What is a PET scan
Measures metabolic activity in the brain
inject small amounts of radiotracer
most active areas use more of it and appear orange/red in scan
least active arteas appear blue
what is a cat scan
detailed structural images of body/brain
large donut shaped scanner rotates around an individual
X-rays and computer create a cross section of body/brain them combined to form detailed picture
what is an fMRI
radio waves measure blood oxygen levels in the brain as most active areas use more oxygen so more blood goes to these areas
activity is picked up through radio signals which produce a series of images of successive slices
turned into 3d image by computer
what is an MRI
magnetic field causes the atoms of the brain to change alignment when magnet is on and emit various radio signals when magnet is turned off
a detector reads the signals and uses them to map a structure of the brain
what is an EEG
electrodes are attached to a person’s scalp to record general levels of electrical activity of millions of neurons
advantages of EEG
recording brain live
uninvasive unlike PET
temporal resolution
why is temporal resolution a benefit to EGG
records brain activity in real-time (down to the millisecond), which allows researchers to track fast, momentary changes in brain activity.
disadvantages of EGG
can’t pinpoint exact region of brain(low spatial resolution)
primarily focuses on cortex of the brain rather than deeper inside
advantages of PET
measures active brain function showing how specific areas of brain linked experience
disadvantages of PET
invasive and radiation exposure
time consuming eg 32 min
advantages of MRI
detailed structural imagery more that CAT
high spatial resolution
disadvantages of MRI
machine ius noisy and confined which may cause distress to participants
can’t be used in emergencies or when patient is moving
expensive
time consuming
advantages of CAT
quick and efficient so widely available
less sensitive to movement
disadvantage of CAT
only show structure
less detailed compared to MRI
