Neurological Approach Analysis

An MRI is a way in which brain functions can be studied. This method creates images of the brain using a strong magnetic field and is often used by psychologists to observe brain structure and function as discussed by McRobbie (2017). Psychologists may ask patients to perform different tasks to analyse their function. The technique has a variety of benefits. Firstly, one research study used the spatial resolution of MRI as an advantage. (Yang, Kim & Kim, 2008). This study was conducted on patients with amnesia to investigate location of lesion within the hippocampus. This suggests that a strength of MRI is spatial resolution in being able to acknowledge

Memory refers to the persistence of learning in a state that can be revealed at a later time (Squire, 1987). A memory is a network of neocortical neurons and the connections that link them. That network is formed by experience as a result of the concurrent activation of neuronal ensembles that

The combined findings provide the foundation for the hypothesis that there is more than one kind of memory, or rather that skill-based memories must be organised differently from fact-based memories since the former seem to be preserved in amnesia as opposed to the latter.

Can the human mind exist without a functional body? The degree connection between the body and mind is a topic that many people find controversial. Many people believe that the mind is an entity of its own and completely separate from the body. Others state that the body is the biggest influence on the shape of the mind. Though the mind can seem independent from the body at times, it is never truly free. The mind is inseparable from the body it inhabits. A damaged or lost body has immense effects on a person’s grip on their mind and their sense of self. Furthermore, the self is influenced and tied to the characteristics of the body it inhabits.

Why would someone remember all of the multiplication facts they were ever taught, but not what they ate for dinner two days ago? Why would someone be more apt to recall the capitals of all fifty states, but not what they wore last Friday? All memories, while some may appear more important than others, are all stored in the brain, which is the central command center of the human nervous system, controlling every part of daily life. Some memories are more easily retrieved from the brain because emotionally charged events and recurring experiences are better remembered. How emotions allow memories to be more easily remembered, and the application of the five senses and experience on learning all help to explain why some memories are more clear

FMRI: Allows us to see what is happening in the brain WHILE it is working

MRIs are used to allows researchers to see structures in the brain (2007) A great advantage to using MRI is it is non-invasive. The less researchers harm their patients the more ethical it is which can help with the validity. The downside is however, researchers can only use MRIs to look at activation in the brain making its use limited. A study that can show how MRI scans care used to investigate the relationships between biological factors and behavior is Maguire et al. (2000). The aim of this study was to determine if well experienced taxi drivers in London would have differing hippocampus structures compared to London bus drivers. MRI scans were used to scan the structure of their hippocampus, and measured the amount of gray matter in their brain. Maguire noticed there was a larger amount of gray matter found in taxi drivers. Maguire found the data could suggest that the increase amount of gray matter in the hippocampus of taxi drivers is due to the active and repetitive use of the spatial memory skills required to remember roads; the neurons are stronger in areas of the brain which are used most. Maguire because of the MRI technology was able to observe the structures of the subject's brains and find a correlation between environment and neuroplasticity which has been known to affects behavior in terms of memory. Maguire effectively used MRI scans to investigate the structure of the hippocampus, he could not have done this using other technologies such as an EEG or a PET scan. With this study Maguire was able to see the biological factor of brains areas and the hippocampus as well as the behavior of memory and spacial

Functional magnetic resonance imagery (fMRI) uses MRI technology to measure brain activity by detecting relevant changes in blood flow. The process can also give us information on the structure and function of the brain, unlike other processes which can only provide us with one of these two. fMRI scanning relies on cerebral blood flow (CBF – blood supply to the brain at a given time) and neuronal activation are coupled – meaning that when an area of the brain is in use, the blood flow in that region increases. fMRI scans take pictures of the brain every few seconds over a period of several minutes to help researchers determine results of a scan. While fMRI scans cannot detect absolute activity of brain regions, it can detect differences between different conditions. Therefore, a patient will be asked to perform tasks or will be stimulated to trigger processes or emotions during their scan.

