The past twenty years have seen advancements in technology that were critical to further understanding concepts in cognitive psychology. Two such developments are positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. These scans allow researchers to “see” the brain in action.
Research how brain scans can diagnose injury and disease using the Internet and the Argosy University online library resources. Based on your research, answer the following questions:
How do PET and MRI work?
If you were showing a person words while having an MRI, what brain areas would probably be active?
If a brain injury victim is unable to move the right arm, in which area of the brain would an MRI scan most likely reveal damage?
What kind of scan do you think would be best in diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease?
How do the research tools (equipment and methodology) available today contribute to a greater understanding of “conscious processes and immediate experience” than was possible using trained introspection and structuralism?
PETs and MRIs also can diagnose head injuries. Consider the following scenario:
You are working at a Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital and meet with Allison. Allison is in the US Army and has just returned home from a deployment. During her deployment, a bomb was thrown into a vehicle in which she was riding. She was not severely injured but was told that she sustained a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Respond to the following:
Define TBI for Allison.
Describe any symptoms that Allison might experience.
How do you think the army should deal with these injuries? For example, if Allison is not obviously physically impaired, should she be discharged and receive disability pay? Should she be redeployed? If Allison stays in the army, what kinds of jobs do you think she should not perform?
Write your initial response in 4–5 paragraphs. Apply APA standards to citation of sources.
Note from the Professor:
For the Module 1 Assignment 2 discussion, you may want to do an Internet search using the following search terms: “traumatic brain injury” or “cognitive impairment in TBI” to find additional resources for your discussion. Be sure to paraphrase into your own words for the purpose of the discussion and give credit to your source by using in-text citations and a reference list in APA format. An example is…
http://www.brainline.org/content/2010/03/cognitive-problems-after-traumatic-brain-injury_pageall.html
Reference
Newman, D., &Lequerica, A., (2010). Cognitive problems after traumatic brain injury, Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center, retrieved July 13, 2016 from Brainline.org.
preview of the answer…
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan is imaging technique that uses the detection of gamma rays that are produced by radiopharmaceutical generate three-dimensional color images of human physiological processes. PET procedure involves either the injection into the blood, consumption or inhalation as a gas of a radiotracer. The accumulation of the radiopharmaceutical material in the parts of the body under examination generates gamma rays that can be detected by special cameras in the machine. Wagenknecht et al. (2013) wrote that computers installed as part of the equipment then creates pictures that provide detailed information about the conditions of organs and tissues in the body. PET scan differs from other imaging techniques because it focuses on metabolic processes and…
APA 735 words
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