Final answer:
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is the technique used to identify brain areas like the fusiform face area by measuring changes in blood flow associated with brain activity in response to specific tasks.
Step-by-step explanation:
The technique used to determine areas of the brain, such as the fusiform face area, is functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This method measures changes in tissue due to blood flow associated with neuronal activity over time, in response to specific experiments or tasks. By doing so, fMRI generates three-dimensional maps showing the most active regions of the brain. For example, when a subject identifies faces during a task, the fusiform face area is highlighted as a key region engaged in the process, thus validating its role in face recognition.Before the introduction of fMRI and other modern imaging techniques, scientists relied on post-mortem examinations of brain injuries to infer functions associated with different brain regions. However, this method has numerous limitations, such as the inability to observe the brain in real-time during various tasks and the difficulty of linking structure to function in living subjects.