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All 10 Flashcards — Brain imaging
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Question
What is brain imaging?
Answer
Techniques that show the structure or activity of the living brain, such as fMRI, EEG and PET.
Question
What does fMRI measure?
Answer
Blood flow to show which brain areas are active — good spatial detail (where).
Question
What does EEG measure?
Answer
Electrical activity via the scalp — excellent timing (when), poor location.
Question
What does PET use?
Answer
A radioactive tracer to map activity or chemicals; shows function but is invasive.
Question
What is the where-vs-when trade-off?
Answer
fMRI is strong on location, weak on timing; EEG is the reverse.
Question
One strength of brain imaging?
Answer
Objective, measurable data on the living brain, often non-invasive.
Question
One limitation of brain imaging?
Answer
It shows activity correlated with a task, not that the area caused the behaviour.
Question
Why is a scanner setting a limitation?
Answer
Lying still in a noisy scanner is artificial and unlike real-life behaviour.
Question
Does a region 'lighting up' prove cause?
Answer
No — it shows correlation; reverse or third-variable explanations still apply.
Question
Which concept does imaging link to?
Answer
Measurement — it makes invisible brain activity measurable.
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Full study notes for Brain imaging
Topic 2.1 hub
Biological approach
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