Brain damage is useful way to examine brain functions and what parts of the brain may be responsible for certain behaviours or psychological processes. Ethical reasons mean research cannot be done on live patients, but Lesion Methods has allowed us to intentionally damage animal brain and observe t...
Date – 10/02/21
Examining Brain Damage
QUESTIONS/KEY NOTES
WORDS/KEY NAMES
Key words: Examining brain damage is the oldest research method in
Localization of function neuropsychology. In the past people would find a patient who has a
particular deficit then try and identify an area of the brain that has been
Double dissociation damaged and link it to that brain deficit.
Lesion Methods The idea is that you get the relationship between the brain area
TMS and the psychological/behavioral deficit.
In the past people would only be able to examine dead people and brain
Key names: damage.
This is limited because it lacks control. Other areas of the brain
might also be damaged, and you cannot ethically test live humans
to find what areas are involved.
One key principle when looking at damage to a brain area and a particular
function is how confident we can be that it proves cause and effect. This is
Other things to consider the idea of localization of function. That is different brain areas are
localized to a particular part of the brain, just like phrenologists suggested.
Behavioral research methods
(think of Pavlov, However, localization of function is not entire proof that damage to a
conditioning and operant certain part of the brain is the cause of the deficit:
conditioning). One alternative explanation for damage could be that the function
Hormones and faces have that is damaged could just be the most fragile part of the system
also been used in research and so is the first function to go.
(think of oxytocin in mating There is a way around this in which you find patients with mirror
and bonding) deficits and you can see damage in a different part of the brain
(Broca vs Vertigo’s area on language problems.
This is known as double dissociation and it shows that brain
functions are independent systems.
Other methods of examining brain damage is Lesion Methods. This
where you damage parts of the brain on purpose (in animals such as rats).
Stereotaxic instrument is used to locate precise areas. The animal
is held still with its head clamped and a micro electrode is inserted
in the brain. A 3D atlas is used to locate
parts of the brain. A current is passed down
which damages or destroys the brain area.
Researchers then observe the effect on the
animal once they have recovered from the
operation.
As a control variable, another animal will
undergo the operation as well but won’t
have parts of the brain destroyed. This is to
ensure that the effects observed aren’t due to the operation itself.
Other methods used is brain stimulation. This is done by Transcranial
Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). You use a strong electromagnetic field to
interact with electrical activity of the neuron in the
brain and you essentially turn them off. It is
considered a safe method of research as there
doesn’t seem to be any long-term health effects.
SUMMARY: brain damage is useful way to examine brain functions and what parts of
the brain may be responsible for certain behaviors or psychological processes. Ethical
reason mean research cannot be done on live patients, but Lesion Methods has allowed
us to intentionally damage animal brain and observe the damage. Other methods also
include TMS which allows you to turn brain parts on and off.
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