Dr. Smith aims to analyze the impact of inhibiting a brain area on behavior. What technique should he use?

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive technique that creates magnetic fields to stimulate specific areas of the brain. This method is particularly effective for analyzing the impact of inhibiting a brain area on behavior because it allows researchers to temporarily disrupt normal brain activity in targeted regions. By administering TMS, Dr. Smith can observe changes in behavior that result from this temporary inhibition, which can provide insights into the function of that brain area.

On the other hand, functional MRI (fMRI) measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow and is more focused on observing which areas of the brain are activated during certain tasks, rather than inhibiting specific areas. Single-cell recording involves measuring the activity of individual neurons and is more invasive, making it less suitable for general behavior studies in humans. Electroencephalography (EEG) measures electrical activity along the scalp and is useful for understanding brain waves and timing of brain activity but does not directly inhibit brain areas. Thus, TMS is the most appropriate choice for Dr. Smith's goal of analyzing the impact of specific brain area inhibition on behavior.