Summary Biopsychology ways of studying the brain notes (AQA)
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Course
Biopsychology
Institution
AQA
Psychology notes that gained me an A* at A Level. I created this using textbooks, mark schemes, class notes and my own further research to provide a comprehensive set of notes. This is formatted according to the AQA psychology specification, where each point is covered, but regardless of the exam b...
Ways of studying the brain
Temporal resolution = time activity was detected / exactly when the activation
happened
Spatial resolution = pins activity to specific area of brain/ which area of brain is
active
FMRI – works by detecting changes in blood oxygenation and flow that occur
due to neural activity. When an area of the brain is more active it uses more
oxygen and blood flow is directed there. They produce 3D images and shows
which parts of brain are involved in what processes. This has helped further
our understanding of localisation of function. HIGH SPATIAL, LOW TEMPORAL
Ao3:
Produces images that have very high spatial resolution providing a clear picture
of which part of brain is highlighted so we can see localisation of function. One
advantage is it doesn’t rely on the use of radiation, unlike PET scans. Its
virtually risk free and straightforward to use. This means fMRI can safely
provide a clear picture of brain activity.
Expensive compared to other neuroimaging techniques. Has poor temporal
resolution due to the fact there is a 5 second delay between the brain activity
and the image produced so we cannot be certain the onset of the brain
activity.
Electroencephalogram (EEG) – measure electrical activity in the brain via
electrodes that are fixed to the individuals scalp. The scan records brainwave
patterns from random bursts of activty. EEG’s are often used by clinicians to
identify unusual patterns of activity that may indicate neurological
abnormalities such as epilepsy or tumours. HIGH TEMPORAL, LOW SPATIAL
Ao3:
Useful in studying the stages of sleep and in diagnosis of epilepsy where
random bursts of activity in the brain can be easily detected on screen. Unlike
fMRI, EEG has high temporal resolution of a single millisecond. This shows the
real-world usefulness of the technique.
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