Introduction to the brain part 1

brain and behavior lecture 1

brain

command center

spine

transmits info from body to brain and brain to body via long axons

somatic nervous system

made of nerves that connect to the brain and to major muscles

autonomic nervous system

nerves that connect to the viscera

cerebral cortex

outermost covering of the cerebral hemispheres

gray matter

part of the brain that contains the cell bodies (thinking part)

intelligence

wrinklier brain= more…

gyri

ridges of the brain’s wrinkles

sulci

grooves of the brain’s wrinkles

frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal

lobes of the brain

frontal lobe

phineas gage is the first case study of the …

damage to frontal lobe

decreased prosocial behaviors, intelligence, and executive functioning

damage to frontal lobe

changes in personality, aggression, inappropriate behaviors, and temperament

functions of frontal lobe

executive functioning, motor control, personality, self awareness, speech production

broca’s

speech production happens in ….. area

speech production

broca’s area is responsible for …

frontal lobe

broca’s area is located in the…

frontal lobe

motor cortex is located in the ….

frontal

lobotomy severed the … lobe

primary auditory cortex

what part of the temporal lobe processes sound and hearing

functions of the temporal lobe

process sound and hearing, long term memory, language comprehension, recognition of faces and objects

word blindness (alexia)

difficulty reading or interpreting words despite seeing letters

language comprehension

Wernicke’s area

temporal lobe

where is wernicke’s area located

damage to temporal lobe

alexia, aphasias, vertigo/spatial disorientation, auditory issues, amnesia

temporal lobe

hippocampus is located in the…

amygdala

emotional hub of the brain

central nervous system

brain and spinal cord

peripheral nervous system

made of nerves

somatic and autonomic

divisions of the peripheral nervous system

back

occipital lobe is located at the …. of the brain

function of occipital lobe

visual processing

cortical blindness

eyes intact but occipital lobe damaged, functionally blind

damage to occipital lobe

cortical blindness, visual distortions, visual field loss, anton syndrome, alice in wonderland syndrome

anton syndrome

rare condition where a person experiences cortical blindness but denies being blind

alice in wonderland syndrome

rare condition where things look larger or smaller than they actually are

denial of blindness

visual anosognosia

functions of the parietal lobe

processes sensory information, enables spatial awareness

parietal lobe

location of somatosensory cortex

hemispatial neglect

ignoring one side of space

anosognosia

denial of illness

asomatognosia

denial of affected side of the body

astereognosia

inability to name objects by touch alone

amygdala

Charles whitman (shot up ut tower) case study of the ….

corpus callosum

Large band of white matter (axons) connecting the left and right hemispheres of the brain, allow the hemispheres to communicate and share information

split brain syndrome

damage to the corpus callosum, hemispheres cannot share information

epilepsy

severing corpus callosum can be a treatment for severe …

brainstem

Located at the base of the brain connecting to the spinal cord

brainstem

controls basic functions: breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and sleep/wake cycles

cerebellum

meaning “little brain” located at the base of the skull

cerebellum

coordinate movement, balance, fine motor control

cerebellum

damage causes ataxia- loss of coordination, staggering gate, slurred speech

meninges

protective membrane layers surrounding the brain and spinal cord

dura mater, arachnoid, pia mater

layers of the meninges

meningitis

inflammation of the meninges

ventricles

4 interconnected fluid-filled cavities within the brain

ventricles

produce and circulate csf which cushions the brain, removes waste, and delivers nutrients

hydrocephalus

blockage of csf flow causes …..

Basal ganglia

A group of deep brain structures including the striatum, globus pallidus, and substantia nigra; controls voluntary movement initiation, procedural learning, and habit formation

Parkinson’s disease

damage to basal ganglia or dopamine loss

fMRI

shows activity in the brain measured by blood flow to certain areas. Benefits: very detailed, measures function Drawbacks: expensive

MRI

most intensive form of imaging, allows to see damage, very detailed anatomy, and some can isolate cells Drawback: also expensive

TMS

creates, temporarily disrupts, or activates electrical signals in targeted areas using magnetic pulses

EEG

measures electrical activity in brain, Benefits: cheap, widespread Drawbacks: limited variable measured

Evoked Potentials (EP)

treats brain as electrical circuit, uses latency to find potential issues, Benefits: cheap and widespread

PET scan

uses radioactive tracer to show how brain tissues and organs are functioning by looking at what resources the cells are using Benefits: functional imaging, good for diagnosing brain disorders Drawbacks: Expensive

CT scan

x-ray of brain Benefits: allows us to see lesions, cheap and widespread, quick and easy Drawbacks: low resolution for tissue imaging