The Brain
•The Developing Brain
•Parts of the Brain & their Function
•Lobes of the Brain
•Split Brain Studies
•Environment’s affect on Brain
•Brain Plasticity
Early Brain Mapping: Phrenology
• By studying the lumps on a person’s skull, early scientists thought that they could map out the brain.
• Not accurate • But did lead to the
idea of localization of brain functions.
The Brainstem
Hindbrain Structures
• Cerebellum
• Brainstem– medulla
– reticular formation
– pons
Medulla•Breathing•Heart rate•Digestion•Other vital reflexes
–swallowing
–coughing
–vomiting
–sneezing
Reticular Formation
• Network of neurons in the brainstem (and thalamus)
• Sleep and arousal• Attention
Pons
• Helps coordinate movements on left and right sides of the body– e.g., postural
reflexes which help you maintain balance while standing or moving
Cerebellum• Word actually means
“little brain”• Coordinated, rapid
voluntary movements– e.g., playing the piano,
kicking, throwing, etc.
• Place where procedural memories are kept. – e.g. how to ride a bike,
swim
• Lesions to cerebellum– jerky, exaggerated
movements– difficulty walking– loss of balance– shaking hands
Midbrain Structures
Middle Region involved in visual & auditory
processing.
Early warning system gets you ready for flight
or fight
Forebrain Structures
• Thalamus• Limbic
System• Cortex
Thalamus• Relay station in
brain• Processes most
information to and from higher brain centers
• Like the Post Office taking incoming messages and delivering them
The Limbic System
• Hypothalamus
• Amygdala
• Hippocampus
Parts of the Limbic System
Amygdala• Emotional
Center of the Brain.
• Deals primarily with fear & aggression.
Amygdala and Emotion
• Identify emotion from facial expressions
• Plays a role in fear & aggression
Amygdala damage makes this task difficult
(click on picture to advance photos)
Parts Of The Limbic System
Hippocampus• Helps us form
new memories.
• What happens when this is damaged? View the video of Clive Wearing.
Parts of the Limbic System
Hypothalamus
• Provides us with pleasurable feelings for doing the things that keep our species alive.
Hypothalamus• Involved in the 5 F’s
– 1. Food/Thirst,
– 2. Flight,
– 3. Fight,
– 4. Furnace (Temperature)
– 5. Fornication
– sexual behavior
– hunger, thirst
– sleep
– water and salt balance
– body temperature regulation
– circadian rhythms
– role in hormone secretion
Hypothalamus – Pleasure Center of the Brain
• Rat with an electrode implanted in a reward center of its hypothalamus, See some actual footage of this.
• Rat readily crosses an electrified grid, accepting the painful shocks, to press a lever that sends electrical impulses to its "pleasure centers."
• How often did the rat press the lever in an hour?• 7,000 times!!! It finally collapsed from exhaustion (Olds
1958)
Hypothalamus and Hormones
Hypothalamus releases hormones or releasing factors which in turn cause pituitary gland to release its hormones
Feedback Loop lets brain know when to start & stop secreting hormones
DAILY
DOUBLE
What are the 5 F’s that the Hypothalamus influences?
1. Food/Thirst
2. Flight
3. Fight
4. Furnace – Body temperature
5. Fornication
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