Lowdown: Neuro research
Nick Hirstadam&eveDDB
Purveyors of neuro research claim that their methodologies offer a direct line to our inner emotional lives. But how much can we really depend upon technology and science that's in its infancy?
Neuro research tends to use a small range of core methodologies. Two brain scanning approaches attract the most attention. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (or fMRI) detects the activity of neurons indirectly, by measuring levels of blood oxygen in the brain. fMRI machines are huge, noisy and expensive, so many commercial research companies use less intrusive electroencephalograms (EEGs) instead. Subjects wear a cap...