Ways We Study The Brain

Ways We Study The Brain 

• Accident
• Lesions 
• EEG 
• CAT Scan 
• PET Scan 
• MRI 
• Functional MRI 

Accidents 

Phineas Gage Story 

• Personality changed after the accidents 
• what does this tell us? This tells us that different parts of the brain control different aspects of who we are 

Lesions 

• Removal or destruction of some part of the brain 
• Frontal Lobotomy  

Electroencephalogram 

• EEG 
• Detects brain waves through their electrical output 
• Used mainly in sleep research 

Computerized Axial Tomography 

• CAT Scan 
• 3D X-Ray of the brain 
• Good for tumor locating, but tells us nothing about function 

Magnetic Resonance Imaging 

• MRI 
• More detailed picture of brain using magnetic field to knock electrons off axis 
• Takes many still pictures and images into a movie like production 

Positron Emission Tomography 

• PET Scan 
• Measures how much of a chemical the brain is using (usually glucose consumption) 

Functional MRI 

• Combination of PET and MRI 

Want to learn more? Click here