ways of studying the brain

• fMRI

  functional magnetic resonance imaging
• fMRI description

  detects changes in oxygenated blood flow

  when a brain area is active it consumes more oxygen, increased blood flow means more activity

  3D image
• fMRI use

  examining neuroanatomy, evaluating effects of disease and trauma or detecting abnormalities
• fMRI strengths

  non invasive and therefore virtually risk free

  high spatial resolution to the mm

  3D
• fMRI weaknesses

  poor temporal resolution, delay of 5 seconds
• EEG

  electroencephalogram
• EEG description

  measures electrical activity in the brain, electrodes fixed to skull cap, records activity and represents it as brain waves. diagnostic tools for arrythmic patterns
• EEG use

  used to investigate epilepsy, identify sleep disorders and tumours
• EEG strength

  non invasive and virtually risk free

  inexpensive

  high temporal resolution - fast
• EEG weakness

  poor spatial resolution so doesn’t show location
• ERPs


  event related potentials
• ERPs description

  uses EEG and detects neural responses associated with specific stimuli, original EEG adjusted to remove extraneous brain activity to isolate specific activity
• ERPs use

  reveal info relating to cognitive processing e.g aggression

  -investigating desensitisation by detecting responses to aggressive images
• ERPs strengths


  helpful for measuring cognitive function and deficits

  high temporal resolution

  non invasive
• ERPs weaknesses

  difficult to remove extraneous noise

  lack standardisation

  • analysed differently so difficult to confirm findings -> unfalsifiable
• Post mortem examinations description

  analysis of brain after death. likely individuals with rare conditions. areas of damage in PM are means of establishing the likely cause of affliction, compared to neurotypical brains
• post mortem use

  identifying rare conditions, eg broca used tan's brain to identify areas
• post mortem strengths

  vital in providing early foundations, broca's/wernicke's areas come from post mortems
• post mortem weaknesses

  causation

  • observed damage doesn't mean deficits caused, may be a third variable

  informed consent - inable to consent depending on condition