Читать книгу The Handy Psychology Answer Book - Lisa J. Cohen - Страница 214

Electroencephalography (EEG) is one of the oldest methods of studying the brain in living people. It is used to measure electrical activity in the brain, which is a reflection of brain cell (or neuronal) activity. EEG is non-invasive, in that there is no need to insert anything into the body. Electrodes are placed throughout the scalp in order to measure electrical activity across the brain. Because the electrodes sit on the scalp and do not directly touch brain tissue, they are most sensitive to electrical activity in the parts of the brain that are closest to the scalp. Unfortunately, it is impossible to identify exactly where the electrical signals are originating. In this way, EEG is far inferior to fMRI and PET with regard to mapping brain activity in space. Nonetheless, EEG is very sensitive to time and can provide a precise measure of the change in brain activity over time. EEG is also cheaper than fMRI or PET and is very easy to administer. EEG is most frequently used to assess for seizure activity as well as for changes in brain firing patterns during sleep.