Neuroscientists use brain imaging technologies to create detailed pictures of neuronal activity and physiological processes. In doing so, researchers gain clues about the brain’s workings and their links to mental illness, cognition, perception, emotion, and the many other facets of mental life. How do scientists peer into the brain to better understand what is happening, where, and why?
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)
This technique allows researchers to analyze the activity levels in specific brain areas from moment to moment, in 3-D, with a relatively high degree of detail
- The system produces images of the brain’s function, indicating whether the activity of neurons is increased or decreased under what conditions
- Different groups of people may show differences in how their brains function under certain conditions
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Electroencephalography (EEG)
Unlike fMRI, which provides an indirect impression of brain cell activity based on blood flow, EEG directly measures electrical activity in the brain.
- In EEG, an array of flat metal electrodes are placed on a person’s scalp. These electrodes measure electrical signals that result from the activity of neurons in the cerebral cortex.
Emission Computed Tomography
Takes its name from the emission of radioactive energy by tracers injected into the blood-a signature aspect of this approach to understanding the brain.
- More invasive than other commonly used forms of brain imaging, it provides a close look at what is happening in different parts of the brain and provides a way to study the brain’s metabolic processes.
