ways of studying the brain

• What have psychologists discovered about sleep and language disorders?

  Impressive discoveries about psychological phenomena
• Why are modern tools important for brain research?

  They enable discoveries that were previously impossible
• What are the two types of resolution in brain studies?

  • Spatial resolution: accuracy of position
  • Temporal resolution: accuracy of timing
• What is spatial resolution in brain studies?

  Accuracy of the exact position of brain activity
• What is temporal resolution in brain studies?

  Accuracy of when brain activity occurs
• What is the oldest method of studying the brain?

  Post-mortem dissection
• How are brains treated for post-mortem dissection?

  They are chemically treated or fixed
• What types of brains are chosen for post-mortem dissection?

  Brains of individuals with mental illness or trauma
• What is compared during post-mortem studies?

  Neurotypical brains and those with abnormalities
• Who made a famous discovery using post-mortem dissection?

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

  He 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 from post-mortem studies lead to?

  Generation of hypotheses for further testing
• What are the main features of fMRI?

  • Functional magnetic resonance imaging
  • Detects blood flow in the brain
  • Uses magnets to identify oxygen levels
  • Creates detailed spatial images
• What does fMRI detect in the brain?

  Blood flow and oxygen levels
• What does high brain activity indicate in fMRI scans?

  Increased blood supply and oxygen demand
• What is the resolution of fMRI images?

  Up to one millimeter
• What is a limitation of fMRI regarding timing?

  Delay between neuron activation and blood flow
• What is a practical limitation of fMRI machines?

  Participants must remain perfectly still
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of EEG?

  Advantages:

  • Non-invasive and portable
  • Cheaper than fMRI
  • Excellent temporal resolution

  
  

  Disadvantages:

  • Poor spatial resolution
  • Limited to cortical activity
• How many electrodes are typically used in an EEG?

  22 to 34 electrodes
• What do EEG patterns represent?

  Sum total activity of the brain
• What are the types of brainwaves detected by EEG?

  Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Theta waves
• 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 is the primary use of EEG in medicine?

  Diagnosis of disorders like epilepsy
• What is the temporal resolution of EEG?

  Resolution in milliseconds
• What is a limitation of EEG regarding spatial accuracy?

  Cannot identify exact location of activity
• What does ERP stand for?

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

  Focuses on response to specific stimuli
• What is the process of averaging in ERP studies?

  Combining data to remove electrical noise
• What do peaks in ERP waveforms indicate?

  Timing of cognitive processes after stimuli
• What is a common use of ERP in cognitive neuroscience?

  Linking sensory processing to brain activity
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of combining EEG and fMRI?

  Advantages:

  • Combines strengths of both techniques
  • Provides comprehensive understanding of brain activity

  
  

  Disadvantages:

  • Complexity in data interpretation
  • Requires more resources and time
• What groundbreaking research was done in 2018 at the University of Washington?

  Connected brains of three individuals via computer
• What game did the connected brains play?

  A game similar to Tetris
• What is the potential future application of brain-to-brain interfaces?

  Direct brain-to-brain communication