PSYCH 230: Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience – Comprehensive Notes (Fall 2025)

What is Behavioral Neuroscience?

• Behavior: the way an animal or person acts (examples listed in transcript): walking, eating, listening, learning, deciding, etc.
• Neuroscience: the study of the brain and its function, including:
  • Neuroanatomy
  • Neural development
  • Neural activity (physiology)
  • Neuropathology
• Behavioral neuroscience = the study of the neural and biological bases of behavior.
• Example questions highlighted for emphasis on course topics:
  • How do neurons communicate with each other?
  • What happens in the brain when a person takes a Valium?
  • How does a spinal cord circuit produce a knee-jerk reflex?
  • How does a brainstem circuit identify the location of a sound?
  • How does the brain convert experience into memory?
  • What neural factors contribute to "irrational" decisions?
• Overall emphasis: linking neural activity to observable behavior and cognition.

Key Quotes and Foundational Figures (Historical Context)

• Newton, Isaac: "If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants." (1675)
• Rene Descartes: mind–body interactions; dualism; pineal gland as a putative interaction point (Mind and Brain Relations section).
• Leonardo da Vinci: early anatomical curiosity focusing on brain ventricles; wax-in-ventricles experiment illustrating historical attempts to link brain structure to function.

Early Origins and Ancient Perspectives

• Edwin Smith Papyrus (c. 1600 BC): Ancient Egyptian medical text; earliest reference to the brain; describes head trauma symptoms and their effects on limbs (e.g., unconsciousness of arms/legs following neck injury).
• Ancient Greece (8th c. BC – 6th c. AD): birth of neuroscience ideas; debate over where the mind resides and how it relates to the body.
• Hippocrates (5th c. BC): Father of Medicine; argued that emotions and mental experiences originate from the brain.
• Aristotle (4th c. BC): initially tied thought and reason to the heart (cardiocentrism); brain proposed as a cooling mechanism for the blood (Encephalocentrism vs. Cardiocentrism).
• Galen (2nd c. AD): physician to gladiators; argued about pneuma and its relation to the brain and soul; linked brain injury with loss of movement/feeling.

Renaissance and Early Modern Thinkers

• Leonardo da Vinci (15th–16th c.): anatomist and artist with interest in brain ventricles; proposed methods to infer the shape and function of ventricles via dissection and wax-in-ventricle experiments.
• Dualism vs. Monism: mind–brain relationship debated; Descartes proposed mind–brain interaction via the pineal gland; later materialist perspectives argued that mind emerges from brain activity.

Mind–Brain Theories (From Descartes to Empiricism)

• Mind–Brain Relations: Dualism (Mind and brain separate but interact) vs. Reductive/Materialist/Monist views (Mind arises from brain molecules).
• Emergentism: mind emerging as a higher-order phenomenon from neural activity, analogous to ocean waves vs. water molecules.

Empiricism and the Formation of Modern Neuroscience

• John Locke (Tabula Rasa, 1632–1704): mind starts as a blank slate; knowledge arises from sensory experience; father of empiricism.
• Implications: debate about innate knowledge vs. experience; tests of infant cognition and moral judgement.

The Baby Lab and Empirical Questions

• The Baby Lab used to explore what infants know or can infer, challenging the Tabula Rasa idea and probing innate vs. learned capabilities.

Ramon y Cajal and the Modern Neuroscience Foundation

• Ramon y Cajal (1852–1934): Spanish neuroscientist; cornerstone in establishing modern neuroscience; Nobel Prize in 1906; made predictions about brain structure and function.

Classical Clinical Case Studies (Brain–Behavior Links)

• Phineas Gage (1840s): railroad worker; tamping iron injury to frontal lobe; retained basic functioning but personality/behavior drastically changed; classic demonstration of frontal lobe involvement in behavior and decision-making (Dr. Harlow’s account of personality change).
• Case #2: Dr. P (The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Oliver Sacks): musician and teacher; largely normal cognition but with agnosia — inability to recognize/interpret visual information; anecdotes of misidentifying objects (e.g., patting hydrants/parking meters as heads of children).
• Case #3: Patient EP: viral encephalitis leading to severe memory impairment; retained language and general behavior but unable to form new memories; illustrates dissociation between memory and other cognitive functions.
• Takeaway: clinical cases illustrate how different brain regions support distinct cognitive functions and behaviors.

