OCR General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) Biology Practice Exam

What presents a limitation when interpreting fMRI results?

1. Inability to access brain data

2. Not knowing if the same patterns occur during normal conditions

3. All fMRI results are definitive

4. Unpredictable fMRI scanning costs

The correct answer is: Not knowing if the same patterns occur during normal conditions

The correct answer highlights a significant limitation in interpreting fMRI results: the uncertainty about whether the same neural activity patterns can be observed under normal, everyday conditions. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measures brain activity by detecting changes associated with blood flow, which is often increased in areas of the brain that are more active. However, the conditions under which fMRI scans are conducted can be highly controlled and may not accurately reflect real-world scenarios. For instance, participants in fMRI studies are typically placed in a scanner and asked to perform specific tasks, which may induce different levels of stress or concentration than they would experience in daily life. This discrepancy raises questions about the generalizability of the results. If researchers observe a certain brain activation pattern during a lab task, it remains unclear whether that pattern will also appear during typical activities outside of the scanning environment. This limitation is crucial to consider when interpreting fMRI data, as it can affect the conclusions drawn about how brain function relates to behavior or cognitive processes in everyday situations.