Brain-Research Techniques

Brain research is essential in order to develop cures for neurological diseases and mental illnesses, and to develop a better sense of how the brain operates. Prior to the development of several different scanners and simulators, researchers had to guess how the brain worked. Today, cutting-edge scanners can allow researchers to study the brain without harming the brain studied.

Brain Damage

• One way to determine how a part of the brain is used is to examine how the behavior of the organism changes when that part of the brain is damaged or destroyed. Animals can have parts of the brain removed or damaged using chemicals, cold or electricity. In a search for the cure for human neurological diseases, doctors and researchers observe what results when a part of the brain is damaged through an accident or medical emergency. If a certain behavior or process becomes impossible when a specific part of the brain is damaged or removed, that part of the brain was essential to the process.

Stimulation

• In the 50s, certain portions of the brain were stimulated electrically in order to determine the result. If the stimulation of a part of the brain causes a specific reaction in the human body, that part of the brain must be related to the resulting action. This method of brain research is now considered unethical and is only performed on animals.

EEG

• Electricity courses rapidly through the brain. Parts of the brain that do not have electricity traveling through them may be damaged. On the other hand, increased electrical activity in the brain in response to a stimulus may indicate that that part of the brain has something to do with the stimulus. For instance, if a part of an individual's brain lights up whenever she sees spiders, the part of the brain that lights up may have something to do with her fear.

CAT Scans

• The CAT scan stands for Computerized Axial Tomography. CAT scans are used to determine where brain damage has occurred. CATs are weaker versions of X-Rays that can detect not only damage, but also blood flow in the brain.

MRI Scans

• MRI scan stands for magnetic resonance imaging. MRI scans use magnets to take clear pictures of the entire brain. If researchers want to study changes in the brain over time or study a specific part of the brain, they can use a functional MRI.

PET Scans

• PET scans stand for Positron Emission Tomography. Individuals being studied ingest radioactive glucose that has a low radiation level. The parts of the brain that are the most active consume more glucose, allowing researchers to determine which parts of the brain are used the most in which situations. The PET scan is able to pick up where the radioactive glucose is located.