Which brain-imaging method records the brain's magnetic fields to study neural timing and processing?

Which brain-imaging method records the brain's magnetic fields to study neural timing and processing?

• A. EEG readings
• B. PET scan
• C. Magnetoencephalography (MEG)
• D. fMRI

Answer: (C)

This item is about imaging methods that capture the rapid timing of neural activity by measuring magnetic fields produced by the brain. Magnetoencephalography records those magnetic fields with millisecond precision, letting us track when processing happens in real time. This makes it especially good for studying the sequence of neural events and how quickly the brain responds to stimuli. Other techniques either measure electrical activity directly on the scalp (EEG) or infer brain activity from metabolic changes or blood flow (PET and fMRI). EEG shares high temporal resolution but records electrical potentials rather than magnetic fields, and PET/fMRI provide strong spatial information but much slower temporal detail. So the method that directly records magnetic fields to study neural timing and processing is MEG.

This item is about imaging methods that capture the rapid timing of neural activity by measuring magnetic fields produced by the brain. Magnetoencephalography records those magnetic fields with millisecond precision, letting us track when processing happens in real time. This makes it especially good for studying the sequence of neural events and how quickly the brain responds to stimuli.

Other techniques either measure electrical activity directly on the scalp (EEG) or infer brain activity from metabolic changes or blood flow (PET and fMRI). EEG shares high temporal resolution but records electrical potentials rather than magnetic fields, and PET/fMRI provide strong spatial information but much slower temporal detail. So the method that directly records magnetic fields to study neural timing and processing is MEG.