Ways of studying the brain

• Post-mortem examinations are conducted on the anatomy of the brain, which is studied after death to investigate any possible brain damage.
• fMRI is a brain-scanning technique that measures blood flow in the brain when a person performs a task.
• fMRI works on the premise that neurons in the brain which are the most active (during a task), use the most energy.
• An fMRI creates a dynamic (moving) 3D map of the brain, highlighting which areas are involved in different neural activities.
• An EEG works on the premise that information is processed in the brain as electrical activity in the form of action potentials or nerve impulses, transmitted along neurons.
• EEGs measures electrical activity through electrodes attached to the scalp. Small electrical charges that are detected by the electrodes are graphed over a period of time, indicating the level of activity in the brain.
• ERPs use similar equipment to EEGs (electrodes attached to the scalp), however, they present stimuli to people and the researcher looks for activity related to that stimulus.
• Post-mortem examinations are ‘invasive’ but this is not an issue because the patient is not alive anymore.
• fMRI scans have good spatial resolution. This refers to the smallest feature (or measurement) that a scanner can detect.
• fMRI scans have poor temporal resolution. This refers to the accuracy of the scanner in relation of time, or how quickly the scanner can detect changes in brain activity. There is usually a 1-4 second lag behind.
• EEG scans are often used to record sleep patterns in psychological research.
• EEG/ ERPs have poor spatial resolution, making it difficult to detect small changes in activity.
• In an fMRI scan, when the brain is more active, it consumes more oxygen, directing blood flow to the area, showing up on the 3D image on the scan.
• The anatomy of the brain can be studied focusing on structural abnormalities in the brain. Patients with brain damage or mental illness may have their brain compared to typical brains.