Brain Research

The human brain is the most important part of the central nervous system. It controls the body and what it does. With the brain we think, remember and reason. The brain receives such sensations as sight, touch, and temperature, and governs the body’s reaction to them. Even small injuries to the brain are serious and may cause death.

Brain research is the informal term for neuropsychology. The study of overt behaviors and psychological processes and the influence it has in the function of the brain is known as neuropsychology. The different approaches taken in nerurospychology are stated below:

• Experimental neuropsychology
• Clinical neuropsychology
• Cognitive neuropsychology
• Connectionism
• Functional neuroimaging.

Experimental neuropsychology is the study of healthy people in laboratory environment.

Clinical neuropsychology however is the study of people who are affected by some mental illness. Illness in the brain that leads to neurocognitive problems must be assessed and treated. Cognitive neuropsychology is a combination of the experimental and clinical neuropsychology.

In connectionism a models of neural networks are formed as close as possible to show how the neutrons operate. In this type of brain research the model can be damaged and the effect of the damage in the brain can be tracked.

One of the most cutting edge and new methods that has taken brain research or neuropsychology to a whole new level is Functional neuroimaging (FMRI). The brain is mapped to observe what reactions occur within the brain when he is doing a certain work. These are the approaches to brain research. Understanding the methods used in neuropsychology is important. Some methods that are in common practice are:

• To find a link between a task and it neurocognitive processes. Now the data obtained from these tests are utilized on previously established scales such as Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), etc.
• Brain scanning is another method too. Methods such as positron emission topography, computed axial tomography and FMRI.
• Measurement of brain activity through electrophysical methods. The brain senses electrical and magnetic field created by the nervous system and acts accordingly.

Questions

• What are the major parts of the brain?
• Does the brain create emotions or do stimuli create emotions?