Because it records from surface electrodes, it cannot localize activity within a particular nerve cell, but it can provide an indication of the type of activity over an area of the brain. One of the most common diseases affecting conduction of the nerve impulse is multiple sclerosis . Chemical neurotransmitter abnormalities are responsible for many neurological disorders. For example, a shortage of the transmitter dopamine produces the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, and many scientists think that schizophrenia also has a biochemical basis. This should allow the study of neurotransmitter function in living brains.
Some neurological disorders result from tumours within the central nervous system.
Localization of such growths has recently been made much easier by the development of new and better imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging . Oxford University Press 2. The Penguin Dictionary of Psychology 4. electroencephalograph Oxford Paperback Encyclopedia 5. All rights reserved.