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Plasticity, Functional Recovery & Ways of Studying the Brain (AQA A Level Psychology)

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  • FrontWays of Studying the Brain

    What does fMRI do?

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  • What does fMRI do?

    fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) measures oxygenated blood flow in the brain, i.e., brain activity. 

  • What is used in fMRI to transform brain scans into images?

    a) Radioactivity

    b) Voxels

    c) Brain waves

    b.

    Voxels are used in fMRI to transform brain scans into images.

    Each voxel = thousands of neurons.

  • fMRI uses large ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ to detect ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ blood flow.

    fMRI uses large magnets to detect oxygenated blood flow.

  • True or False?

    A strength of fMRI is that it has good spatial resolution of 1 mm.

    True.

    A strength of fMRI is that it has good spatial resolution of 1 mm.

    This is a strength, as it enables researchers to precisely identify the active brain regions and patterns of activation over time.

  • How long is the delay between brain activity and measurement in an fMRI scan?

    a) 2 seconds

    b) 5 seconds

    c) 8 seconds

    b.

    fMRI has a 5-second delay between brain activity and measurement.

    This is a limitation as could mean that some important information is not detected due to the delay.

  • The use of an EEG (electroencephalogram) involves the placing of ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ on the scalp which record brain ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ .

    The use of an EEG (electroencephalogram) involves the placing of electrodes on the scalp which record brain activity.

  • True or False?

    Brain activity is shown via a bright image of the brain with an EEG.

    False.

    Brain activity is shown via brain waves with an EEG.

  • EEG has been historically important in understanding:

    a) neuroplasticity

    b) localisation of function

    c) memory

    d) sleep patterns

    d.

    EEG has been historically important in understanding sleep patterns.

  • True or False?

    EEG can detect activity within all brain regions.

    False.

    EEG can only detect surface activity within accessible brain regions.

    This is a limitation, as EEG cannot provide insight as to what is happening in deeper brain regions (e.g., the amygdala).

  • ERPs (event-related potentials) use the same apparatus and technique as:

    a) fMRI

    b) EEG

    c) PET

    b.

    ERPs (event-related potentials) use the same apparatus and technique as EEG.

  • ERPs are tiny ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ generated in brain ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ in response to specific events or stimuli.

    ERPs are tiny voltages generated in brain structures in response to specific events or stimuli.

  • A strength of ERPs is that they take measurements of brain activity every:

    a) millisecond

    b) nanosecond

    c) microsecond

    a.

    A strength of ERPs is that they take measurements of brain activity every millisecond.

  • What is a PME (post-mortem examination)?

    A PME (post-mortem examination) involves examining the brain after death, usually when it has been cut into slices.

  • True or False?

    A PME is used today if there are no alternatives available.

    True.

    A PME is used today if there are no alternatives available.

    E.g., Alzheimer’s disease can only really be determined by conducting a PME.

  • It is difficult to compare post-mortem slices of a brain after death with actual brain functioning before death which means that PME lacks:

    a) reliability

    b) objectivity

    c) ecological validity

    c.

    It is difficult to compare post-mortem slices of a brain after death with actual brain functioning before death, which means that PME lacks ecological validity.

  • A strength of PME is that it can help clinicians to confirm a ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ .

    A strength of PME is that it can help clinicians to confirm a diagnosis.

  • What is meant by neuroplasticity?

    Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to adapt to change due to injury, illness or learning and experience.

  • Structural plasticity refers to changes within:

    a) the brain stem

    b) brain structures

    c) the skeleton

    b.

    Structural plasticity refers to changes within brain structures.

  • True or False?

    The buildup of grey matter in brain regions/structures is due to increased synaptic connectedness in those regions/structures.

    True.

    The buildup of grey matter in brain regions/structures is due to increased synaptic connectedness in those regions/structures.

  • Maguire et al. (2000) found that taxi drivers had increased grey matter in the posterior ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ , a brain region linked to ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ navigation.

    Maguire et al. (2000) found that taxi drivers had increased grey matter in the posterior hippocampus, a brain region linked to spatial navigation.

  • True or False?

    Functional recovery refers to the brain’s ability to replace lost or damaged functions by producing more hormones to compensate.

    False.

    Functional recovery refers to the brain’s ability to replace lost or damaged functions by using existing brain regions in their place.

  • Synapses that are used frequently grow stronger over time , but synapses that are not used undergo:

    a) synaptic branching

    b) neuroplasticity

    c) synaptic pruning

    d) synaptic transmission

    c.

    Synapses that are used frequently grow stronger over time , but synapses that are not used undergo synaptic pruning.

    This allows the brain to be a more efficient tool, both structurally and functionally.

  • True or False?

    Functional recovery is to some extent time-stamped.

    True.

    Functional recovery is to some extent time-stamped.

    If the recovery takes place early in life, the affected person has a chance of almost full recovery.

  • True or False?

    Neuroplasticity is supported by the case of H.M.

    False.

    Neuroplasticity is not supported by the case of H.M.

    H.M. never recovered any functionality: his memory (particularly short-term memory) was affected permanently after his brain was damaged during surgery.

  • There is an impressive body of research into neuroplasticity, with findings coming to the same conclusion, which means that the theory has good:

    a) internal validity

    b) temporal validity

    c) ecological validity

    a.

    There is an impressive body of research into neuroplasticity, with findings coming to the same conclusion, which means that the theory has good internal validity.

  • Research in the field of neuroplasticity is ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ which means that cause and effect cannot be established.

    Research in the field of neuroplasticity is correlational which means that cause and effect cannot be established.

Previous:Localisation of Function & Hemispheric Lateralisation in the BrainNext:Aims, Hypotheses & Variables

    1. Conformity

    2. Obedience

    3. Explanations of Resistance to Social Influence

    4. Minority Influence

    1. Multi-store Model of Memory

    2. Working Memory Model

    3. Explanations for Forgetting

    4. Eyewitness Testimony

    1. Animal Studies in Attachment

    2. Explanations of Attachment

    3. Types of Attachment & Cultural Variations

    4. Bowlby's Theory of Maternal Deprivation &The Effects of Institutionalisation

    5. Influence of Early Attachment on Later Relationships

    1. Definitions in the Field of Mental Health

    2. Phobias

    3. Depression

    4. OCD

    1. Learning Approaches: the Behaviourist Approach

    2. Learning Approaches: Social Learning Theory

    3. The Cognitive Approach

    4. The Biological Approach

    5. The Psychodynamic Approach

    6. The Humanistic Approach

    7. Comparison of Approaches

    1. The Nervous System, Endocrine System & Fight or Flight

    2. Neurons & Synaptic Transmission

    3. Localisation of Function & Hemispheric Lateralisation in the Brain

    4. Plasticity, Functional Recovery & Ways of Studying the Brain

    1. Aims, Hypotheses & Variables

    2. Research Issues, Controls & Pilot Studies

    3. Experiments: Types & Design

    4. Sampling Methods

    5. Ethical Issues & Ways of Dealing with Them

    6. Peer Review & the Economy

    7. Observational Techniques & Design

    8. Self-report Techniques

    9. Correlations & Meta-analysis

    10. Content Analysis & Case Studies

    11. Reliability & Validity

    12. Data Handling: Descriptive Statistics & Computation

    13. Data Handling: Types, Interpretation & Display of Data

    14. Data Handling: Inferential Statistics

    15. Features of Science, Reporting Investigations & the Scientific Report