Course Organization and Syllabus (Overview)

• Course: PSYCH 230, Fall 2025, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
• Instructor: Dr. Gideon Rothschild.
• Contact and Office Hours: gid@umich.edu; Mondays 3–4:30 PM, 4030 East Hall.
• Lecture times/locations: Mondays and Wednesdays, 11:30 AM–1:00 PM; 1324 East Hall.
• Discussion Section Leaders (GSIs): Tyler Kudlak; Mekhala Kumar; Rachel Schulz; Rosa Munoz; Jadon Sterken; (emails provided in syllabus).
• The syllabus is on Canvas.
• Readings indicated:
  • Recommended: Brain and Behavior: A Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective by Eagleman & Downar.
  • Enrichment: Principles of Neural Science (5th edition) by Kandel, et al.

Course Structure and Learning Resources

• Lecture slides posted on Canvas the morning before class; lectures are video-recorded and posted on Canvas.
• Attendance: highly recommended but not mandatory; students may ask questions in lectures.
• Course content spans classical ideas to modern neuroscience methods and findings.

Lecture Schedule (Topic Areas Covered in Fall 2025)

• 8/25 Introduction and History
• 8/27 Evolution and Genetics 1
• 9/1 No class (Labor Day)
• 9/3 Evolution and Genetics 2
• 9/8 From Evolution to the Brain
• 9/10 Brain Anatomy 1
• 9/15 Brain Anatomy 2
• 9/17–9/22 Neurotransmission and related topics
• 9/24 Neurotransmission cont.
• 9/29 Exam 1 (during lecture time)
• 9/29 Neurotransmission and Drugs
• 10/1 Sensory Coding 1
• 10/6 Sensory Coding 2
• 10/8 Vision 1
• 10/13 No class (Fall study break)
• 10/15 Vision 2
• 10/20 Hearing
• 10/27 The Chemical Senses: Olfaction and Taste
• 11/3 Motor action
• Exam 2: during lecture time
• 11/10 Introduction to Learning and Memory
• 11/12 Long-Term Potentiation (LTP)
• 11/17 The Hippocampus and Memory
• 11/19 Emotion in the Brain
• 11/24–11/26 No class (Thanksgiving)
• 12/1 Motivation of Basic Drives
• 12/3 Motivation and Decision Making
• 12/16 Summary and review; Exam 3 during final period (final exam date window included in syllabus)
• Overall: three exams plus a discussion quiz; topics cover sensation, action, cognition, emotion, motivation.

Exams and Assessments

• Structure: 3 exams and 1 discussion quiz.
• Exam format: up to $30$ multiple-choice questions and up to $6$ short-answer questions.
• Time allotment: $80$ minutes per exam.
• Scope: all material from lectures.
• Postponement: requires written prior approval from your GSI for justified reasons.
• Discussion quizzes and depth-topic assessments contribute to final grade.

Discussion Sections and Learning Activities

• GSIs lead discussion sections to review material, supplement lectures, and offer depth-topic content.
• Assignments include:
  • Reaction essay
  • Depth-topic presentation/essay
  • Discussion quiz
• Attendance is highly recommended (except for Brain Dissection and Group Presentations, where attendance is required).

Discussion Section Schedule and Activities

• 8/25–8/30: Introduction and syllabus review; mini lecture on Sociobiology.
• 9/1–9/6: Brain Dissection
• 9/8–9/13: Brain Dissection
• 9/22–9/27: Review for Exam 1; exam on 9/29
• 9/29–10/4: Group presentation preparation; mini-lecture on Addiction
• Fall study break and 11/3: Review for Exam 2; exam dates as noted
• 11/3–11/8: Group Presentations
• 11/10–11/15: Group Presentations
• 11/17–11/22: Group Presentations
• 11/24–11/29: Thanksgiving break
• 12/1–12/6: Review for Exam 3

Brain Dissection Component

• Sheep brain dissection sessions; complemented by human brain discussions (slides show Sheep Brain and Human Brain visuals).

