Are fMRI's the New Phrenology?

[Adrift]

Just read a really interesting 2 page article on the Psychology Today website that can be found here:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/...new-phrenology

The article briefly points out the current limitations of MRI technology, and the exploitation of fMRI results to make grant proposals. I wish the article was longer, but its still an interesting read. Here's a snippet:

MRI's: The new phrenology?, by Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Ph.D., Psychology Today

You'd never know about these limitations by reading the headlines in many popular science websites. Researchers boast that they've localized brain structures responsible for everything from anger, love, rage, jealousy, and criminality (Gall would be pleased). In fact, there are brain centers responsible for chess expertise, shogi prowess, and the joy of seeing a baby's smile, according to these sources.

fMRI's can tell us that clumps of certain neurons (nerve cells) become active when certain other things happen. This activity is represented the dark red patches shown in this figure. Blue patches illustrate low levels of activity. You'd swear that your brain becomes an amazing technicolor dream coat in response to the activity of your neurons. It might surprise you to learn, then, that the brain is not in fact "lighting up" (as researchers claim). The colors are artificially and arbitrarily added using computer technology. It's like colorizing a 1930s movie originally recorded in black and white, Red is used to show more activity because it stands out; the blue seems a lot cooler. Don't be seduced by these pyrotechnics. What you should look for instead is statistical evidence. Unfortunately, this evidence isn't provided in a very user-friendly form, if it is provided at all.

The "wow" factor is only part of the story. According to brain researcher Nelson Cowan, "the ability to do brain imaging makes grant proposals stronger." My question is this-- shouldn't it be the science that makes a grant proposal stronger? Whatever happened to a good hypothesis? Furthermore, exactly what is explained by showing what the brain does under certain conditions? We need to know why the brain is reacting as it does. A brain region becomes more active due to something we do that triggers its reactions. It's our thoughts that control our brain's most interesting reactions, not the other way around.

© source where applicable

[Cow Poke]

Interesting, Adrift.

What caught my eye was the use of the phrase "Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat", which was, of course, a musical based on Joseph's coat of many colors.

Anyway, without substantial data to backup up the "technology", I'd say this just looks like headbump reading.

[Adrift]

Interesting, Adrift.

What caught my eye was the use of the phrase "Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat", which was, of course, a musical based on Joseph's coat of many colors.

Anyway, without substantial data to backup up the "technology", I'd say this just looks like headbump reading.

Yeah, I don't discount it that far, but I think its probably not nearly as accurate as some people are led to believe.

[Cow Poke]

Yeah, I don't discount it that far, but I think its probably not nearly as accurate as some people are led to believe.

Do you ALWAYS have to be such a voice of reason?!?

[Adrift]

Do you ALWAYS have to be such a voice of reason?!?

Yes.

[Carrikature]

Of COURSE your brain doesn't light up in pretty colors...

Rain doesn't actually look green when you look at the sky either (the weathermen lie!).

[Cow Poke]

Of COURSE your brain doesn't light up in pretty colors...

Rain doesn't actually look green when you look at the sky either (the weathermen lie!).

weatherguessers.