Investigating Brain Function (OCR GCSE Biology A (Gateway))

The Challenges of Brain Treatments

Higher Tier Only Investigating brain function

• Developing an understanding of the brain and how it works is really important for medical advances in treating people with brain damage or disease

• However, the brain is an incredibly complex and delicate organ and different regions can’t be studied in isolation

• As a result, it is extremely difficult for neuroscientists to study it to find out how it works so current understanding is limited

• Methods used to study brain function may involve:

  • Studying the brains of people that have died

  • Using MRI scans to monitor electrical activity during certain scenarios

  • Case studies of patients with brain damage or abnormal brain function and the presentation of their symptoms 

• Some of the issues involved in investigating brain function are as follows:

  • Accidental damage could lead to speech or motor issues, or changes to personality which are permanent

  • There may be ethical considerations in studying individuals with severe brain damage who are unable to provide informed consent

  • Interpreting the results of MRI scans can be complicated and many patterns of activity are not yet understood

Treating problems with the brain

• Our limited understanding of brain function means that treating brain damage and disease is very difficult

• This is also true of other components of the nervous system because:

  • Many parts of the nervous system are not accessible and some regions of the brain cannot be treated at all 

  • Nervous tissue doesnt repair as readily as other body tissues meaning damage is often irreversible

  • Any potential treatment carries risks of further, potentially permanent, damage