The Brain and the Nervous System

At the end of this Chapter you should be able to:

Understand the structure of the brain and the nervous system Learn about modular organisation of the brain Learn the methods used to study the brain

The Organism as a Machine Descartes, early 1600s: first to thin of this notion !achines, principles of physics, math and astronomy: applied to human behavior for the first time The Nervous System

"ervous #ystem the body$s speedy, electrochemical communication system consists of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems% &t has t'o parts( Central "ervous #ystem )C"#*

Controls the brain and spinal cord +he ,rain-directs mental processes and maintains basic life functions +he #pinal Cord-receives sensory input, sends information to the brain, responds 'ith motor output

.eripheral "ervous #ystem )."#* "erves in body Afferent nerves, /fferent nerves Divided into t'o: somatic division and autonomic division

How the Nervous System is Studied Field: NEUROS !EN E #tudy of: nature, functions, origins of the nervous system: multidisciplinary( ,egins 'ith studying cells of the nervous system

Neurons 0 up to one billion cells 0 inter0connections up to 10,000 per neuron

Studying the Nervous System

Clinical observation .hineas 2age: frontal lobe damage "europsychology 'hat happens to behavior 'hen brain structures are damaged

/3perimental techni4ues Lesioning brain structures, observing conse4uences +ranscranial magnetic stimulation: temporary loss of brain function in isolated areas near surface of brain )5ust under scalp*

Neuroimaging techni"ues: +o e3amine structures and functioning of brain

Computeri6ed +omography )C+*: 0 &mages created from multiple 30ray images of brain%

!agnetic resonance imaging )!7&*, 8unctional !7& )f!7&*: 0 7esponses of cell nuclei to magnetic current differ 0 Different types of cell nuclei 9resonate: at different fre4uencies( these differences mapped to create pictures of brain structure( 0 Can e3amine behavior of brain in 9real time: )f!7&*%

/lectroencephalography )//2*: 0 Detects electrical current at surface of brain )scalp* 0 ;ave forms<patterns vary 'ith brain activity

aution: orrelation and ausation

"euroimaging )"&* techni4ues: correlational in nature Conclusions to be dra'n from data collected using solely correlational techni4ues: not al'ays reliable ,rain damage = "& techni4ues: lead to better understanding of relationship of brain structure to function Double dissociation: one function preserved, another is damaged: different structures necessary for different brain functions

Brain Structure >indbrain Controls many functions ey to survival, including eeping air'ay clear, heart beat, breathing, refle3es, sleep, respiration, balance !idbrain Coordinates motion, relays information to other sites( targeting auditory and visual stimuli, regulating body temperature 8orebrain Cortical and sub0cortical structures( intelligent adaptive behavior%

Brain Structure orte# ? mm% thic @0A of total brain volume Convoluted )folded, 'rin led* structure enables more tissue to fit +he corte3 provides fle3ibility in behavior Divided into B hemispheres and C paired lobes: frontal, temporal, occipital, parietal

$ocali%ation: /ach structure has a some'hat different set of tas s and s ills !ultiple structures needed to perform comple3 tas s

The Brain&s Higher Functions The ere'ral orte#-the bumpy, convoluted area on the outside of the t'o cerebral hemispheres that regulates most comple3 behavior, including receiving sensations, motor control and higher mental processes )i%e%, thin ing, personality, emotion, memory, motivation, creativity, self0a'areness, reasoning, etc%* orte#(Four $o'es

ere'ral

8rontal Lobes-receive and coordinate messages from other lobes as 'ell as motor control, speech and higher functions .arietal Lobes-receives information about pressure, pain, touch and temperature +emporal Lobes-hearing, language comprehension, memory and some emotional control Dccipital Lobes-vision and visual perception

$aterali%ation +he Cerebral Corte3 is divided into t'o hemispheres )left and right* connected by the Corpus Collosum /ach hemisphere receives and sends information to the opposite side of the body /ach hemisphere also speciali6es in certain functions L/8+ and 7ight tightly coordinated 00 ,oth necessary for efficient and normal brain function /ach hemisphere has some special abilities: The $e)t Hemis*here +or $e)t Brain, Language 8unctions )spea ing, reading, 'riting, and understanding language* Analytical 8unctions )mathematics, physical sciences*

7ight0hand touch

The Right Hemis*here +or Right Brain, "on0verbal abilities )music, art, perceptual and spatial manipulation, facial recognition* #ome language comprehension Left0hand touch The ere'ral orte#

,roca$s Area an area of the left frontal lobe that directs the muscle movements involved in speech ;ernic e$s Area

an area of the left temporal lobe involved in language comprehension and e3pression

S*eciali%ation and !ntegration

ortical -amage can cause -isorders o)...

AC+&D": e3: Apra3ia E inability to initiate or carry out learned comple3 )B= steps* motor action ./7C/.+&D" and A++/"+&D": e3: Agnosia E inability to identify familiar ob5ects )persons, sounds, shapes or smells* using the affected sense

/lasticity Definition: 9#ub5ect to alteration: >istorically, nervous system deemed "D+ plastic "e' evidence: "eurons can change, form ne' connections 'ith other neurons% As a result, the brain itself can entirely change%

Should all *sychological "uestions have 'iological answers0 &n many cases, a biological ans'er to a sociological 4uestion: "ot practical "ot helpful "ot possibleF

!any other levels of analysis need to be applied in order to ans'er many 4uestions about human behavior