Neuroscience and Consciousness

1. Neuroscience and Consciousness

2. Neurons • Neurons vary in size and shape • All are specialized to receive and transmit information

4. Synapse

6. The Neural Impulse

7. Take it to the Web • Synapses • The Neural Process • Online Quiz

8. Types of Messages • Excitatory messages • Inhibitory messages

9. Types of Neurons

10. The Nervous System • Central Nervous System (CNS) • Peripheral Nervous System • Somatic Nervous System • Autonomic Nervous System • Sympathetic division • Parasympathetic division

13. The Nervous System and Beyond… • Endocrine System • Hormones • Pituitary gland • Adrenal glands • Gender effects

14. 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

15. The Brain

16. Web Information • Brain model tutorial

17. Brainstem Thalamus Medulla

18. Cerebellum

19. Substantia Nigra Plays an important role in reward, addiction, and movement

20. The Limbic System The Limbic Systemisa 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.

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

22. 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.

23. Hippocampus

24. Neuroplasticity Neurogenesis

26. The Cerebral Cortex The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres. It is the body’s ultimate control and information processing center.

27. Lobes

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

30. Lobes

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

32. Lobes

34. Lobes

35. Quiz • Lobes of the Brain

37. Group Activity • List the five most essential structures of the brain and the five least essential

38. 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 _____________.

39. 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 __________________.

40. Methods of Studying the Brain • p. 35 • http://www.bic.mni.mcgill.ca/

41. Consciousness An organism’s awareness of itself and surroundings Not all-or-none; rather, more on a continuum

42. Attention Selective Attention

43. Dichotic Listening Technique

44. Attention Selective Attention Cocktail-Party Effect

46. Attention • Selective Attention • Cocktail-Party Effect • Automaticity • Divided attention task

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

48. Stages of Sleep Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stages of sleep

49. Sleep Deprivation REM deprivation Delta deprivation

50. 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