Question

Betty has an injury to a particular part of her brain and suddenly has trouble imagining, recognizing, and interpreting faces. What region of the brain was likely affected and which technology told us this? a. parahippocampal place area (PPA); MRI b. parahippocampal place area (PPA); fMRI c. fusiform face area (FFA); EEG d. fusiform face area (FFA); fMRI

Short answer

The affected region is the fusiform face area (FFA) detected by fMRI (option d).

Step-by-step solution

Understand the Symptoms

We need to identify the part of Betty's brain that deals with faces since she is having trouble imagining, recognizing, and interpreting them. This indicates that the affected region is responsible for facial processing.

Identify Brain Region

The fusiform face area (FFA) is associated with facial recognition and processing. Therefore, if Betty has trouble with faces, it is likely that the FFA was affected.

Review Brain Imaging Technologies

Consider the brain imaging technologies mentioned. MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) are two techniques that can explore brain activities and structures. EEG (Electroencephalography) primarily measures electrical activity on the scalp.

Determine Appropriate Technology

fMRI is often used to determine active brain areas during particular tasks like facial recognition. Thus, fMRI is the technology that would likely show if the FFA is affected.

Match Features to Answers

Now match our findings to the options provided. The functional effect with facial recognition ties with the fusiform face area (FFA), and the technology that corresponds with detecting activity in this region is fMRI. This matches option d.

Key concepts

Fusiform Face Area (FFA)

The Fusiform Face Area, or FFA, is a specialized part of the human brain known for its role in recognizing faces. This region is located in the fusiform gyrus, on the underside of the temporal lobe. Faces are an important part of social interaction, and the FFA is adept at distinguishing between different faces and interpreting facial expressions.
Unlike general visual perception, the FFA is specifically tuned for facial recognition, meaning it processes faces more effectively than other objects. This specialization allows for the quick identification of individual faces among many. When someone, like Betty from our example, has difficulty recognizing faces, it suggests an issue with the FFA. It's like a broken tool for a particular task: if the tool isn't working, the job can't be done. In Betty’s case, her ability to recognize faces has been affected because her FFA is compromised.

Facial Recognition

Facial recognition is a complex process involving multiple brain regions, with the FFA playing a central role. It starts with the detection of facial features like eyes, nose, and mouth, followed by the brain analyzing these features to recognize the face.

• Imagine the FFA working like facial recognition technology in smartphones. It scans and matches unique facial features to identify someone.
• Proper facial recognition requires interpreting subtle differences in facial features and expressions.
• Damage to regions involved in facial recognition could lead to conditions like prosopagnosia, where individuals cannot recognize faces they’ve seen before.

Being able to identify a face quickly is vital for social interactions and communication. If any component of this system is impaired, such as the FFA, it can disrupt our ability to recognize and process faces effectively.

fMRI

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or fMRI, is a powerful tool used to observe brain activity in real time. Unlike its simpler cousin, the MRI, which shows the structure of the brain, fMRI can reveal which parts of the brain are active during specific tasks.

• fMRI works by detecting changes in blood flow, which corresponds to different areas of brain activity.
• When the FFA is active, for instance, because someone is recognizing a face, increased blood flow to this area can be seen on an fMRI scan.
• This makes the fMRI particularly suited for studies involving cognitive tasks, such as facial recognition.

For Betty, using fMRI would show if the FFA is activated during facial recognition tasks. That’s how scientists could determine if this region is functioning properly. By pinpointing affected areas, interventions or therapies can be more accurately designed to help with recovery or adaptation.