Discuss+the+use+of+technology+in+investigating+cognitive+processes.+(Maia)

// Discuss the use of technology in investigating cognitive processes. //

I. The purpose of neuro-imaging scans is to obtain images of brain functioning and structures that help researchers investigate the relationship between cognitive processes and behavior.

II. PET Scan A. Positron emission tomography is a scanning method that measures important functions in the brain, such as glucose consumption and blood flow. B. Used to detect tumors or memory disorders due to Alzheimer’s disease, because it can identify cellular-level metabolic changes in an organ or tissue. 1. Early detection of Alzheimer’s – patients may not even have detected that something is wrong at all. C. NYU School of Medicine researchers have developed a brain-scan-based computer program that quickly and accurately measures metabolic activity in the hippocampus. 1. Using PET scans and the computer program, the researchers showed that in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, there is a reduction in brain metabolism in the hippocampus. 2. Longitudinal study – followed a sample of 53 normal and healthy participants, some for 9 years and others for as long as 24 years a. found that individuals who showed early signs of reduced metabolism in the hippocampus were associated with development of Alzheimer’s later in life b. This new technique could potentially be a useful tool in screening for Alzheimer’s in people who do not yet show any signs, but this must be further tested and studied before it can be supported fully

III. MRI A. Magnetic resonance imaging provides a three-dimensional picture of brain structures. B. MRI and fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) detect changes in the use of oxygen in the blood. When an area in the brain is more active, it uses more oxygen. C. Can be used to see what areas are active when people perform cognitive tasks such as reading or problem solving. D. Marketing research – used to detect which areas are active when you look at a favorite brand.

IV. Kilts Experiment A. In 2003, Clinton Kilts, from Atlanta’s Emory University in the US, conducted a series of experiments using MRI scanners to investigate the role of the brain in product preferences. 1. Self-selected sample of volunteers 2. First, participants were asked to rate a number of consumer goods in terms of preference, giving them points according to level of attractiveness. 3. Then, each was put into the MRI scanner, where they were shown pictures of the items and again asked to rate them, while the scanner registered brain activity. B. The researcher found that every time a person rated a product as particularly attractive, there was activity in a small area in the medial prefrontal cortex. 1. This is an area that is known to be related to our sense of self and our personality 2. Kilts explained that if we are attracted to a product, we somehow identify with it, which is why there is activity in this area when we look at such products. C. Afterward, Kilts began using MRI technology to understand what happens in consumer’s brains when they make decisions about consumer brands. 1. Pepsi or Coke? Tested by Read Montague, from Houston’s Baylor College of Medicine in the U.S. Used 70 participants in a blind taste test. 2. Montague found brain activity in an area called the ventral putamen, which is part of the pleasure center in the brain. D. Kilts believes that you can use the knowledge from neuromarketing to make tools for testing the efficiency of marketing campaigns and brands. A bond between a product and the consumer is just what any company would love to create, so if they can get a consumer to identify with a brand, it becomes part of his or her self-image.