Ways of studying the brain

Used to establish underlying neurobiology of behaviour. Made it poss to identidy some of brain structures involved in memory.

Use of post-mortem studies used to establish link b/ween psychiatric disorders + underlying brain abnormalities. Eg post-mortem stdueis found evidence of reduced numbers glial cells in frontal cortex of those w/ depression

Measures changes in brain activity while person performs task. Measures changes in blood flow in areas of brain, indicated increased neural activity.

If part of brainbecomes more active, increased demand for o2 in red blood cells - result of changes in blood flow, researchers able to produce maps, show which brain areas involved in mental activity.

Measures electrical activity in brain. Electrodes placed on scalp detect small electrical charges resulting from activity of brain cells. When signals from diff electrodes graphed, representation - EEG.

Data can be used to detect types of brain disorder or diagnose disorders that influence brain activity. 

4 basic EEG patterns:
 - alpha waves - recorded when person awake but relaxed
 - beta waves - recorded when person physiologically aroused - low amp, fast freq
 - delta waves - during sleep
 - theta waves - during sleep

Small voltage changes in brain triggered by events/stimuli. Diff to pick out from other electrical activity being generated. To establish specific response to target stimulus - many presentation of stimulus + responses then averaged together. Extraneous neural activity not related to specific stimulus won't occur consistently. Cancels out b/g neural 'noise'.

2 categories:
 - waves occuring w/in 1st 100 ms after presentation of stimulus - 'sensory' ERPs - initial response to stimulus
 - waves occuring after 1st 100 ms - 'cognitive' ERPs - info processing

Graph in textbook