Neuroscience: Brain Structures, Functions, and Language Areas

Pons

Brainstem

Sleep & Arousal

Connects the lower and higher regions of the brain

Reticular Formation

Brainstem

Sleep & Arousal & Attention

Sensory information is filtered in and out of consciousness here

Medulla

Brainstem

Vital involuntary functions (breathing)

Nerves from one side of the brain connect to the opposite side of the body

Cerebellum

Brainstem

Learning & memory

Balance & Coordination of muscle movements

Brainstem

Basic life functions

PRMC

Hypothalamus

Limbic System:

Regulates: body temp & nervous system & endocrine system & basic emotions & basic drives

Hippocampus

Limbic System

formation of new memories

long term and short term

Amygdala

Limbic System

"agression center"

anger & violence & fear & anxiety

General role in: learning & memory & experience of positive and negative emotions

Thalamus

Limbic System

directs neutral traffic between the senses and the cerebral cortex

Limbic System

Motivation, Emotion, Memory

HHAT

Visual Cortex

Cerebral Cortex

Process visual signals

Auditory Cortex

Cerebral Cortex

Process auditory signals

Somatosensory Cortex

Cerebral Cortex

Receives information from touch receptors

Motor Cortex

Cerebral Cortex

Sends impulses to voluntary muscles

Association Areas

Cerebral Cortex

learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking

Language area

Cerebral Cortex

Communicate with the sensory and motor areas and house the brains higher mental processes

Wernicke & Broca

Broca's Area

Directs muscle movement in the productions of speech

(Knows what to say but can't say it)

Wernicke's Area

involved in the comprehension of language

(Can speak but doesn't make sense)

Siegel Overdose Study

A conditioned environment allows a compensatory response.

Overdoses in new places are more common

Disease model

Addiction is a brain disease

No choice but to continue

Domapine tolerance increased

Phinease gage

Pole through frontal cortex. No control over actions or words

Connection to Drug Triggers / Cues

When the environment mirrors that where the body was conditioned to prepare for drugs, a compensatory response makes the person feel like they need the drug to feel normal

Stop system

Frontal cortex (decision making, self-control)

Go system

Limbic system (Motivation, Emotion, Memory)

Dopamine

Rewards actions that benefit survival with pleasure

Dopamine w/ drug use

Dopamine receptors are decreased by the brain as a result of too much dopamine. (less please in day to day life)

Dopamine w/ Phones

Phones give quick dopamine and are engineered to make people feel rewarded when using them. This is very similar to how drugs affect the brain, but on a smaller scale.

Synesthesia

Auditory and Visual cortexes are linked causing people to see colors or shapes when listening to music

Phantom Limb

The somatosensory cortex believes there is a limb when there is not. Feels real to your body.

Alexander's model

Drugs aren't naturally addictive even through repeated exposure to them. Addiction is a way to cope with unhealthy life circumstances.

Rat park (Seduction Variant)

Rats in rat park chose water. Rats in cages chose morphine water.

Rat park (Addicted Variant)

Rats in rat park recovered from addiction. Rats in cages did not.

Cerebral Cortex

High Mental Functions

VASMAL

Corpus Callosum

Connects the left & right hemispheres.

Left hemisphere

controls the right side of the body

analytical & language & problem solving (little picutre)

Right hemisphere

controls the left side of the body

creative & intuitive & emotions & facial recognition (big picture)