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FEM 4100 Brain & Human Behavior Topic 1: Introduction

Explore brain anatomy, neural functions, communication, and how they affect human behavior. Study brain development, perception, and psychology.

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FEM 4100 Brain & Human Behavior Topic 1: Introduction

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  1. FEM 4100 Brain & Human BehaviorTopic 1: Introduction DR. ZANARIAH ISMAIL Tel: 03-8946783/0122099701 E-mail: zanariah_i@upm.edu.my

  2. Course Description • This course emphasizes on the detailed analysis of the brain and how it influences human behavior. • It discusses the (1) neuron structure, (2) brain anatomy and its functions, (3) communication within the brain and across the nervous system as well as (4) brain damage and recovery.

  3. TOPICS 1 • Introduction • The Anatomy Of The Brain • Impulse Conduction • Brain Development • Perception: Mechanism, Awareness & Attention

  4. TOPICS 2 • The Sensorimotor System • Circadian Rhythms, Sleep & Dreams • Language, Cognition & Intelligence • Memory Storage & Information • Processing Psychological Disorders

  5. **Course Objectives • At the end of the course students can: • Describe brain anatomy and its functions; • Describe the development of the nervous system; • Explain the relationship between the nervous system and human behavior under normal and stressful conditions. • Discuss brain damage, plasticity and rehabilitation

  6. ASSESSMENT TASK % • ASSESSMENT 1 (Test) 20 • ASSESSMENT 2 (Quiz) 10 • ASSESSMENT 3 (Project) 30 • FINAL EXAM 40 • TOTAL 100

  7. Evaluation Criteria and Procedures • Test 1 (week 5/6) • Total marks: 20% • Topics 1 – 2 • Consists of 16 multiple choice questions (8%) and 3 short answer questions (choose 3 from 5 questions) (12%)

  8. Evaluation Criteria and Procedures • Test 2 (week 10) • Total marks: 20% • Topics 1 – 4 • Consists of 16 multiple choice questions (8%) and 3 short answer questions (choose 3 from 5 questions) (12%)

  9. Final Exam • Total marks: 40% • All topics • Consists of 6 short answer questions (choose 6 from 8 questions) (30%) and 1 long question (choose 1 from 2 questions) (10%)

  10. Possible Texts • Carlson, Neil (2007). Physiology Of Behavior With Neuroscience Animations And Student Study Guide (9th edition).Boston, MA: Pearson Education. RM99 • Pinel, John (2008). Biopsychology(7th edition).Boston, MA: Pearson Education. RM89

  11. True or False? • Do we use only 10% of our brains? False: There is no scientific evidence to suggest that we use only 10% of our brains.

  12. Where Did the 10% Myth Begin?

  13. The 10% statement may have been started with a misquote of Albert Einstein or the misinterpretation of the work of Pierre Flourens in the 1800s. • It may have been William James who wrote in 1908: "We are making use of only a small part of our possible mental and physical resources" (from The Energies of Men, p. 12).

  14. Where Did the 10% Myth Begin? • Perhaps it was the work of Karl Lashley in the 1920s and 1930s that started it. Lashley removed large areas of the cerebral cortex in rats and found that these animals could still relearn specific tasks. • We now know that destruction of even small areas of the human brain can have devastating effects on behavior. • That is one reason why neurosurgeons must carefully map the brain before removing brain tissue during operations for epilepsy or brain tumors: they want to make sure that essential areas of the brain are not damaged.

  15. Why Does the Myth Continue? • Somehow, somewhere, someone started this myth and the popular media keep on repeating this false statement. Soon, everyone believes the statement regardless of the evidence. I have not been able to track down the exact source of this myth, and I have never seen any scientific data to support it. • According to the believers of this myth, if we used more of our brain, then we could perform super memory feats and have other fantastic mental abilities - maybe we could even move objects with a single thought. Again, I do not know of any data that would support any of this.

  16. What Does it Mean to Use Only 10% of Your Brain? • What data were used to come up with the number - 10%? • Does this mean that you would be just fine if 90% of your brain was removed? • If the average human brain weighs 1,400 grams (about 3 lb) and 90% of it was removed, that would leave 140 grams (about 0.3 lb) of brain tissue. • That's about the size of a sheep's brain.

  17. What Does it Mean to Use Only 10% of Your Brain? • It is well known that damage to a relatively small area of the brain, such as that caused by a stroke, may cause devastating disabilities. • Certain neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's Disease, also affect only specific areas of the brain. • The damage caused by these conditions is far less than damage to 90% of the brain.

  18. What Does it Mean to Use Only 10% of Your Brain? • Perhaps when people use the ‘10% brain’ statement, they mean that only one out of every ten nerve cells is essential or used at any one time? • How would such a measurement be made? • Even if neurons are not firing action potentials, they may still be receiving signals from other neurons.

  19. True or False? • Your brain makes a painkiller similar to heroin True: Naturally produced chemicals called endorphins (body natural pain killers) are closely related to heroin

  20. True or False? • Is Laughter the Best Medicine? • True: It may be a good way for people to relax because muscle tension is reduced after laughing. • There are some cases when a good deep laugh may help people with respiratory problems by clearing mucus and aiding ventilation. • Perhaps laughing can also help cardiac patients by giving the heart a bit of a workout. • Some hospitals even have their own "Humor Rooms," "Comedy Carts," and clown kids in attempts to speed a patient's recovery and boost morale.

