Scope and Outlook

What is neuroscience?

The scientific study of the nervous system.

What is the central nervous system (CNS)?

The brain and spinal cord.

What is the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?

All the neurons outside the brain and spinal cord.

What is the somatic division of the PNS responsible for?

Conveying sensory information to the CNS and motor information from the CNS to the muscles.

What is the autonomic division of the PNS responsible for?

Governing the workings of the internal organs (e.g., heartbeat, respiration).

What is behavioral neuroscience?

The study of the biological bases of psychological processes and behavior.

What are the five major perspectives used to study the biology of behavior?

1. Describing behavior, 2. Studying evolution of behavior, 3. Observing the development of behavior and its biological characteristics over the life span, 4. Studying biological mechanisms of behavior, 5. Studying applications of behavioral neuroscience.

How can behavior be described?

In terms of acts or processes, or in terms of results or functions.

What is the purpose of studying the evolution of behavior?

To understand the continuity and differences in behavior and biology due to common ancestry and adaptations.

What is conserved in species due to common ancestry?

Traits.

What can similar appearances in different species indicate?

Similar solutions that have evolved.

What is taxonomy?

Branch of biology concerned with naming and classifying species.

What are the five different kingdoms?

Monera (bacteria), Protista (single cells), Plantae (plants), Fungi (fungi), Animalia (animals).

What is a nerve net?

Simple nervous system with sensory and motor neurons.

What are ganglia?

Structures that resemble and function somewhat like a brain.

What are chordates?

Animals that have a brain and spinal cord.

What are the common characteristics of chordates?

Bilaterally symmetrical and segmented, have brain and spinal cord encased in cartilage/bone, have 'Crossed' organization, have spinal cord behind the heart and gut.

What is the cerebellum?

Major structure of the brainstem involved in coordinating and learning skilled movements. May also have a role in other mental processes.

What increases in size in the brain led to extensive folding?

Both cerebrum and cerebellum.

What is the purpose of taxonomy?

To help trace the evolution of brain cells and the brain.

What is the purpose of classifying species?

To group organisms with common characteristics.

What is the purpose of the nervous system?

To transmit signals between different parts of the body.

What is the purpose of the nerve net?

To provide a simple nervous system with sensory and motor neurons.

What is the purpose of the cerebrum?

To control higher cognitive functions such as language, memory, and decision-making.

What is the purpose of the spinal cord?

To transmit signals between the brain and the rest of the body.

What is the purpose of the cerebellum?

To coordinate and learn skilled movements.

What is the purpose of the brainstem?

To regulate basic functions such as breathing and heart rate.

What is the purpose of the cerebral hemispheres?

To control voluntary movements and higher cognitive functions.

What are some features common to primates?

Excellent color vision, eyes in front of face, females usually have one infant per pregnancy, large brains

What is ontogeny?

The process by which an individual changes throughout its life-span

What is studied to learn about functions and mechanisms?

Behaviors that change over the life-span

What underlies all behavior?

Biological mechanisms

What is studied to understand the mechanisms the nervous system contributes to behavior?

Neuronal activity

How can research in behavioral neuroscience be applied to humans?

Understanding brain disorders and devising treatments

What percentage of people suffer from some form of neurological or psychiatric disorder?

One in five

What are the two important approaches in research?

Clinical and laboratory approaches

What is somatic intervention?

Alteration of a structure or function to see how behavior is altered

What is the independent variable in somatic intervention?

The factor being manipulated

What is the dependent variable in somatic intervention?

What is measured in response to changes in the independent variable

What is behavioral intervention?

Intervention in a behavior to see how structure or function is altered

What is the independent variable in behavioral intervention?

Behavior

What are dependent variables in behavioral intervention?

Body changes

What is neuroplasticity?

The ability of the brain to be changed by environment and experience

When can neuroplasticity occur?

During development and in adulthood

What can change shape in seconds in the brain?

Dendritic spines

What can result in brain changes?

Social interactions

What are the effects of social isolation in rats?

Changes in the brain.

Which brain region is affected by play?

Posterodorsal amygdala.

What does correlation measure?

How much a body measure varies with a behavioral measure.

What does correlation not imply?

Causation.

What are the levels of analysis in studying brain and behavior?

From social interaction to molecular level.

What does reductionism involve?

Breaking a system down into smaller parts.

What did early Egyptians and Greeks believe was the seat of mental capacities?

The heart.

Who conducted early dissections of the nervous system?

Herophilus.

What did Galen report in brain-injured gladiators?

Behavioral changes.

Who pioneered anatomical drawings, including cross-sections?

Leonardo da Vinci.

What did anatomists emphasize in their study of the brain?

The external surfaces.

What did artists believe about the complexity of the brain?

It was God's gift to mankind.

What is mentalism?

Hypothesis that behavior is a function of the mind.

Who proposed the hypothesis of mentalism?

Aristotle.

What did early thoughts believe the brain was for?

Cooling the blood.

What was the psyche held responsible for?

Human consciousness, perceptions, emotions, imagination, opinion, desire, pleasure, pain, memory, and reason.

What was the nonmaterial psyche thought to be?

An entity independent of the body.

What does dualism propose?

The mind and body are separate entities.

What is the mind-body problem?

How does a non-material mind command a material body?

How does the mind control rational behavior?

Through the non-material mind

How does the body and brain direct other behavior?

Via mechanical and physical principles

Give examples of behaviors controlled by the body and brain.

Sensation, movement, digestion

What is the role of the pineal gland in controlling behavior?

It regulates behavior by directing the flow of ventricular fluid to appropriate muscles

What are the problems with Descartes' perspective?

The pineal gland is not involved in intelligence or behavioral control, fluid is not pumped from the ventricles to control movement, nonmaterial influences on the body would violate the law of conservation of matter and energy

What is materialism?

Behavior can be fully explained by the workings of the nervous system, without explanatory recourse to an immaterial mind

What is the purpose of science?

To allow investigators to confirm answers to a question independently

What is phrenology?

The assignment of separate functions to cortical areas based on bumps on the skull

What did opponents of phrenology argue?

That the brain works as a whole, not in separate functions

Who is Paul Broca?

A researcher who showed that language ability is restricted to a small area in the brain.

What did Paul Broca's research show?

That language ability is localized to a specific region in the brain.

What was the focus of research during the 19th century?

To find differences in brain regions and relate behaviors to those regions.

What is contemporary brain theory?

materialistic