Today’s Goal  You will be able to… Today’s Goal  You will be able to…  Describe the functions of the brain structures.

Hindbrain  Medulla: unconscious vital functions like breathing, circulation, etc.  Pons: Bridge between cerebellum & cerebrum, facial movements, possible role in sleep/dreams  Reticular Formation: wakefulness & sleep, alertness, filters stimuli

 Cerebellum: balance, motor coordination Hindbrain

Limbic System TTTThalamus: Relays sensory info from the body to parts of the brain AAAAmygdala: Emotional responses, particularly aggression; attention to novel stimuli

Limbic System  Hypothalamus: Maintains homeostasis: regulates body temperature, hunger, thirst, blood pressure, hormones, etc. Hippocampus: Formation of memories Formation of memories

 REM sleep & dreaming, assists in movement  Relay station for sensory info  “On switch” for the brain, alertness & wakefulness, attention  Body temperature, hunger, thirst, glands  Balance and motor coordination  Emotions (aggression), novel stimuli  “Master gland”  Unconscious essential functions such as respiration and heart rate  Formation of new memories Which part of the brain?  Pons  Thalamus  R.A.S.  Hypothal.  Amygdala  Pituitary gland  Medulla  Hippocampus  Cerebellum

Cerebrum Cerebellum Cerebrum

Cerebral Cortex  Cerebral Cortex – outer layer of wrinkled tissue that covers the cerebrum (divided into four lobes)

Gyri (ridge) Fissure (deep groove) Sulci (groove)

Frontal Lobe  Critical thinking, personality, decision- making, forward planning, emotional regulation, rationality

Parietal Lobe  Interprets touch/pain/pressure sensations from the body

Occipital Lobe  Interprets visual information

Temporal Lobe  Interprets auditory information  Role in memory

 Somatosensory Cortex – interprets where on the body you are having a sensation

 Motor Cortex – initiates movement for particular parts of the body  nojs.html nojs.html

Language & the Brain  Broca’s Area: Physical production of speech, coherent language (outputs)  Broca’s Aphasia: Inability to speak words, utter coherent speech

Broca’s Area Modified from:

Language & the Brain WWWWernicke’s Area: Comprehension of language (inputs) WWWWernicke’s Aphasia: Inability to understand language/words

Wernike’s Area Regions Modified from:

 This activity was called the Stroop Test  Today’s Goal  Explain brain lateralization (specialization of left & right hemispheres) and the effects of the split-brain studies  How do our hemispheres work together? What happens when they can’t?

Hemispheres of the Brain

Does Hand Preference relate to Hemispheric Dominance? NO Right-handed?Left-handed?

 Corpus Callosum – nerve fibers that connect left and right hemispheres

The Split-Brain Experiments  1960’s, Roger Sperry Treatment for epilepsy Treatment for epilepsy  In his operations, the entire corpus callosum was severed  What effects on behavior/cognition do you think this might have???? "The great pleasure and feeling in my right brain is more than my left brain can find the words to tell you.“ ~Roger Sperry

The Split-Brain Experiments  Michael Gazzaniga continued experiments Right vision field is connected to the left hemisphere. Left vision field is connected to the right hemisphere. S9Dc

Split-Brain Operations Today  Only sever portion of corpus callosum (splenium remains intact)  Split brain patients learn very quickly how to keep both sides in communication

The Two-Brain Myth  There is no activity to which only one hemisphere makes a contribution. While they “specialize” in areas, the areas are not completely exclusive to one hemi While they “specialize” in areas, the areas are not completely exclusive to one hemi  Logic not completely confined to left hemisphere People with damage to right hemi. show more deficits in logic than damage to left hemi. People with damage to right hemi. show more deficits in logic than damage to left hemi.  It is impossible to educate one hemisphere at a time.  There is no evidence that people are purely “left-brained” or “right-brained”