What is a post-mortem analysis of the brain?
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What is a post-mortem analysis of the brain?
A post-mortem analysis of the brain involves examining the brain (usually in slices) to determine the cause of behaviour(s) or dysfunction experienced when the patient was alive.
True or False?
Post-mortem analysis enables researchers to study a brain without inflicting any harm on the living person.
True.
Post-mortem analysis enables researchers to study a brain without inflicting any harm on the living person.
What are two limitations of a post-mortem analysis of the brain?
Two possible limitations of a post-mortem analysis are:
it is not possible to compare what is measured post-mortem to a living brain
is that it is not possible to study brain function using this technique
True or False?
A strength of post-mortem analysis is that it enables researchers to study a brain without inflicting any harm on the living person.
True.
A strength of post-mortem analysis is that it enables researchers to study a brain without inflicting any harm on the living person.
What is a strength of post-mortem analysis in relation to its usefulness in diagnosis?
A strength of post-mortem analysis is it can help clinicians to confirm a diagnosis e.g. a patient suspected of having Alzheimer’s can only be decided conclusively using post-mortem methods.
True or False?
A post-mortem analysis of the brain was used to investigate the damage done to the brain in the case of HM (Corkin, 1997).
True.
A post-mortem analysis of the brain was used to investigate the damage done to HM’s brain (Corkin, 1997) and helped to determine the link between the hippocampus and the formation of new memories.
True or False?
Broca (1861) used post-mortem analysis of his patient ‘Tan’ to locate the language area of the brain in the right hemisphere.
False.
Broca (1861) used post-mortem analysis of his patient ‘Tan’ to locate the language area of the brain in the left hemisphere.
What is the aim of using post-mortem analysis in the case study of HM (Corkin, 1997)?
The aim of using post-mortem analysis in the case study of HM (Corkin, 1997) is to investigate memory loss in a brain-damaged patient.
True or False?
In the case study of HM (Corkin, 1997), he lost the ability to remember long-term memories, while his ability to form new memories remained fairly intact.
False.
In the case study of HM (Corkin, 1997), he completely lost the ability to form new memories while long-term memories from the past remained fairly intact.
In the case study of HM (Corker, 1997), how was his memory studied (procedure) before and after death?
In the case study of HM (Corker, 1997), his memory was studied using the Wechsler Memory Scale test before death, and post-mortem analysis after death.
What is the key finding from the post-mortem analysis in the case study of HM (Corkin, 1997)?
The key finding from the post-mortem analysis in the study of HM is that it confirmed memory is localised to the temporal lobe, specifically the hippocampus.
What is a strength of using both qualitative and quantitative methods to study the case of HM (Corker, 1997)?
A strength of using both qualitative and quantitative methods to study the case of HM (Corker, 1997) is that it generates both reliable and rich data in support of the hippocampus being implicated in memory formation.
Where is Broca's area located and what is its function?
Broca's area is located in the left frontal lobe, and its function is for speech production.
True or False?
In Broca's case study of Tan (1861), he could understand speech but could not produce coherent speech.
True.
In Broca's case study of Tan (1861), he could understand speech but could not produce coherent speech.
What is Broca's aphasia?
Broca's aphasia is the inability to produce coherent speech due to damage in Broca's area (left frontal lobe).
True or False?
A limitation of Broca's case study of Tan (1861) is that there may have been other explanations for Tan’s speech impairment which were not explored at the time.
True.
A limitation of Broca's (1861) case study of Tan is that there may have been other explanations for Tan’s speech impairment which were not explored at the time.
What is a longitudinal study?
A longitudinal study is a research method that involves observing and collecting data from the same group of individuals over an extended period.
Both the case studies of HM (Corker, 1997) and Tan (Broca, 1861) are longitudinal studies.
What does MRI stand for in brain scanning?
MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging in brain scanning.
How does a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scan work?
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scan works by using a large magnet and pulses of radio waves to scan the brain, producing images of brain structures.
What are magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans used for in the taxi driver study (Maguire, 2000)?
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans are used to determine a correlation between spatial navigation and hippocampal grey matter in the brains of London taxi drivers (Maguire, 2000).
True or False?
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scanning techniques measure brain function.
False.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scanning techniques only measure brain structure, not function.
What do magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans measure in order to produce a picture of the inside of the brain or body?
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans produce a picture of the inside of the brain or body by measuring hydrogen nuclei in the area that is being scanned.
Why might magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans not be suitable for claustrophobic patients?
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans might not be suitable for claustrophobic patients because they are prone to disturbances caused by noise, temperature, and human error.
What is the primary difference between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans?
The primary difference between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans is that MRI scans are less invasive than PET scans as it does not require the use of radiation.