Reaction Essay: Example Topics

• Topic examples (as provided):
  • Top 3 unresolved questions about the brain and rationale. $ext{Topic: }$ the top 3 unresolved questions, with justification.
  • Should brain research aim to benefit human society? If so, should research be limited to questions with clear relevance to human health? (References: Ch. 1, p. 28–33; skim Ch. 16)
  • Do we really have “free will”? Are actions determined by brain activity? Cross-species questions (mice, fruit flies, bacteria) (Ch. 7, pp. 226–229)
• Full list and instructions available in the syllabus and discussion section.

Depth Topic: Examples and Guidelines

• Depth-topic prompts (illustrative):
  • Brain mechanisms underlying visual illusions.
  • Comparing well-controlled sensory processing studies vs. naturalistic conditions; discuss advantages and disadvantages with evidence.
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: phenomenon, proposed neural mechanisms, and potential treatments.
  • Sleep and motivation: is there a neural link?
  • Multisensory integration: what is it and how does the brain support it?
• Full list and instructions available in the syllabus and discussion section.

Discussion Quiz

• Format: quiz based on material from discussion sections, including mini-lectures and brain dissection.

Course Grading (General Structure)

• Components typically include:
  • Lecture performance (participation, engagement)
  • Discussion/GSIs contributions
  • Three examinations
  • Reaction Essay
  • Discussion Quizzes
  • Depth Topic presentation/essay
• Note: The exact weightings are listed in the syllabus; the slide shows numbers that align with category percentages but mapping to each category is not explicitly labeled in the provided transcript.

Reading and Study Tools

• Text recommendations:
  • Eagleman, D. & Downar, E. Brain and Behavior: A Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective (for foundational concepts).
  • Kandel, E.R., et al. Principles of Neural Science (5th edition) for enrichment.
• Course resources: Canvas for slides, recordings, and discussion materials.

Links to Real-World Relevance and Ethical Considerations

• Historical shifts show how ideas about mind and brain have evolved from organ-centric theories (heart, pneuma) to brain-centric explanations.
• Ethical implications of brain research include: limitations of dissection-based education, responsible interpretation of case studies, humane handling of animals in dissection labs, and the societal implications of interventions influencing memory, emotion, and behavior.
• Practical implications include understanding the neural basis of memory, learning, sensation, and decision-making to inform education, clinical interventions, and public policy.

Quick Reference: Key Figures Emphasized in the Course

• Isaac Newton – shoulders of giants (scientific progress via cumulative knowledge).
• Edwin Smith Papyrus – early brain-focused medical text and observations on head injury.
• Hippocrates – brain as source of mental phenomena.
• Aristotle – historical debate about organ of thought; heart vs brain.
• Galen – pneuma and brain function as related to movement and sensation.
• Leonardo da Vinci – ventricles and brain anatomy; early anatomical inference.
• Rene Descartes – mind–body interaction and the pineal gland.
• John Locke – empiricism and Tabula Rasa.
• Ramon y Cajal – modern neuroscience foundations and neuronal predictions.

Summary of Core Concepts for Exam Preparation

• Behavioral neuroscience seeks to map behavior to neural processes.
• Historical perspectives illustrate the evolution from organ-centric theories to neural circuit-based explanations.
• Dualism vs. monism emerges as a central philosophy debate in mind–brain relations.
• Empiricism and the scientific method underpin how we test brain–behavior hypotheses (e.g., the Baby Lab).
• Classical case studies demonstrate causal links between brain regions and behavior (e.g., frontal lobe function in Phineas Gage).
• Modern course design integrates lectures, labs (brain dissection), discussions, and written assignments (reaction and depth-topic essays) to reinforce understanding.
• Assessments emphasize a mix of memory, reasoning, and application through exams, essays, and quizzes.

End of Notes