Brain Imaging Basics 📸
The method psychologists use to observe the brain’s structure or activity without surgery.
💬 What is brain imaging?
This type of scan is used to detect physical brain damage or structural abnormalities.
💬 What is an MRI?
The theory that specific parts of the brain control specific behaviors or cognitive processes.
💬 What is localization of function?
The brain’s ability to reorganize itself and form new neural connections.
💬 What is neuroplasticity?
Survived a railroad accident that revealed the frontal lobe’s role in personality and impulse control.
💬 Who is Phineas Gage?
A brain scan that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to show detailed brain structures.
💬 What is an MRI?
This type of scan (think general type), shows brain activity by following how glucose or oxygen is used in different brain areas.
💬 What is a functional scan?
The area of the brain that controls speech production, named after a French neurologist.
💬 What is Broca’s area?
When neurons are activated repeatedly, their connection becomes stronger — “neurons that fire together, wire together.”
💬 What is long-term potentiation?
Could understand language but could only say one word after damage to his left frontal lobe.
💬 Who is Broca’s patient, “Tan”?
The general difference between structural and functional scans in brain research.
💬 What is that structural scans show what the brain looks like, while functional scans show what the brain does?
This scan can compare a “resting” brain and an “active” brain to reveal which areas are working.
💬 What is a PET scan?
The hippocampus is involved in this cognitive process related to learning and navigation.
💬 What is memory?
The process of eliminating weak or unused synaptic connections.
💬 What is synaptic pruning?
Could perform habits like walking home but couldn’t form new memories after brain damage.
💬 Who is Eugene Pauly?
A functional scan that uses radioactive glucose to detect brain activity during specific tasks.
💬 What is a PET scan?
Outline one reason why brain imaging techniques are used in psychological research.
💬 What is to study the relationship between brain structure/activity and behavior?
The amygdala is most closely associated with this emotional process.
💬 What is fear or emotion processing?
The brain can reorganize itself after injury so undamaged areas take over lost functions.
💬 What is cortical remapping?
Brain researchers must check whether participants with brain injuries can understand and agree to take part in a study.
💬 What is assessing capacity to consent?
This term describes a limitation of brain scans — they show associations, not direct cause and effect.
💬 What is correlation, not causation?
Explain one strength and one limitation of using brain imaging techniques in research.
💬 What is that they are non-invasive and provide rich data, but are expensive and only show correlations?
The frontal lobe is responsible for this type of higher-order thinking and self-control.
💬 What is decision-making or executive function?
Draganski (2004) showed that learning to juggle caused an increase in grey matter here.
💬 What is the mid-temporal area?
Researchers must 1) protect participants from distress and 2) get renewed permission if their condition changes.
💬 What are minimizing harm and reconsent?