  21. False: However, laughter is NOT ALWAYS good medicine. • There are a few cases when laughing actually CAUSED a heart attack or a stroke. • Also, immediately after abdominal surgery, people should not laugh too hard because they could tear out their stitches accidentally. • Care should also be used in patients with broken ribs. So, try not to be too funny around these people.

  22. Research has shown that parts of the limbic system are involved in laughter. • The limbic system is a primitive part of the brain that is involved in emotions and helps us with basic functions necessary for survival. • Two structures in the limbic system have been shown to play a role in laughter: the amaydala and the hippocampus. • Humans may be "tuned" for laughter much in the same way that songbirds are "tuned" for song -- especially their own specific family song. (While birdsong of one species may sound the same to you and me, there are subtle differences among the birds' songs.) • Certain nerve cells in the songbird's brain "fire" in response to hearing his song.

  23. Perhaps humans have specialized nerve cells that respond to laughter. • After all, laughter is a specialized vocalization, and we are "tuned" to respond to vocalizations with language. • We use our brain for many things. • Laughter is yet another part of human behavior that the brain regulates. • It helps us clarify our intentions and provides an emotional context to our conversations. • Laughter, then, is used as a signal for being part of a group--it signals acceptance and positive interactions. • It clues the listener in to the emotional tone of the conversation and the speaker's intentions. • This may be one reason it is more difficult to interpret the meaning of an e-mail or letter-- emotional clues about the sender's tone are missing.

  24. Did You Know? • Laughter is contagious. • Since 1950, TV has exploited this by adding "laugh tracks" to sitcoms. • People laugh more readily upon hearing others laugh. • When you hear others laugh, you actually think the TV show is more humorous. • Babies start to laugh at about 4 months of age. • Babies who are born blind and deaf can laugh, so the ability to see or hear is not required for laughter.

  25. True or False? • Many things that happen to us leave no record in memory. True: Most of the information around us never reaches memory, and what does reach memory often gets distorted.

  26. True or False? • You are born with all the brain cells you will ever have False: Recent research shows that some parts of the brain continue producing new cells throughout life. For example, through learning new tasks.

  27. The Brain vs. The Computer • How does the brain compare to the computer?? • Some people say that the computer is better than the brain; some people say that the brain is better than the computer. • Perhaps, it is best to say that the brain is better at doing some jobs and the computer is better at doing other jobs.

  28. The Brain vs. The Computer • Similarity Both use electrical signals. • DifferenceThe brain uses chemicals to transmit information; the computer uses electricity. • Even though electrical signals travel at high speeds in the nervous system, they travel even faster through the wires in a computer.

  29. The Brain vs. The Computer • SimilarityBoth transmit information. • DifferenceA computer uses switches that are either on or off ("binary"). In a way, neurons in the brain are either on or off by either firing an action potential or not firing an action potential. • However, neurons are more than just on or off because the "excitability" of a neuron is always changing. This is because a neuron is constantly getting information from other cells through synaptic contacts. Information traveling across a synapse does NOT always result in a action potential. Rather, this information alters the chance that an action potential will be produced by raising or lowering the threshold of the neuron.

  30. The Brain vs. The Computer • Similarity Both have a memory that can grow. • DifferenceComputer memory grows by adding computer chips. Memories in the brain grow by stronger synaptic connections.

  31. The Brain vs. The Computer • Similarity Both can adapt and learn. • DifferenceIt is much easier and faster for the brain to learn new things. Yet, the computer can do many complex tasks at the same time ("multitasking") that are difficult for the brain. For example, try counting backwards and multiplying 2 numbers at the same time. • However, the brain also does some multitasking using the autonomic nervous system. For example, the brain controls breathing, heart rate and blood pressure at the same time it performs a mental task.

  32. The Brain vs. The Computer • SimilarityBoth need energy. • DifferenceThe brain needs nutrients like oxygen and sugar for power; the computer needs electricity to keep working. • SimilarityBoth can be damaged. • DifferenceIt is easier to fix a computer - just get new parts. There are no new or used parts for the brain. However, some work is being done with transplantation of nerve cells for certain neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease. Both a computer and a brain can get "sick" - a computer can get a "virus" and there are many diseases that affect the brain. The brain has "built-in back up systems" in some cases. If one pathway in the brain is damaged, there is often another pathway that will take over this function of the damaged pathway.

  33. True or False? Both center patches are the same shade of gray

  34. True: The patch on the right appeared darker due to perceptual contrast with its background

  35. True or False? • Intelligence is a purely genetic trait that does not change throughout a person’s life False: Intelligence is the result of both heredity and environment (Nature vs Nurture), and may change throughout your life

  36. True or False? • Repeated exposure to the same face leads us to like it less False: Familiar people (and their faces) are generally liked more than less familiar people

  37. TOPICS FOR NEXT LECTURE

  38. Four Major Themes: • Why study the brain? • History of brain study • Disciplines of neuroscience (study of the brain) • Clinical implications

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