Brain Scanning Techniques

Biopsychology – Studying the Brain

In this course, Dr Ivana Babicova (Birmingham City University) explores techniques for studying the brain. In the first lecture, we think about some brain scanning techniques, focusing on Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Computed Axial Tomography (CAT) scans. In the second lecture, we think about the history and effectiveness of psychosurgery. In the third lecture, we think about autopsies and their use in assessing traumatic brain injuries. Next, we think about how brain scanning techniques have helped us understand brain function and localisation. In the fifth lecture, we think about some practical issues with brain scanning techniques. In the sixth and final lecture, we think about some ethical issues present in neuroscience.

Brain Scanning Techniques

In this lecture, we think about brain scanning techniques, specifically Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Computed Axial Tomography (CAT) scans, focusing in particular on: (i) the use of a radioactive substance injected into the patient in a PET scan, to record brain activity; (ii) the key focal point of a PET scan being the observation of blood flow volumes in particular brain regions, indicating increased levels of activity in those high blood flow regions; (iii) the fact that the radioactive tracer isn’t metabolised in the brain meaning that it can allow the recording of colourful, three-dimensional images of brain activity; (iv) the real-time nature of PET scan outputs increasing their usefulness for mapping brain activity; (v) the meaning of the different colours present in a PET scan image; (vi) the application of PET scans in diagnosing conditions like Alzheimer’s and epilepsy; (vii) the evaluation of brain scanning methods, accounting for both temporal and spatial resolution; (viii) the use of x-rays to produce the CAT scan’s imagery, which come in the form of ‘slices’; (ix) a small but key risk with CAT scans being radiation exposure; (x) the visibility of lesions or decayed areas of the brain in black in a CAT scan image.