Cognitive neuroscience is a relatively new scientific field that has arisen from the marriage of neuroscience, a biomedical field of study that focuses on animal nervous systems and that by any measure has flourished both conceptually and technically during the past century; and cognitive psychology, a discipline rooted in the long-standing interest of natural philosophers and psychologists in understanding human mental processes. The rationale for this union is the perception in both camps that many human brain functions that only a few years ago were considered beyond the reach of neuroscientific methods and theory are in fact amenable to an approach that combines the best of both traditions. This module reviews the major ways cognitive neuroscientists study brain functions, particularly the imaging technologies that have revolutionized our ability to study the living, behaving brain and are responsible for the emergence of cognitive neuroscience as a new field.
Module learning outcomes
Give an account of the principles underlying different neuroimaging techniques (particularly fMRI, MEG, EEG & TMS)
Describe the relationship between brain activity and neuroimaging signals
Discuss the applications and limitations of neuroimaging in experimental psychology
Understand the principles of experimental design in neuroimaging
Module content
Introduction to Brain and Behaviour
Basic Principles of MRI
From Neurons to BOLD
Spatial and Temporal Properties of fMRI
Principles & Practice in MEG
Experimental Design & Analysis in Neuroimaging
Virtual Lesions: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation