Читать книгу Abnormal Psychology - William J. Ray - Страница 87

There are a number of trade-offs that researchers must consider when choosing a brain imaging technique (see Table 2.2 for pros and cons of using the different techniques). It begins with the research question one is asking. If you wanted to know if the areas of the brain associated with memory, such as the hippocampus, are larger or smaller in those with PTSD, then you would want a measure of structure. If you wanted to know if those with autism quickly viewed different emotional faces in a different way, then you would want a measure that reflects changes in brain processes.

Figure 2.17 Brain Activation Differences in the Amygdala and Insula

Source: Reprinted from Steven E. Bruce, Katherine R. Buchholz, Wilson J. Brown, Laura Yan, Anthony Durbin, & Yvette I. Sheline, Altered Emotional Interference Processing in the Amygdala and Insula in Women With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, NeuroImage: Clinical, Vol. 2, pp. 43–49, Copyright © 2013, with permission from Elsevier.

Figure 2.18 Mapping White Matter Connections in the Brain Measured With Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI).

Source: © Zephyr/Science Source

Figure 2.19 Mapping White Matter Connections in the Brain Using Color Coding

Source: Thomas Schultz (2006), Wikipedia.

One important question is how fast a particular technique can measure change. This is referred to as temporal resolution. EEG and MEG, for example, can measure quick changes in the brain on the millisecond level. PET, on the other hand, can only record changes that take place in a period of a few minutes or more. Another consideration is spatial resolution—that is, what size of brain area a technique can measure. PET and fMRI are better able to pinpoint the location of activity in the brain, whereas with EEG it is less possible to know specifically where in the brain activity came from. The relationship between spatial and temporal resolution is shown in Figure 2.20.

Table 2.2