Brain Awareness Training Session 2014 BAC GRAD709 Student Advisor: Amie Severino

Outline What’s BAC? School Visits Before a Visit – At the Visit – Handbook and materials – 90 minute PowerPoint lecture (9-12) – Preview the stations for (K-8)

Brain Awareness Council Multiple Outreach Initiatives – School Visits – Brain Awareness Week – Neuroflix – Learning lending library GRAD709 Course – 2 hours for this meeting – 10 hours required for K-12 visits

School Visits Stations work best for younger students – We are using ~20-30 minute stations (K-8) 90 minute lectures with human and comparative brains keep highschoolers stable NEW: School visit coordinator position for each visit – Bringing and returning materials (2 hours credit)

Notes for GRAD709 2 weeks notice of cancellation – Penalties for late changes (extra hours) More than 1 unexplained absence results in the U grade (Unsatisfactory)

Before a Visit Sign up for your sessions in advance GRAD709 has priority Use the handbook to plan and guide your lesson (don’t show up unprepared)

At the Visit BE ON TIME and “ON TIME” IS 15 MINUTES EARLY Don’t panic, shadow someone if you’re new or uncomfortable Have a laptop Make sure you know who the visit coordinator is and return your materials to them

Visit Materials Stations – Brains – Build a Neuron – Visual illusions and adaptation – 2 Point Discrimination Brains Powerpoints for the Lecture (with and without drugs)

BAC School Visit

Outline BB rain Anatomy SS tructures and functions DD isorders caused by lesions CC omparative Anatomy BB rain Function CC ells in the brain HH ow brain cells communicate DD rugs on the Brain MM echanisms of action DD rug addiction

Or Lateral Sulcus Structural Anatomy

Functional Anatomy Executiv e Function Functional Areas of the Brain

Language WERNICKES AREA: LANGUAGE COMPREHENSION BROCA’S AREA: LANGUAGE PRODUCTION

Wernicke’s Aphasia

Broca’s Aphasia

Two Interconnected Hemispheres

Split-Brain Phenomenon

Internal Structures of the Brain

VENTRICULAR SYSTEM

Comparative Anatomy: Structure = Function Brain structure tells us a lot about how smart an organism is, how it interacts with the world, etc.

RAT BRAIN

CAT BRAIN

PIG BRAIN

MONKEY BRAIN

Neurons: Cellular Communicators DENDRITES NUCLEUS CELL BODY AXON MYELIN SHEATH AXON TERMINALS

 Electrical Signal  Action Potential  Chemical Signal  Neurotransmitter Release  Receptor Binding Neurons: Cellular Communicators

Neurons Form Networks

Action Potential

Drugs of Abuse How do drugs like nicotine and alcohol affect the brain? Why do these drugs produce a “high” while other drugs that act on the brain (such as asprin) don’t have this effect?

Drugs Hijack Brain Pathways (endogenous vs exogenous ligands)

Example: Dopamine Reward Pathway

Cocaine Increases “Reward” Signal

Mechanisms (Simplified) /drugs/mouse.html

What is tolerance?  Tolerance occurs when you are abusing a substance/drug and over time your sensitivity to that substance decreases.  Higher quantities of the substance/drug must be consumed in order to achieve the same effects as before.  For example, a person has to drink more alcohol to reach a “buzz” than when he/she started drinking for the first time.

What is physical dependence?  Dependent upon a substance/drug to have normal function.  Develop negative withdrawal symptoms when the substance/drug is no longer on board.  Withdrawal symptoms are basically the opposite of the drug effects  Withdrawal from stimulants: depression, lethargy  Withdrawal from depressants: anxiety, sleeplessness

What is a standard drink?

What is Moderate Drinking? WomenMen Moderate Drinking (“Low Risk”) Per Day 3 or less4 or less Moderate Drinking (“Low Risk”) Per Week No more than 7 drinks No more than 14 drinks  Heavy drinking would be considered consuming more than the daily amount or weekly amount listed in the table.

Alcohol Effects: Chronic Use Normal “Happy” Brain

Your brain wants to compensate Alcohol on the Brain

Your brain wants to compensate Alcohol Withdrawal

What is considered a binge?  Binge drinking is consuming so much alcohol that your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) reaches 0.08g/dl or higher within 2 hours.  For women: 4 drinks or more within 2 hours  For men: 5 drinks or more within 2 hours

Withdrawal symptoms increase in severity after multiple relapses

Alcoholism can cause loss of brain matter over time

Impaired Brain Activity in Alcohol Dependence

Questions?