1. An Early History of Biopsychology
Plato: the mind is located in the brain
Franz Gall and Phrenology
Early 1800s
Read bumps on skull to understand traits

2. Studying the Brain Studying the brain through lesions or damaged areas
“Ta” and Phineas Gage
Experiments in rats – hypothalamus lesions
Monitoring Electrical Activity: the EEG
Electroencephalograms provide information about cortical activity
Record electrical activity of neurons on surface of brain (neural firing)
A functional technique

3. Studying the Brain: Structural Neuroimaging Techniques
CT Scan (Computerized tomography)
Computer-assisted x-ray of brain
Used to create overall images of brain
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
Produces detailed pictures of soft tissue in brain
Can focus on specific regions when CT cannot produce clear images
CT scan (top) and MRI (bottom) showing a tumor.

4. Studying the Brain: Functional Neuroimaging Techniques
PET (positron emission tomography)
Image created by the rate at which radioactive glucose is metabolized
Which areas of the brain are active during a particular activity
fMRI (functional MRI)
Combines structural and functional techniques
Multiple images of brain created during a particular task
Records changes in blood flow to indicate regions of greater activity

5. Primitive Brain Structures
Brainstem
Oldest part of brain
Contains medulla, controlling heartbeat, blood pressure and breathing
Also contains pons, which helps regulate sensory information and facial expressions
Contains Reticular Formation (RF) for alertness/arousal, sleep/wakefulness
Thalamus
Pair of egg-shaped structures on top of brainstem
Routes all incoming sensory information except for smell to appropriate areas of brain
Cerebellum
“little brain” at read of brainstem
Controls coordination, balance, and muscle tone
These parts of the brain are our “autopilot” so other regions can deal with higher-level “human” functions

6. The Limbic System
Located in between the primitive parts of the brain and the cerebral hemispheres
Hippocampus processes new memories (case of H.M.)
Amygdala controls emotions such as aggression and fear – in animals, the “attack” response (rat study)
Hypothalamus regulates hunger, thirst, body temperature and sex drive – also controls pituitary gland
Rat study – self-stimulation of “pleasure centers”
Human implications? Mild pleasure, addiction tendencies?
Primarily, the limbic system processes drives, smell and various emotional responses

7. The Cortex
Part of the cerebrum, the two large hemispheres comprising 85% of brain weight
Wrinkled outer layer
Why so convoluted?
Higher level functions
Designation of cortical space and “higher level” animals?
Most highly evolved part of the human brain

8. Cortex Breakdown… Each hemisphere is divided into 4 lobes
Frontal lobe
Temporal lobe
Parietal lobe
Occipital lobe
The lobes are separated by deep convolutions known as fissures

9. Cortex Breakdown… Occipital Lobes Temporal Lobes Parietal Lobes
Homunculous!
Cortex Breakdown…
Occipital Lobes
Visual cortex
Damage?
Temporal Lobes
Auditory cortex
Auditory hallucinations?
Parietal Lobes
Primary sensory or somatosensory cortex
Allocation of space?
Frontal Lobes
Most evolved
Motor cortex, which allows us to move

10. Motor and Sensory Cortex Revealed!

11. The Cortex: Association Areas
We only use 10% of our brains?
Undifferentiated cortex
Association areas

12. Association Areas
Any areas not dealing with our senses or muscle movements are called association areas.

13. Association Areas of Frontal Lobe
Deals with planning, maintaining emotional control and abstract thought.
Contains Broca’s Area.
Broca’s Aphasia.

14. Phineas Gage: A Case Study in Frontal Lobe Association Area Damage
In 1848, railroad foreman Phineas Gage – accident!
No longer “himself”
Emotions, the frontal cortex, and the unchecked limbic system
The skull of Phineas and rogue tamping iron, displayed proudly at Harvard University’s medical school! For real!

15. Temporal Lobes
Contains Wernicke’s area.
Wernicke’s Aphasia.

16. Occipital Lobes In the back of our head.
Handles visual input from eyes.
Right half of each retina goes to left occipital lobe and vice versa.

17. Specialization & Integration
Brain activity when hearing, seeing, and speaking words

18. Hey guys! Check out our phat crib!
Neuroplasticity
Shafted again.
Brain’s to change and reorganize as a result of experience
Mark Rosenzweig’s ( ) Rat Studies (1950s-60s)
Implications for humans?
Hey guys! Check out our phat crib!
Party!

19. Neurogenesis?
Recent evidence has suggested that human brains may be able to generate new brain cells, known as Neurogenesis
Stem cell research?

20. The Two Hemispheres Two halves are NOT identical
Most have a dominant hemisphere – usually the left, which controls the right side of the body
Both sides serve important functions, revealed by studying split-brain patients

21. Splitting the Brain
A procedure in which the two hemispheres of the brain are isolated by cutting the connecting fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) between them.
Corpus Callosum
Preview Question 3: What do split brains reveal about functions of our two brain hemispheres??
Courtesy of Terence Williams, University of Iowa
Martin M. Rother

22. Split-Brain Epilepsy, seizures and the corpus callosum
Reduction in epileptic seizures
Different abilities in each hemisphere
The story of “Vicki”
Michael Gazzaniga

23. Split Brain Patients
With the corpus callosum severed, objects (apple) presented in the right visual field can be named. Objects (pencil) in the left visual field cannot.

24. Divided Consciousness

25. Some Hemispheric Strengths
Left Hemisphere
Language in most people: The cases of Ta of Charles Landry
Logic
Right side of body
Right Hemisphere
Perception
Sense of self
Inferences

26. Hemispheric Dominance: Handedness
90% of humans are right-handed
The 10% of left-handers show less predictable patterns of hemispheric dominance
Causes
Genetics?
Fetal testosterone levels?
Learned?
Handedness and sexual orientation?
A closer look: a curse or an advantage?