PSYCH 2NF3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 7: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Deep Brain Stimulation, Hypokinesia
29 Mar 2019
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Document Summary
Placing an electrode near a neuron and passing an electrical current through it will produce an action potential in that neuron. By electrically stimulating brain tissue, we can learn about specific functions. In rats: some stimulation sites are positively rewarding (ex: animal will perform work to receive the stimulation, other sites are negatively rewarding (ex: animals will avoid locations at which they received stimulation) Has application in treating psychiatrics, neurological and psychological conditions: includes depression, ocd and epilepsy. For parkinson"s: can lessen akinesia (absence or poverty of movement) and tremors associated with the disease. Limitation: highly invasive (skull must be opened which itself can cause damage) A non-invasive method that allows brain stimulation through the skull. Small wire coil is placed adjacent to the skull: To map brain function, researchers move the stimulation across different regions. Limitation of xrays techniques is their output: only produce 2d images of 3d structures.
