Psych 1XX3 - Neuroscience 2

Hindbrain

- Medulla, Pons, Reticular Formation and Cerebellum - evolutionarily the oldest parts of the brain

Functional Neuroimaging

- PET: radioactive tracer, goes where most metabolic processes are happening, relatively invasive - fMRI: measure blood-oxygen dependance, less invasive, however oxygen spikes a few seconds after the spikes of activity in brain (need more precise timing) - EEG: wear a electrode cap, rough image of the brain's overall activity, must average signals to balance out noise

Corpus Callosum

- a thick bundle of axons the two hemispheres of the brain communicate through

Brain Lateralization

- brain structure exist on both hemispheres

Sperry and Gazinga

- conducted ground-breaking research on corpus callosum

Amygdala

- decoding emotions, particularly stimuli that may be threatening - during intense emotions like fear, the amygdala becomes very active - memory - decision making

Hypothalamus

- directing stress responses - regulating energy metabolism by influencing feeding - digestion and metabolic rate - regulating reproduction through hormonal control or matin, pregnancy and lactation - sleeping patterns - Four F's (Fight, Flight, Feeding and F**king)

Paul Broca

- discovered "Broca's area", an area of the brain vital for the motor production of speech

Wernicke

- found that damage to the left temporal gyrus is important for language comprehension

Frontal Lobe

- makes you human - most complex decision making - language - strategy - formation, inhibition and manipulation of items in short-term memory - motor commands - located at the front of the brain

The Pituitary

- master gland of the endocrine system (thyroid, testes, ovaries and adrenals) - releases oxytocin (functions such as lactation and uterine contractions, role in love, bonding and trust) - releases vasopressin (vital blood hormone that regulates levels of thirst by interaction with the kidneys to regulate glucose levels)

Hippocampus

- memory - may be involved in transferring short term to long term - connected to amygdala (memories and emotions) - spatial map of the world around you

Parietal Lobe

- processing of touch - complex visual and spatial functions - location and movement of visual objects - spatial representation that may be involved in visual attention and guiding eye and body movements - between the front and back lobes.

Temporal Lobe

- processing the form and identity of visual stimuli - auditory processing - partially responsible for memory and language - wraps around both sides of the brain, near your temples

Tegmentum

- red nucleus: contributes to motor control - substantial nigra: plays an integral role in reward-related behaviours

Tectum

- superior and inferior colliculi - superior colliculus: eye movements and visual reflexes - inferior colliculus: auditory integration

Split Brain Syndrome

- to test for split brain syndrome have a patient stare straight ahead at a fixation point and then introduce a picture of a cup in left visual field, if you ask them to name what she saw she will be unable to do so, because language is preferentially processed by the left hemisphere and vision on the left - in right visual field, patient will be able to name the cup, but won't be able to pick it out using a spatial task

Occipital Lobe

- visual processing - at very back of your brain

Thalamus

- where axons synapse - processes and relays the information selectively to areas of the cerebral cortex -

Sulcus

An indent or gap between gyri

The Cortex

Four Lobes

Phones Gage

Had a rod go through the back of his skull and turned into a different person

Forebrain

Hypothalamus, Pituitary, Thalamus, Amygdala, Hippocampus

Brain Studies: 4 types

Lesion studies, Stimulation and single cell recording, structural imaging, functional imaging

Lesion studies main idea

Removing parts of the brain to see what no longer works

Significance of Penfield's work

Revealed specific functions to unmapped regions of the brain

Gyrus

Ridge on the cortex

Midbrain

Tectum and Tegmentum

Dr. Wilder Penfield

Used a thin wire carrying a small electric charge to stimulate the cortex

Reticular Formation

arousal and motivation, circadian rhythm, posture and balance

Cerebellum

coordinated movement

Pons

movement, auditory perception and emotional processing

Medulla

regulates breathing, digestion and heart rate

Dorsal

to the back

Caudal

to the bottom

Ventral

to the front

Rostral

to the top

Medial

toward the center

Lateral

toward the outside

Structural Neuroimaging

- CT: relatively low resolution - MRI: for more detailed structural images of the brain