AO1

• fMRI works by detecting the changes in blood oxygenation and flow that occur as a result of neural activity in specific parts of the brain
• when a brain area is more active it consumes more oxygen and to meet this increased demand blood flow is directed to the area (haemodynamic response)
• fMRI produces three dimensional images (activation maps) showing which parts of the brain ate involved in a particular mental process
• an electroencephalogram (EEG) measures electrical activity within the brain via electrodes that are fixed to an individuals scalp using a skull cap
• the scan recording for eeg represents the brainwave patterns that are generated from the action of thousands of neurons, providing an overall account of brain activity
• EEG is often used by clinicians as a diagnostic tool as unusual arrhythmic patterns of activity may indicate neurological abnormalities
• within EEG data are contained all the neural responses associated with specific sensory, cognitive and motor events that may be of interest to cognitive neuroscientists
• using a statistical averaging technique all extraneous brain activity from the original EEG recording is filtered out leaving event related potentials
• ERPs are types of brainwave triggered by particular events
• research has revealed many different forms of ERP and how they are linked to cognitive processes
• individuals who undergo a post mortem examination are likely to be those who have a rare disorder and have experienced unusual deficits in cognitive processes during their life time