Brain Technologies Of Brain And Schizophrenia

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The brain, a component of the nervous system that is located in our skulls is a complex organ that determines almost everything about us, from actions to personality traits. It controls voluntary movement, conscious thinking, language, memory, and emotion (“Brain” 2014). Through the use of brain imaging technologies, psychologists are able to break down the complexity of the active brain and study its particular processes. Such technologies include Positron Emission Topography (PET), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), Electroencephalogram (EEG), and Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT). These instruments are useful in the field of neurology, but have their own set of benefits and drawbacks depending on different situations. Hence, this essay will discuss and evaluate the brain technologies of PET and fMRI in its role of investigating the relationship between biological factors and behavior in terms of schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia is a chronic disorder where a defect of the brain affects a person’s actions, thoughts, and perspective of the world around them. Those diagnosed with schizophrenia are not able to discern between reality and fantasy. Symptoms of this mental illness are hallucinations, delusions, fumble of speech/behavior, decrease in emotional expression, and decrease in motivation (Queensland Government 2011). Such an illness occurs mostly in later teens and early twenties with a likelihood of being more severe in men. They are caused by environmental factors, prenatal infection, an abuse of drugs, etc. As stated in Magnetic Resonance Imaging Of Brain In People At High Risk Of Developing Schizophrenia, brain imaging technologies have brought light to the multifactorial disord...

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...elation between biological factors and behavior. However, the two main brain imaging technologies used when dealing with the neural defect of schizophrenia, are MRI and PET scans. These instruments are quite useful in the fact that they help identify potential cases of a person being diagnosed with a mental illness like schizophrenia and the causes of such a condition. Both have a good number of both advantages and disadvantages. Depending on the situation, the drawbacks of the technology may be higher than the benefits or vice versa. Hence, not one particular brain imaging technology is superior over the other. As a matter of fact, all the instruments combined could create the ideal brain imaging technology that can be applied to the general public in all circumstances when investigating the link between behavior and biological factors in terms of schizophrenia.

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