BIOPSYCHOLOGY: STUDYING THE BRAIN
Several methods
Neuropsychological tests – measures verbal & nonverbal behaviours
of individuals with brain injuries
Destruction & stimulation techniques
Neuroimaging
Electrical recording – EEG measure activity of large groups of
neurons through series of electrodes placed on scalp
Neuropsychological tests
measure verbal/nonverbal behaviours
first reasoning through case – then test selection
battery approach vs hypothetico-deductive reasoning
don’t just use tests, do the thinking
problems with norms – based on averages.
Neuroimaging
advances in techniques have moved neuro from a practice emphasizing
assessment to determine focal and diffuse lesions to one of developing
interventions for brain damage.
functional imaging:
EEG: Electro
Electrodes placed on the scalp pick up & record activity
Monitors electrical activity of brain over time
o Used to identify patterns of brain activity associated
with specific behaviour/emotion
o Used in research to map activity during specific tasks
o Most useful for detecting seizures
o Problems: surface electrodes not accurate at
detecting source of activity if the source is deep
o + is speed and a record complex pattern of neural
activity within seconds
o Drawback is that doesn’t give
fMRI
o monitor blood/oxygen flow in the brain to identify
areas of high activity
o maps activity over time as perform task
o statistical analysis software detects regions
PET
o Examine brain function through radioactively tagged
chemicals
o Serve as markers of blood flow or metabolic activity
in the brain, which can be monitored with x-rays
o Colour coded
Several methods
Neuropsychological tests – measures verbal & nonverbal behaviours
of individuals with brain injuries
Destruction & stimulation techniques
Neuroimaging
Electrical recording – EEG measure activity of large groups of
neurons through series of electrodes placed on scalp
Neuropsychological tests
measure verbal/nonverbal behaviours
first reasoning through case – then test selection
battery approach vs hypothetico-deductive reasoning
don’t just use tests, do the thinking
problems with norms – based on averages.
Neuroimaging
advances in techniques have moved neuro from a practice emphasizing
assessment to determine focal and diffuse lesions to one of developing
interventions for brain damage.
functional imaging:
EEG: Electro
Electrodes placed on the scalp pick up & record activity
Monitors electrical activity of brain over time
o Used to identify patterns of brain activity associated
with specific behaviour/emotion
o Used in research to map activity during specific tasks
o Most useful for detecting seizures
o Problems: surface electrodes not accurate at
detecting source of activity if the source is deep
o + is speed and a record complex pattern of neural
activity within seconds
o Drawback is that doesn’t give
fMRI
o monitor blood/oxygen flow in the brain to identify
areas of high activity
o maps activity over time as perform task
o statistical analysis software detects regions
PET
o Examine brain function through radioactively tagged
chemicals
o Serve as markers of blood flow or metabolic activity
in the brain, which can be monitored with x-rays
o Colour coded
