| | Function | Use | Limitations |
| Electroencephalogram (EEG) | Detects electrical energy in the brain and displays information that can be interpreted. | Monitors and studies brain processes, diagnoses brain conditions, and sheds light on the way substances affect brain function. | Records activity happening on the surface of the brain. |
| Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT scan or CT scan) | X-rays create many cross-sectional images of the brain (or body); similar to bread slices, you can examine the pieces individually. | Spots tumors and brain damage and presents the brain’s structural features. | Exposes people to radiation, potentially increasing cancer risk (National Cancer Institute, 2010). |
| Positron Emission Tomography (PET) | Uses radioactive glucose; scanner sensitive to radioactivity, detects active areas of the brain, which have absorbed the most sugar. | Captures the brain in a variety of activities (e.g., dreaming, hallucinating, or appreciating the scent of a rose). | From injection to scan, PET scans are time-consuming. This procedure can be expensive, and it exposes people to radiation. |
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) | Using radio frequency waves, the MRI produces cross-sectional images (slices) of the brain; detects tumors, bleeding, infections, and the size and shape of various brain structures. | Provides information on the anatomy of the brain. | MRIs produce more detailed images than CTs, but are more time-consuming and expensive. |
| Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) | Captures changes in brain activity. | Reveals patterns of blood flow in a particular area of the brain, providing a good indicator of how much oxygen is being used as a result of activity. | Indirectly measures neural activity via blood flow, not necessarily identifying the precise location of cognitive processes. |
| Technologies to study the brain are continuing to evolve. Summarized here are the most commonly used technologies. |
| SOURCE: YASMIN ET AL., 2012. |