Why is it a strength that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans pinpoint specific brain structures?
It is a strength that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans pinpoint specific brain structures to discover areas that may be damaged or have increased grey matter, to identify the link between brain and behaviour
True or False?
Maguire (2000) investigated spatial navigation in New York taxi drivers using PET brain scanning techniques.
False.
Maguire (2000) investigated spatial navigation in London black cab taxi drivers using MRI brain scanning techniques.
Who are the participants in the Maguire (2000) taxi driver study?
The participants of the Maguire (2000) taxi driver study are :
16 healthy males, aged 32-62 years
London black cab taxi drivers who had passed ‘The Knowledge’, a test of spatial navigation
What did Maguire (2000) aim to investigate in the taxi driver study in relation to MRI brain scans?
Maguire (2000) aimed to investigate the use of MRI brain-imaging technology to investigate spatial navigation in London black cab taxi drivers.
What are the key findings of the Maguire (2000) taxi driver study?
The key findings of the Maguire (2000) taxi driver study:
The posterior hippocampi of the taxi drivers showed a greater volume of grey matter than the control group
There is a positive correlation between volume of posterior hippocampal grey matter and length of time spent as a taxi driver
How are MRI brain scans used in the Maguire (2000) study and what did they measure?
MRI brain scans are used in the Maguire (2000) study as participants brains are scanned to measured the volume of grey matter in the hippocampus. This was compared to the scans of a control group.
True or False?
A strength of the Maguire (2000) study is the use of MRI scans as a highly controlled clinical method of obtaining objective data, which can be easily compared and analysed.
True.
A strength of the Maguire (2000) study is the use of MRI scans as a highly controlled clinical method of obtaining objective data, which can be easily compared and analysed.
Why is it a limitation that the findings of the Maguire (2000) taxi driver study are correlational?
It is a limitation that the findings of the Maguire (2000) taxi driver study are correlational because correlations cannot show cause-and-effect. So it is impossible to know whether the taxi drivers already had naturally high levels of hippocampal grey matter.
What is the aim of the Luby et al. (2013) study in relation to MRI brain scanning?
The aim of the Luby et al. (2013) study is to investigate whether poverty experienced in childhood is shown in delayed brain development using MRI brain scanning.
Who are the participants in the Luby et al. (2013) study?
The participants of the Luby et al. (2013) study are:
145 children from the USA
already enrolled on a 10-year longitudinal study of Preschool Depression
categorised as living in poverty
What are the functions of the hippocampus and the amygdala in the brain?
The function of the hippocampus in the brain is memory formation
The function of the amygdala in the brain is associated with emotion
True or False?
A strength of the Luby et al. (2013) study is that the MRI scans may show differences in children's brains which were not the result of poverty but of other, unknown factors.
False.
It is a limitation of the Luby et al. (2013) study that the MRI scans may show differences in children's brains which were not the result of poverty but of other, unknown factors.
What did Luby et al. (2013) conclude about poverty and brain development?
Luby et al. (2013) concluded that poverty appears to have a negative effect on brain development in childhood, but this can be reduced by the quality of caregiving the child experiences.
Which technique used to study the brain uses a radioactive tracer to measure glucose metabolism of specific regions in the brain?
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) technique to study the brain uses a radioactive tracer to measure glucose metabolism of specific regions in the brain.
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) measures:
a) grey matter in brain structures
b) brain waves
c) oxygenated blood flow in the brain
(c)
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) measures oxygenated blood flow in the brain.
What is the strength of an fMRI brain scanning technique?
A strength of an fMRI brain scanning technique is that it enables researchers to measure oxygenated blood in specific brain regions which can inform them of brain activity linked to cognitive processes such as emotion.
True or False?
An fMRI brain scan is slow, having a 5-second delay between brain activity and measurement so it may miss some important information.
True.
An fMRI brain scan is slow, having a 5-second delay between brain activity and measurement so it may miss some important information.
True or False?
PET scans are not affected by the participant moving slightly whilst being scanned.
True.
PET scans are not affected by the participant moving slightly whilst being scanned.
What is one limitation of using a PET brain scan?
a) The radioactive tracer involves some risk to the participant
b) The technique is not very reliable
c) The measurement can only be done when the participant is asleep
One limitation of using a PET brain scan is:
a) The radioactive tracer involves some risk to the patient
What does oxygenated blood signify in fMRI?
In an fMRI, oxygenated blood has a different resonance than deoxygenated blood: more active areas of the brain receive more oxygenated blood.
What are voxels in an fMRI brain scan?
Each voxel in an fMRI brain scan represents thousands of neurons and contributes to the 3D image of brain activity.