1. Ways of studying the brain

2. Biopsychology specification: still to cover
The divisions of the nervous system: central and peripheral (somatic and autonomic).
The structure and function of sensory, relay and motor neurons. The process of synaptic transmission, including reference to neurotransmitters, excitation and inhibition.
The function of the endocrine system: glands and hormones.
The fight or flight response including the role of adrenaline.
Localisation of function in the brain and hemispheric lateralisation: motor, somatosensory, visual, auditory and language centres; Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas, split brain research. Plasticity and functional recovery of the brain after trauma.
Ways of studying the brain: scanning techniques, including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI); electroencephalogram (EEGs) and event-related potentials (ERPs); post-mortem examinations.
Biological rhythms: circadian, infradian and ultradian and the difference between these rhythms. The effect of endogenous pacemakers and exogenous zeitgebers on the sleep/wake cycle.
This week:
Brain scanning techniques
Split brain
Research methods

3. Objectives
To be able to… Outline and evaluate ways of studying the brain; including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI); electroencephalogram (EEGs) and event-related potentials (ERPs); post-mortem examinations. Apply this knowledge to two exam questions comparing the ways of studying the brain.

4. Updated website

5. Outline and evaluate one study that investigates brain plasticity (6)
Starter
Outline and evaluate one study that investigates brain plasticity (6)
Optional: Key words to help with your evaluation
Objective left handed male participants
Highly controlled scientific quasi experimental

6. Model Answer
One study investigating brain plasticity is Maguire et al (2000). In this study Maguire examined the brains of London taxi drivers using MRI scans. She compared the brains with a group of matched controls. Maguire found that the hippocampi of the taxi drivers differed from that of the controls as their posterior hippocampus was larger. It is thought that this is because learning the ‘knowledge’ causes reorganisation of the brain and the area responsible for navigation and spatial skills becomes larger. This study was a highly controlled investigation that used scientific methods to examine the brain. The use of MRI scans allowed for easy comparison between the groups and provided objective measurements of the hippocampus. In the study Maguire only used male participants. This means that the results cannot be generalised to female taxi drivers and so is an unrepresentative sample. We can also argue that, because the sample were all left handed, we cannot generalise the results to left handed taxi drivers as the organisation of their brains may be different. A final point is that although Maguire used scientific methods to examine the brain, the research method was quasi experimental. This is because Maguire could not randomly allocate the participants to the two groups. This lack of control over the independent variable means that other factors (rather than being a taxi driver) may have influenced the results.

7. Ways of studying the brain
You are a specialist on one of the ways of studying the brain. The other members of the group need to know how the technique works, the advantages and disadvantages of the technique. They have been given specific questions to ask regarding the brain scanning technique to elicit as much information as possible. You will have 5 minutes to look over your notes (as well as the additional notes provided by your teacher). Each specialist will have to answer the questions posed about their brain scanning technique in order to help their group members fill in their grid Each group member will have to speak clearly and coherently in order to give the other members to complete their grid

8. Activities to consolidate learning Activity 1: Apply your knowledge
Match the descriptions and evaluation points with the correct way of measuring the brain.

9. Activities to consolidate learning Activity 2: Apply your knowledge
A psychologist wants to investigate:
Brain waves triggered by being tickled on the hand
Brain waves during different stages of sleep (REM-dream sleep and N-REM)
Difference in frontal lobe activity of psychopaths and normal controls
Structure of the brain of a girl called Genie (who was locked in a room with no contact for the first 8 years of her life) and has now passed away.
Which would be the best method of investigation for each of these examples?
Explain why this method is more suitable for this particular example, than the other methods?

10. Activity 2: Answers
1. ERP 2. EEG 3 FMRI 4. Post Mortem

11. Activity 3: Comparison mind map
On the whiteboards, in your groups, create an evaluation mind map identifying:
one key strength and one key weakness for each method
In a different colour, compare the different ways of measuring the brain
strength
fMRI
Investigating the brain

12. Exam focus: 20 minutes
Apply your knowledge that you have just learnt to two exam questions comparing the ways of studying the brain.
Read the modal answer to question 2. Highlight A01, A03, evidence of signposting, evidence of PEL/ PEEL
Extension: compare your answer to the modal answer. Add, in green, any improvements you want to make to your own answer.

13. Plenary
A researcher used an fMRI scan to investigate whether different types of long-term memories are located in different parts of the brain. Participants were asked to think about family holidays they had been on as a child and their brain activity was recorded. The same participants were then asked to mentally ‘list’ European capital cities and their brain activity was again recorded to see if there was a difference.
What type of experimental design is being used in this study? (1 mark)
What are the two types of long term memory being described? (2 marks)
Name 1 area of the brain we would expect to be active when thinking about family holidays and 1 area for capital cities (2 marks)
Who conducted a study of a similar nature to this? (1 mark)
This could be described as a laboratory experiment. Briefly discuss the Strengths of a lab experiment with reference to the investigation above (2 marks)

14. Plenary Repeated measures Episodic (holiday), semantic (facts)
episodic- hippocampus. Semantic- frontal and temporal lobes.
Tulving
Strengths- highly controlled, which means we can clearly identify the area of the brain that is active during certain tasks. More able to establish cause and effect.
Extension: what are the weaknesses of a lab experiment

15. Track your learning
Outline and evaluate ways of studying the brain; including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI); electroencephalogram (EEGs) and event-related potentials (ERPs); post-mortem examinations.