Research Techniques of Neuroscience Lecture 5

Studying the Brain & Behavior n Anatomy & behavior l Damage  behavior changes l Structural differences  behavior n Activity & behavior l Behavior  record activity l Change activity  behavior? n Correlation vs experimentation l causality ~

Brain Damage & Behavior n Correlate l area damaged  behavioral change l trepanation l Broca’s aphasia l Clinical Neuropsychology n Problems: variability l location of damage l spared behaviors/abilities l post mortem ~

Brain Damage & Behavior n Experimental ablation l Lesion brain  behavior change? n Karl Lashley l search for ingram (memory trace) l concluded function not localized n Problems l multiple areas involved l may lesion tracts passing through ~

Anatomy & Behavior: Modern Techniques n CAT (CT) scan l computer axial tomography l x-rays of brain n Advantages l noninvasive l patient still alive n Disadvantages l same causality problems l resolution ~

Anatomy & Behavior: Modern Techniques n Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) l anatomy l higher resolution than CAT l spinning H atoms ~

Normal Brain Differences n Imaging l Staining l Radio-isotope labeling n Sex differences l sexual dimorphism l hypothalamus l corpus callosum l planum temporale ~

n Hypothalamus n Sexually Dimorphic Nucleus - SDN l Male vs female sexual behavior ~ Normal Brain Differences

Brain Activity & Behavior n Record activity during behavior n EEG l electroencephalograph l reads electrical activity of brain

Brain Activity & Behavior n PET scan l Positron Emission Tomography l metabolic activity l radioactive 2-deoxyglucose n Disadvantages l spatial/temporal resolution l correlational ~

Brain Activity & Behavior : fMRI n Functional MRI l detects increases in oxygen use n Advantages l anatomy & activity l High resolution spatial & temporal n Disadvantages l correlational ~

Brain Activity & Behavior n Change activity  change behavior? n Electrical Stimulation of Brain (ESB) l Fritz & Hitzig l Olds & Milner n Advantage l experimental n Disadvantage l invasive ~

Brain Activity & Behavior n Change activity  change behavior? n Electrical Stimulation of Brain (ESB) l Fritz & Hitzig l Olds & Milner l neurosurgery n Advantage l experimental n Disadvantage l invasive ~

Brain Activity & Behavior n Experimental Psychopharmacology l chemically change activity l learn about drugs l or use drugs to learn about brain & behavior n Block dopamine receptor l movement effects? l learning effects? n Combine with behavioral tests ~

Brain Activity & Behavior n Prenatal exposure to methamphetamine l effects on learning?

Brain Activity & Behavior n Cellular imaging l radioactive labeling l similar idea to PET n Cellular changes during learning l role of Ca ++ ions ~

Genetic Techniques n Knock-out Mice l Genes l change microanatomy l alter function n Disable gene  no protein l receptor, enzyme, etc l evaluate effect on behavior n Obesity n Alcoholism ~