The Brain Assessments microcredential course is offered by the Michigan State University Neuroscience and Law program for students and working professionals with an interest in learning how neuroscience can be applied to their role in the crimimal justice system, whether it be law enforcement, criminal investigation, forensics, social work, or in the courtroom.
This second module covers the more invasive types of neuroscience methods that aren’t so much used to assess human behaviour, although they certainly can be, but more typically are used for experimental purposes to learn how the brain works, the findings of which can then be applied to understanding the behaviour that goes along with it. We start with neuron recordings, both intracellular and extracellular, which are correlational methods that can establish the co-occurrence of behaviour and brain activity, as opposed to microstimulation and deactivation which are causal methods which can actually establish that a particular brain area is responsible for the occurrence of a behaviour, as demonstrated by Dr. Wilder Penfield’s use of microstimulation to identify epileptogenic tissue in patients suffering from epilepsy. We wrap-up this module with a closer look at reversible deactivation and the different types of cooling methods that can be used both experimentally and therapeutically.
All this and more in the two hour Recording, Stimulation & Deactivation module of the Brain Assessments microcredential course for NeuroLaw.
