Ways of studying the brain

• fMRI


  Measures blood flow in the brain when a person performs a task. Neurons in the brain that are the most active use the most energy. Energy requires glucose and oxygen
• Is fMRI invasive or non invasive

  Non invasive, can be unpleasant and claustrophobic
• EEG


  Measures electrical activity through electrodes attached to the scalp. Info is processed in the brain as electrical activity in the form of action potentials or nerve impulses. There are 4 types of patterns: alpha, beta, theta and delta waves
• Is EEG invasive or non invasive 


  It is non invasive however uncomfortable
• ERP 


  Uses similar equipment to EEG. A stimulus is presented to a participant and the researcher looks for activity related to that stimulus. It is event related
• Is ERP invasive or non invasive

  non invasive but can be uncomfortable
• Post-Mortem Examination 


  Researchers study the physical brain of a person who displayed a particular behaviour while they were alive. Post mortem's have contributed to our understanding of many disorders.
• Is Post-Mortem Examination Invasive or non invasive 


  N/A, it is invasive but the person is no longer alive