Many different Neuroscientific techniques have been used and developed throughout the years in order to successfully identify and study an individual’s brain function, thus indicating how these techniques help to understand how the brain works, some of these techniques include: Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Computed Tomographic (CT), Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Magnetoencephalography (MEG). This essay will discuss these techniques in detail, in order to attempt to determine how much certain neuroscientific techniques have contributed to the understanding of brain function of individuals. CHANGE?
One of the more recent ways of understanding brain function was developed in the 1970s, …show more content…
EVIDENCE?. During an fMRI experiment, individuals may be required to look at a display, such as two different photos for example, they are then required to participate in certain tasks, such as pressing a button if the objects are arranged exactly the same. Another task may involve the individual having to state whether or not they believe the objects are arranged in a similar way, the purpose of this is to indicate if the individuals believe that things that look different are actually similar in some way. During the second task certain areas of the brain may light up, if so it is suggested that those areas help recognise analysis. EVIDENCE? (Douglas Bernstein, 1999). Thus indicating which parts are the brain are responsible for certain cognitive processes, which in turn assists in understanding why these processes happen within the brain.
MRI scans are used to excite atoms in brain, this produces changes which are detected by a magnet. The results of the scan are …show more content…
The CT scan showed the first high resolution image of the human brain, this technique shows how brain injuries can effect an individual, this is done by taking an X- ray of the brain in order to gather information about the potential disorder. Although this is the case, the more up to date CT scans allow a 3-dimentional representation of the brain, this technique does have the weakness of not being able to distinguish between a living brain and a dead one, and unlike PET scans and fMRI scans, it does not show the activity levels in the brain, thus causing it to not be the most reliable approach in regards to human behaviour. (Freberg, 2006). Although this may be the case, CT scans are very effective at showing the effects of brain disorders such as strokes and tumours (Coon, 2006). As well as this, CT scans are also very effective at detecting disorders such as Schizophrenia, it was discovered by Johnstone and Colleages (As cited by Wayandt, 2006) who were the first people to use CT scanning on individuals with these disorders that patients with schizophrenia had smaller cortical gyri and larger ventricals than individuals who weren’t suffering from this disorder. In relation to this, CT scans have also been responsible for detecting dementia and anxiety disorders. (Wayandt, 2006)
One of the more recent ways of understanding brain function was developed in the 1970s, …show more content…
EVIDENCE?. During an fMRI experiment, individuals may be required to look at a display, such as two different photos for example, they are then required to participate in certain tasks, such as pressing a button if the objects are arranged exactly the same. Another task may involve the individual having to state whether or not they believe the objects are arranged in a similar way, the purpose of this is to indicate if the individuals believe that things that look different are actually similar in some way. During the second task certain areas of the brain may light up, if so it is suggested that those areas help recognise analysis. EVIDENCE? (Douglas Bernstein, 1999). Thus indicating which parts are the brain are responsible for certain cognitive processes, which in turn assists in understanding why these processes happen within the brain.
MRI scans are used to excite atoms in brain, this produces changes which are detected by a magnet. The results of the scan are …show more content…
The CT scan showed the first high resolution image of the human brain, this technique shows how brain injuries can effect an individual, this is done by taking an X- ray of the brain in order to gather information about the potential disorder. Although this is the case, the more up to date CT scans allow a 3-dimentional representation of the brain, this technique does have the weakness of not being able to distinguish between a living brain and a dead one, and unlike PET scans and fMRI scans, it does not show the activity levels in the brain, thus causing it to not be the most reliable approach in regards to human behaviour. (Freberg, 2006). Although this may be the case, CT scans are very effective at showing the effects of brain disorders such as strokes and tumours (Coon, 2006). As well as this, CT scans are also very effective at detecting disorders such as Schizophrenia, it was discovered by Johnstone and Colleages (As cited by Wayandt, 2006) who were the first people to use CT scanning on individuals with these disorders that patients with schizophrenia had smaller cortical gyri and larger ventricals than individuals who weren’t suffering from this disorder. In relation to this, CT scans have also been responsible for detecting dementia and anxiety disorders. (Wayandt, 2006)