Neuroscience and Consciousness

Neurons

Neurons vary in size and shape All are specialized to receive and transmit

information

Synapse

The Neural Impulse

Take it to the Web

Synapses The Neural Process Online Quiz

Types of Messages

Excitatory messages Inhibitory messages

Types of Neurons

The Nervous System

Central Nervous System (CNS) Peripheral Nervous System

Somatic Nervous SystemAutonomic Nervous System

Sympathetic division Parasympathetic division

The Nervous System and Beyond…

Endocrine SystemHormonesPituitary glandAdrenal glandsGender effects

Get into small groups and determine how each of the following parts of the brain may be active while driving a car. Keep in mind that some structures might be more active under certain driving conditions, whereas others may be active regardless of conditions.

Medulla Thalamus Reticular formation Cerebellum Amygdala Hypothalamus Hippocampus

Frontal lobes Parietal lobes Occipital lobes Temporal lobes Motor cortex Sensory cortex

The Brain

Web Information

Brain model tutorial

BrainstemThalamus

Medulla

Cerebellum

Substantia Nigra

Plays an important role in reward, addiction, and movement

The Limbic System is a doughnut-shaped system of neural

structures at the border of the brainstem and cerebrum, associated with emotions such as fear, aggression and

drives for food and sex. It includes the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus.

The Limbic System

Amygdala

The Amygdala [ah-MIG-dah-la] consists of two lima bean-sized neural clusters linked to the emotions of fear and

anger.

Hypothalamus

The Hypothalamus lies below (hypo) the thalamus. It directs several maintenance activities like eating,

drinking, body temperature, and

control of emotions. It helps govern the

endocrine system via the pituitary gland.

Hippocampus

Neuroplasticity

Neurogenesis

The Cerebral CortexThe intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells

that covers the cerebral hemispheres. It is the body’s ultimate control and information processing center.

Lobes

The Motor Cortex is the area at the rear of the frontal lobes that control voluntary movements.

Lobes

The Sensory Cortex (parietal cortex) receives information from skin surface and sense organs.

Lobes

Lobes

Quiz

Lobes of the Brain

Group Activity

List the five most essential structures of the brain and the five least essential

The Setting: You are a famous neurosurgeon who specializes in brain damage involving the language system. In each of the following cases, make a “diagnosis” concerning where you believe brain damage has occurred.

Case 1: A 56-year-old female has suffered a recent stroke. She speaks in a curious manner resembling fluent English but the phrases make no sense. You find that she comprehends your verbal or written instructions perfectly and can even write them down, but cannot repeat them verbally. You quickly diagnose the problem as a lesion in the _____________.

Case 2: A mother brings her 7-year-old son to you because he is having serious problems in learning to read. At age 5 his corpus callosum was sectioned to prevent epileptic seizures. She points out that he is a very intelligent child and she cannot understand why reading is so difficult for him. You explain that his reading difficulties are probably related to the fact that _________.

Case 3: An intelligent businessman comes to you and explains rather agitatedly that he awakened yesterday morning to find, much to his dismay, that he could no longer read. Your tests determine the following: a) He is totally blind in the right visual field. b) He speaks fluently and comprehends speech. c) He can write with his right hand but cannot read what he has written. d) He can copy written words but only with his left hand. You turn to your puzzled assistant and remark that this is indeed a tough one, but you are willing to bet that you will find brain damage in at least two areas, which are _______________ and __________________.

Methods of Studying the Brain

p. 35 http://www.bic.mni.mcgill.ca/

Consciousness

An organism’s awareness of itself and surroundings

Not all-or-none; rather, more on a continuum

Attention

Selective Attention

Dichotic Listening Technique

Attention

Selective Attention

Cocktail-Party Effect

Attention

Selective Attention

Cocktail-Party Effect

AutomaticityDivided attention task

Sleep

Brain processes external information Brain processes internal information Body remains active In general, can be easily awakened

Stages of Sleep

Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4

Stages of sleep

Sleep Deprivation

REM deprivation Delta deprivation

Why do we sleep?

Restorative/recuperative therapy(sleep protects)

Evolutionary/Circadian theory(sleep helps us recover)

Sleep helps us remember Sleep may play a role in the growth

process

Sleep Disturbances

ParasomniasNightmaresNight TerrorsSleepwalkingSleeptalking

Insomnia Sleep Apnea Narcolepsy

Nature and Function of Dreams

Psychodynamic viewFreudWish fulfillmentUnconscious Manifest contentLatent content

Nature and Function of Dreams

Information ProcessingDreams of absent-minded transgression

DAMIT Physiological/Biological View Activation-synthesis hypothesis Cognitive View

The Brain and Sleep

REM pons/acetylcholine Initiation/duration serotonin Wakefulness/arousal norepinephrine,

dopamine