

  To explore direct brain communication