Brain Scanning Techniques

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  • Created by: samiyahhh
  • Created on: 12-01-19 16:11

PET SCANS:

Positron emission tomography (PET) scan produces a three dimensional image of functional processes in the body. It involves injecting a radioactive tracer into the bloodstream with a chemical that can be later metabolised by the body, such as glucose, to see where most of the blood is flowing so can help detect if there are any malfunctions such as brain aneurisms that could lead to stroke. 

The radioactive particle emissions (positrons) from the tracer give signals which are recorded and levels of activity in different parts of the brain can then be detected. Different levels of brain activity are colour coded enabling researchers to easily determine which part of the brain is the most or least active at any one time. In psychological research, participants are scanned in two conditions: when the brain is inactive (baseline measures) and when performing an activity. The difference between the two scans will show which part of the brain is being used during the task performance. The stimulus shown to participants can include pictures of faces or names to study participants' responses to detect any problems amongst those suffering from memory loss, schizophrenia or…

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