1. Section 2 Studying the Brain
Chapter 6
Section 2 Studying the Brain

2. The Hindbrain
Includes the cerebellum, pons and the medulla
Cerebellum – part of the lower brain that coordinates and organizes bodily movements for balance and accuracy; sense of equilibrium; helps with posture
Pons – bridge of fibers that connects the brain to the spinal cord; involved in producing chemicals the body needs for sleep
Medulla – controls unconscious but vital functions like breathing, heart rate, blood flow, muscle tone, and reflexes

3. Where are the medulla and pons?

4. The Midbrain
The Reticular Activating System
the alertness control center of the brain - Regulates how alert or how sleepy we are
Nerve impulses from brain to body and vice versa pass through the RAS
A major blow to the head causes such and overload of the RAS circuits that they shut off completely for a time causing unconsciousness
It is quite sensitive to steady sounds – thus a slow and dull speech may put you to sleep
Reticular means net and the RAS is a kind of net that catches nerve impulses
also called the reticular formation

6. The Forebrain - Thalamus
functions primarily as a central relay station for incoming and outgoing messages from the body to the brain and the brain to the body
where all sensory information (Except Smell) must pass to get to the Cerebral Cortex
Integrates sensory input

8. The Forebrain - Hypothalamus
Why did I underline hypo?
regulates basic needs (hunger, thirst) and emotions such as pleasure, fear, rage, and sexuality
controls Autonomic Nervous System and Endocrine System
regulates Survival - Fighting, Fleeing, Feeding, Mating

10. The Forebrain – Cerebral Cortex
wrinkled outer layer of Cerebrum
divided into lobes

11. The Forebrain – Cerebrum
largest and most complex part of Brain
inner layer of forebrain
responsible for most complex mental activities
controls learning, remembering, thinking, and consciousness itself

13. The Forebrain – Limbic System
found in core of forebrain
amygdala
“the seat of emotion”
primarily responsible for violent emotional responses - aggression, rage, and fear – and other emotions, pleasure
helps with memory

15. The Forebrain – Limbic System
Hippocampus
enables us to form memories
Memories are not stored here but it is critical to assembling information from elsewhere in the brain
Damage makes forming new memories impossible

17. The Brain is divided into…
Two hemispheres connected by the…
corpus callosum
a large bundle of nerve fibers that transfer information from one half of the cerebral cortex to the other
Do you know what the “line” down the center is called?
; contains several million nerve fibers that help each half of the brain communicate with the other

19. What are lobes?
They refer to the four major sections of the cerebral cortex

21. The Frontal Lobe
contains the motor strip, prefrontal area, and frontal association areas
responsible for a number of very complex and fascinating functions –organization, planning, creative thinking, and personality
Ability to “see” or to be aware of ourselves when we remember things we have done

22. The Frontal Lobe motor strip
band running down the side of the frontal lobe that controls all bodily movements (called motor functions)
Motor means relating to movement

23. The Frontal Lobe
prefrontal lobe – enables us to re-experience personal past events; lies just behind your forehead
Used to come up with strategies or plans of action
frontal association area – part of the frontal lobe that engages in elaborate associations or mental connections
plays an important part in integrating personality and in forming complex thoughts
forms the core of our personality

24. The Parietal Lobe behind the frontal lobe
contains the sense of touch – location for touch perception
sensory strip – band running down the side of the parietal lobe that registers and provides all sensation

25. The Occipital Lobe very back of the brain
interprets visual information
makes sense out of what you see

26. The Temporal Lobe
responsible for hearing, memory, emotion and some speech functions
contains major centers for hearing
some of the centers related to speech are also here

31. 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 the
Corpus Callosum
Corpus Callosum (Connects the two Hemispheres) is cut to reduce severity of Epileptic Seizures
Courtesy of Terence Williams, University of Iowa
Martin M. Rother

32. How Psychologists Study the Brain
Through recordings
Electroencephalograph (EEG)
Device that monitors the electrical activity of the brain over time by attaching electrodes to the scalp

33. Electroencephalogram (EEG)
An amplified recording of the electrical waves sweeping across the brain’s surface, measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.
AJ Photo/ Photo Researchers, Inc.

34. Lesions
Brain lesions can be caused by injury, infection, exposure to certain chemicals, problems with the immune system
May also occur after deliberately destroying pieces of the brain and observing the effects - Mostly done on Animals

35. Brain Imaging CAT or CT Computerized axial tomography
scans are a series of x-rays of the skull taken from many different directions
CAT scans generate cross-sections of the brain that show its structure in detail
Computers measure the amount of radiation absorbed and transform this information into a 3- dimensional view of the brain

37. CAT/CT Scans
Alzheimer's disease. Series of computed tomography (CT) scans of an axial section through the head of a 74-year-old patient with Alzheimer's disease. The front of the brain (grey) is at the top. Alzheimer's is a neurodegenerative disease and a common

38. PET Positron emission tomography
first technique to capture brain activity
can capture a picture of the brain as different parts are being used
radiation, injected into the bloodstream, is absorbed in different amounts depending on the density of the brain tissue
Scans measure emissions from radiation, producing 2- or 3-D images that reflect the amount of activity in various brain regions.

39. PET Scan
PET (positron emission tomography) Scan is a visual display of brain activity that detects a radioactive form of glucose while the brain performs a given task.
Courtesy of National Brookhaven National Laboratories

42. MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce highly detailed 2- or 3-D images of internal organs
Combines features of both CT and PET scans
Involves passing nonharmful radio frequencies through the brain
A computer measures how these signals interact with brain cells and translates these signals into a detailed image of the brain

44. MRI Scan
Uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among different types of brain tissue
Top images show ventricular enlargement in a schizophrenic patient
Bottom image shows brain regions when a participants lies
Both photos from Daniel Weinberger, M.D., CBDB, NIMH
James Salzano/ Salzano Photo
Lucy Reading/ Lucy Illustrations

46. fMRI Functional magnetic resonance imaging
special type of MRI that images changes in blood flow to specific areas of the brain as the subject performs a specific task
FMRI scans provide both an anatomical and a functional view of the brain
Used to directly observe both the functions and different structures of the brain and which structures participate in specific functions
Provides high-resolution reports of neural activity based on signals that are determined by blood oxygen level

48. Accidents
Psychologists try to draw a connection between the damaged parts of the brain and a person’s behavior
Who was Phineas Gage?
In 1848 Phineas P. Gage, a railroad foreman was injured when dynamite sent a 4 foot tamping iron, weighing over 13 pounds, into Gage’s head right about the left eye and it exited through the top of the skull