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Research Techniques
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) | Momentary disruption of electric currents in the brain using magnetic fields |
| TMS Advantages | Can demonstrate causality, therapeutic effects if used long-term, temporary effects on the brain if used short-term |
| TMS Disadvantages | Cannot be used to stimulate deep brain tissue, rare occurrence of side effects (seizure, headache), and PRICEY |
| Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) | Form of neurostimulation that uses constant, low current delivered to the brain area of interest via electrodes on the scalp |
| tDCS Advantages | Can demonstrate causality, therapeutic effects if used long term, the effects on the brain are brief depending on the duration and intensity of stimulation, and is more cost effective and easier to use than TMS |
| tDCS Disadvantages | Cannot be used to stimulate deep brain tissue, rare occurrence of side effects (headaches, tingling, burning, but no seizures) |
| Electroencephalography (EEG) | Measures and records electrical activity in the brain using special sensors (electrodes), can be used to measure brain states and diagnose abnormal brain activity |
| EEG Advantages | Provides information on the person's state, excellent temporal resolution, non-invasive |
| EEG Disadvantages | Poor spatial resolution (although new advances in analytical techniques may improve this), and it cannot measure activity from deep brain structures (activity outside of the cortex) |
| Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) | Changes in voltage within a specific time frame that represent brain activity related to an event, and by "locking" the raw EEG to a specific event, you can measure the cortical brain activity associated with that event |
| ERP Advantages | Is linked to specific psychological processes, has excellent temporal resolution, and is non-invasive |
| ERP Disadvantages | Poor spatial resolution (although new advances in analytical techniques may improve this), and cannot measure activity from deep brain structures (activity outside of the cortex) |
| Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT, CT) | Combines a series of X-ray views taken from many different angles to produce cross-sectional images of the bones and soft tissues inside the body. Dense material appears white while less-dense material looks black or gray |
| CAT Scan Advantages | Painless and non-invasive, can image bone, soft tissue, blood, and CSF simultaneously, is cost effective, and X-rays have little to no immediate side effects |
| CAT Scan Disadvantages | Slight risk of cancer with any radiation exposure, is low resolution so the images are slightly blurry, and pregnant women cannot undergo it |
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) | Uses a magnetic field to distort the behavior of atoms in order to create an image of the brain |
| Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) | Uses MRI and the blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) signal to image regions of the brain that are active during a task. Uses subtraction: [brain state during condition of interest - resting/control brain state = important area for condition of interest] |
| MRI/fMRI Advantages | Good spatial resolution, noninvasive, can be performed repeatedly on the same individual, does not require averaging across individuals |
| MRI/fMRI Disadvantages | Indirect measure of neural activity, people with pacemakers or metal plates/rods cannot undergo it, has poor temporal resolution, and is VERY expensive and noisy |
| PET Scan | Uses radioactive molecules (tracers) that become stable by emitting a positively charged electron called a positron which is detected by the scanner and reconstructed in 3D with an x-ray |
| Radioactive tracers | FDG for standard imaging of the brain (measures glucose use), Radioligands for specific neuroreceptors (DASB for serotonin, Fallypride for dopamine receptors), and PIB for amyloid plaques (Alzheimer's Disease) |
| PET Scan Advantages | Can image brain physiology at the molecular level in great detail |
| PET Scan Disadvantages | Uses ionizing radiation (max of 405 scans/patient/year), have to average across participants in research, low spatial resolution, EXPENSIVE |
| Lesion Method | If damage to a particular brain region results in an inability to perform a specific mental function, then it is assumed that the function must have depended on that brain region |
| Neuropsychological Assessment | Determines the degree to which damage to the CNS has compromised a person's cognitive, behavioral, and emotional functioning |
| Tests for attention span and memory | Repeat a series of numbers, letters, or words; Look at some simple drawings and then draw them from memory |
| Tests for language and speech skills | Name pictures that the examiner shows you; Name as many words as you can think of that begin with a certain letter or are in a certain category (for example, animals or fruits) |
| Tests for reasoning, planning, and organizing skills | Use a pencil to connect a series of numbered or lettered dots on a sheet of paper; Stack colored disks in a certain pattern |
| Neuropsychological Assessment Advantages | In-depth description of changes in function as a result of damage, only way to test certain hypotheses |
| Neuropsychological Assessment Disadvantages | May or may not generalize broadly, difficult to separate damage and compensatory mechanisms, most useful if there is pre and post damage assessments |
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