Neuroscience and Behavior 1 The Biology of the Mind

 How do they transmit information? 3 What are neurons?

 Nerve cells ◦ Basic building blocks of the body’s information processing system.  Made up of ◦ Dendrites ◦ Axons 4 Neurons

 Receive information 5 Dendrites

 Transmit information to other ◦ Neurons ◦ Muscles ◦ Glands 6 Axon fibers

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 Chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) bridge the gap  Rats in an enriched environment will increase their synapses. 8 Synapse (Synaptic gap)

 Enable communicatio n between neurons 9 Neurotransmitters

 Neurotransmitters (similar to morphine)  Reduces pain ◦ E.g. Childbirth 10 Endorphins

 What do these parts do? 11 What are the parts of your nervous system?

 Central nervous system ◦ Brain and spinal column  Peripheral nervous system ◦ Links central nervous system (spinal cord) to sense receptors, muscles and glands 12 Nervous system

 Brain and spinal column  Severed spinal cord E.g.  E.g. -Sally - knee jerk reaction without sensation of a tap on the knee ◦ Bill - No genital sensations, but has an erection when stimulated. 13 Central Nervous system

 Sympathetic nervous system (Arousing) ◦ Increases heartbeat & blood pressure  Parasympathetic nervous system (Calming) 14 Peripheral Nervous System

 Simple reflex pathway ◦ Knee-jerk reaction 15 Reflex

Brain evolution  Brain stem  Limbic system  Cerebral cortex

Brain stem Brainstem the oldest part of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells and enters the skull. Responsible for automatic survival functions.

Brain Stem Medulla [muh-DUL-uh] base of the brainstem, controls heartbeat and breathing. Reticular Formation a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal.

Limbic system  Between the brain stem and the Cerebral cortex  Includes:  Hippocampus ◦ Memory  Amygdala ◦ Emotion  Aggression & Fear  Hypothalamus ◦ Hunger, thirst, temperature, & sex

Amygdala Amygdala [ah-MIG-dah-la] two almond-shaped neural clusters linked to emotion of fear and anger.

Hypothalamus Hypothalamus lies below (hypo) the thalamus; directs several maintenance activities like eating, drinking body temperature, and emotions. Helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland.

Internal brain Overview

Cerebellum  Coordinates movements

Cerebral cortex

 Left = Logical (Math)  Right = Creative (Music)

Sensory & Motor cortex

Visual & auditory cortex

Reading out loud

Hearing, Seeing,Speaking

Cerebral cortex comparison  Best distinguishes us from other animals

Association areas of cortex

Corpus Callosum  Transmits information from one cerebral hemisphere to the other

Brain Plasticity  Brain adjusts after damage ◦ Blind learning to read brail

Phineas gage  Damage to frontal lobe

 Creating images of the brain’s activity 35 Recording the brain’s activity

Electroencephalogram (EEG)  Brain waves - Recording electrical activity

◦ CT scan ◦ MRI scan ◦ PET scan 37 Brain imaging techniques (creating images)

 Computed tomography  X-ray photographs 38 CT Scan

 Magnetic fields and radio waves create images of the brain’s soft tissues.  Normal Schizophrenic 39 MRI Scan (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

fMRI Scan (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

 Positron emission tomography scan  Radioactive glucose 41 PET Scan