Introduction: Building the Mind's Machine

Neuroscience

Study of nervous system

behavioral neuroscience

study of the biological bases of psychological processes and behavior

dualism

a theory by rene descartes the mind has immaterial aspect that is distinct from the material body and brain

phrenology

the belief that bumps on the skull reflect enlargements of brain regions responsible for certain behavioral faculties

localization of function

the concept that different brain regions specialize in specific behaviors

ontogeny

the process by which an individual changes in the course of its lifetime--that is, grows up and grows old

neuron

the basic unit of the nervous system

neuroplasticity

the ability of the nervous system to change in response to experience or the environment

adult neurogenesis

the creation of new neurons in the brain of an adult

social neuroscience

study that uses the tools of neuroscience to discover both the biological bases of social behavior and the effects of social circumstances on brain activity

evolutionary psychology

study devoted to asking how natural selection has shaped behavior in humans and other animals

epigenetics

study of factors that affect gene expression without making any changes in the nucleotide sequence of the genes themselves

gene expression

the turning on or off specific genes

neuroeconomics

study of brain mechanisms at work during economic decision making

consciousness

the state of awareness of one’s own existence, thoughts, emotions, and experiences

fMRI

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

fMRI functions

Detects oxygenated blood flow & the fMRI allows you to take multiple anatomical pictures in comparison to just the MRI

PET

Position Emission tomography

PET functions

* Detects radioactivity, labeled substances (e.g water, glucose)
* Invasive