Example Answer

Section B – Biopsychology: Q9 [8 Marks]

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a brain-scanning technique that measures blood flow in the brain when a person performs a task. fMRI works on the idea that the neurons in the brain which are the most active, use the most energy (in the form of oxygen and glucose). Deoxygenated and oxygenated haemoglobin have different magnetic qualities. An fMRI scanner can detect these different magnetic qualities and can be used to create a moving 3D map of the brain.

An electroencephalogram (EEG) measures electrical activity through electrodes attached to the scalp. EEG scanners work on the idea that information is processed in the brain as electrical activity in the form of action potentials or nerve impulses. Small electrical charges are detected by the electrodes that are graphed over a period of time, indicating the level of activity in the brain. EEG can be used to detect illnesses like epilepsy and to diagnose other disorders that affect brain…