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Student Activity - n-Back test
Activity idea
By the end of this activity, students should understand how the n-back test is performed when testing brain function with MRI.
The n-back test is carried out in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine when looking at what areas of the brain are involved in memory and recall.
Instructions
Have a friend read out the following list of letters.
A C M C Q P C X R X
When you hear a letter read out that was read out two letters ago (this is a two-back test), tap the desk. For example, if I read out A C M C, the second C is the same as the letter two letters ago, and I would tap the desk. Inside the MRI, subjects are given a buzzer to push.
You can also do a one-back test or even three-back test. Try these
One-back test – P R M M Y D D R P R
Three-back text – A B C M R C Q R
You could design your own n-back tests. A one-back test would be easier and a three-back test much harder
