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ways of studying the brain - Coggle Diagram
ways of studying the brain
fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging)
works by detecting the changes in blood flow that occur due to brain activity in specific parts of the brain. When a part of the brain is more active they it consumes more oxygen
uses MRI technology
produces 3 images showing which parts of the brain are used for certain mental processes
AO3
strength: does not rely on the use of radiation and is risk free
strength: produces that have high spatial resolution providing a clear picture of how the brain works
weakness: expensive
weakness: only provides a clear image if the individual stays still
weakness: poor temporal resolution as there is a 5 second time lag
EEG(electroencephalogram)
measures electrical activity within the brain via electrodes that are fixed to an individuals scalp
Recording occurs and and an overall account of brain activity is provided
AO3
strength: has provided the diagnosis of epilepsy characterised by random outbursts of activity that can be easily detected
strength: contributed to understanding the stages of sleep
strength: high temporal resolution as it can detect brain activity at a single millisecond
weakness: the EEG signal is not useful for pinpointing the exact source of neural activity
ERP (event related potentials)
uses EEG equipment
records when there is activity is response to a stimulus introduced by the researcher
Many research has revealed that there is different forms of ERPs and they are linked to cognitive processes such as perception
AO3
strength: excellent temporal resolution compared to fMRIs which has led to widespread cognitive functions
weakness: lack of standardisation in methodology which makes it difficult to confirm findings
weakness: to gain pure findings background noise and extraneous variables must be eliminated
postmortems
analysis of a persons brain after their death
usually those in post mortems have rare disorders and unusual brain deficits which makes them useful to study
AO3
strength: vital for early understanding of the brain
Strength: Paul Broca and Karl Wernickes relied on post mortems to establish links between the brain, language and behaviour
Strength: Post mortem studies improve medical knowledge and help generate hypotheses for further study
Weakness: damage to the brain may not be linked to the deficits instead there may've been some trauma before that has impacted the brain or cause of death
Weakness: ethical issues cannot gain informed consent