4.) Discuss the use of brain imaging techniques in investigating the relationship between biological factors and behavior.
Intro - mention the important use of animals in research in order to carry out procedures like ablation (removing parts of the brain) or lesioning (scarring) to study behavior. You might also bring up ethical considerations of this, but make it brief since it is not the focus of your question.
In this question, you MUST bring up limitations and advantages of the technical methods you bring up.
Types of technology to cover in this question (see bottom of page for picture examples):
fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging)
* Advantages - shows three-dimensional pictures of the brain, and which sections of the brain are active during certain activities
* Disadvantages - requires injection, very expensive, does not show the reason for the brain activity, lacks ecological validity b/c the machine isn't a normal cognitive environment
PET (positron emission topography) * Advantages - work well in diagnoses of abnormalities in the brain ex. tumors, also used to identify abnormal brain activity or sex differences in the brain
* Disadvantages - requires injection, only shows activity of the brain in a single frame of time
EEG (electroencephalogram)
* Advantages - good for sleep studies, a printout of brain waves, or the electrical charges given off by neurons
* Disadvantages -can't show the actual functioning of the brain or what is happening deeper inside it
Studies to cover this section:
Method: Lesioned one group of rats and compared them to a control group that was not lesioned
Results: The lesioned rates increased their food intake dramatically and doubled in weight
Significance: Hypothalamus helps control eating and hunger tendencies
2. Carreiras (2005) (see BLOA Question #1) - use for fMRI example
Aim: Discover brain activity in regards to language (involving the Silbo Gomero whistling language)
3. Gur et al. (1995) - Used a PET scanner to compare male and female metabolisms, and found it to be more active in the primitive brain centers controlling violence in men than in women.
4. Any other study involving one of the four above imaging techinques
In this question, you MUST bring up limitations and advantages of the technical methods you bring up.
Types of technology to cover in this question (see bottom of page for picture examples):
fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging)
* Advantages - shows three-dimensional pictures of the brain, and which sections of the brain are active during certain activities
* Disadvantages - requires injection, very expensive, does not show the reason for the brain activity, lacks ecological validity b/c the machine isn't a normal cognitive environment
PET (positron emission topography) * Advantages - work well in diagnoses of abnormalities in the brain ex. tumors, also used to identify abnormal brain activity or sex differences in the brain
* Disadvantages - requires injection, only shows activity of the brain in a single frame of time
EEG (electroencephalogram)
* Advantages - good for sleep studies, a printout of brain waves, or the electrical charges given off by neurons
* Disadvantages -can't show the actual functioning of the brain or what is happening deeper inside it
Studies to cover this section:
- Hetherington and Ranson (1942) - Use in relation to lesioning and animal use in research
Method: Lesioned one group of rats and compared them to a control group that was not lesioned
Results: The lesioned rates increased their food intake dramatically and doubled in weight
Significance: Hypothalamus helps control eating and hunger tendencies
2. Carreiras (2005) (see BLOA Question #1) - use for fMRI example
Aim: Discover brain activity in regards to language (involving the Silbo Gomero whistling language)
3. Gur et al. (1995) - Used a PET scanner to compare male and female metabolisms, and found it to be more active in the primitive brain centers controlling violence in men than in women.
4. Any other study involving one of the four above imaging techinques