It is a version of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This technique is most useful for visualizing the brain’s white matter, which contains the fibers that connect nerve cells. The purpose of this technique is to learn how areas of the brain communicate with one another. Specifically, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) may be used to map and characterize the three-dimensional diffusion of water as a function of spatial location. This technique may help to improve diagnosis and tracking of mild traumatic brain injuries and characterizing disorders of white matter in disease. One advantage of DTI, as stated above it can detect abnormalities in white brain matter and is more sensitive than a conventional fMRI. For example, neurosurgeons also like to know how different critical brain regions connect. Although fMRI can show where the signals begin, imaging the important connecting fibers (white matter) may be just as crucial. One disadvantage is low special resolution that could result in blurry images and inconsistent

The following are; Recall- “a measure of memory in which the person must retrieve information learned earlier”, Recognition- “a measure of memory in which the person needs only to identity items previously learned”, and lastly, Relearning- “a measure of memory that assesses the amount of time saved when learning material again”. Next we learned about Implicit Memory- “retention independent of conscious recollection” and Explicit Memory- “memory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and declare”. Now on to the Discovering Psychology videos, in the first videos it went over the similarities in animals and humans. It talked about how it is easier to do testing on animals than it is to test humans, the reasoning being because, animals in a lot of ways are similar to humans, not so much on a physical sense but, on a mental sense. In the next video we went over that “images, ideas, language, and even physical actions, have to be represented in our memory and then retrieved to aid when needed”. Another thing I found interesting is that you can actually motivate yourself to remember

The central nervous system is made up of the brain and the spinal cord (Marieb and Hoehn, 2014), which includes neural tissue in the body (Farley, Johnstone, Hendry and McLafferty, 2014). Homeostasis occurs in the central nervous system, monitoring and responding to change externally and internally (Farley, Johnstone, Hendry and McLafferty, 2014). Memory, behaviour and starting voluntary movements are controlled by the central nervous system (Farley, Johnstone, Hendry and McLafferty, 2014), with the spinal cord providing quick responses to stimuli, aiding homeostasis (Tortora and Derrickson, 2013). Muscular sclerosis is a condition that affects the CNS, the chronic inflammatory disease occurs due to the breakdown of the myelin

To answer the question of myself be willing to volunteer for testing through a brain examination method, it mostly depends on what type of methods would be performed. For example, if the brain examination method is approved by a certified medical practice(s) and/or by the Food Drug Administration (FDA), I am more likely to participate. However, if a certified medical practice and/or FDA do not approve the brain examination method, I am not willing to participate. Moreover, if the implementers of brain examination method offer a satisfying amount of money for me to volunteer, I still would be somewhat skeptical and concerning questions- Due to preferring life over financial gifts.

Pylyshyn expresses heavy skepticism and disbelief in the evidence for mental imagery. His thresholds for evidence are unusually high, constantly suggesting alternate explanations for the phenomena observed in these studies. It is true that the existing evidence is not conclusive, but it is ampliative, lending credence to the beliefs it supports. Though most of his paper is devoted to picking apart individual sets of evidence provided, his final point is important to weigh in future discussions of mental imagery. Something is missing in how we are viewing imagery (p. 117). To what extent are mental images qualitative experiences? Evidence submitted to journals cannot be in experiences. At least for now, we must put these into words.

In the human body the nervous system is divided into two parts, the central nervous system, and the peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system is composed of the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system is composed of the nerves that lie outside and connect to the central nervous system. The peripheral nervous system can be further divided into the afferent and efferent division. The afferent division brings information back toward the central nervous system, and the efferent division takes information from the central nervous system to the effector cells. The efferent division can further be subdivided into somatic motor and autonomic motor nervous system. Note, this does not mean they are a separate nervous system, but another branch. The somatic motor

All feelings and emotions that people experience are produced through chemical changes in the brain. A lack of certain chemicals or an abundance of chemicals can lead individuals to have emotional imbalances often classifying them as more commonly and more seriously known as mental disorders. Specific chemicals cause certain moods in individuals, often times substances containing these chemicals influence the way a person may feel. Discussing what happens in the brain as it reacts to different chemical build ups will help us as individuals better understand our body and communicate and respond to these experiences in a healthier way.