Question

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.

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?

Answer 1

Because the left temporal lobe is responsible for verbal memory, it would be visibly active in an MRI image if the subject were being shown words during the procedure.

If a brain injury victim is unable to move the right arm, the area of the brain that an MRI scan would reveal as damaged would be on the left side of the brain. Depending on the part of the body affected, the defect in the brain is usually on the opposite side. As primary motor cortex, situated in the frontal lobe, is responsible for motor coordination ( its role is to generate neural impulses that control the execution of movement) might be determined as defected or damaged.