1. Section 2 : Behavioral Neuroscience Psychology in Modules by Saul Kassin

2. ©2006 Prentice Hall Behavioral Neuroscience The Body’s Communication Networks The Neuron The Brain Prospects for the Future

3. ©2006 Prentice Hall The Body’s Communication Networks The Nervous System §Central Nervous System(CNS) l The network of nerves contained within the brain and spinal cord §Peripheral Nervous System(PNS) l The PNS comprises the somatic and autonomic nervous systems

4. ©2006 Prentice Hall The Body’s Communication Networks Divisions of the Nervous System

5. ©2006 Prentice Hall The Body’s Communication Networks The Endocrine System §Endocrine system: Ductless glands that regulate growth, reproduction, metabolism, mood, and some behavior. §Hormones: Chemical messengers secreted into the bloodstream.

6. ©2006 Prentice Hall The Neuron §Neurons l Nerve cells that serve as the building blocks of the nervous system §Sensory Neurons l Neurons that send signals from the senses, skin, muscles, and internal organs to the CNS §Motor Neurons l Neurons that transmit commands from the CNS to the muscles, glands, and organs

7. ©2006 Prentice Hall The Neuron The Withdrawal Reflex

8. ©2006 Prentice Hall The Neuron The Structure of a Neuron

9. ©2006 Prentice Hall The Neuron The Neuron in Action §Action Potential l An electrical impulse that surges along an axon, caused by an influx of positive ions in the neuron §Threshold l The level of stimulation needed to trigger an action potential §Neurotransmitters l Chemical messengers that transmit information by crossing the synapse from one neuron to another

10. ©2006 Prentice Hall The Neuron How Neurons Communicate §Impulse releases neurotransmitter from axon terminals. §Neurotransmitter enters synaptic gap. §Neurotransmitter binds to receptors on the receiving neuron.

11. ©2006 Prentice Hall The Neuron Neurotransmitters §Acetylcholine (ACh) §Dopamine §Endorphins §Norepinephrine §Serotonin §Gamma amino butyric acid (GABA )

12. ©2006 Prentice Hall The Brain Tools of Behavioral Neuroscience §Clinical Case Studies §Experimental Interventions §Electrical Recordings §Brain-Imaging Techniques

13. ©2006 Prentice Hall The Brain Tools of Behavioral Neuroscience Electroencephalogram (EEG) An instrument used to measure electrical activity in the brain through electrodes placed on the scalp

14. ©2006 Prentice Hall The Brain Tools of Behavioral Neuroscience Positron Emission Tomography l A visual display of brain activity, as measured by the amount of glucose being used §Radioactive isotopes (small amounts) are placed in the blood. §Sensors detect radioactivity. §Different tasks show distinct activity patterns.

15. ©2006 Prentice Hall The Brain Tools of Behavioral Neuroscience Magnetic Resonance Imaging l A brain-imaging technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce, clear three-dimensional images

16. ©2006 Prentice Hall The Brain Regions of the Brain

17. ©2006 Prentice Hall The Brain Regions of the Brain The Brainstem §Medulla l Vital involuntary functions §Pons l Sleep and arousal §Reticular formation l Sleep, arousal, attention §Cerebellum l Motor coordination

18. ©2006 Prentice Hall The Brain Regions of the Brain The Limbic System §Thalamus l Sensory relay station §Amygdala l Fear, anger, and aggression §Hippocampus l Memory formation §Hypothalamus l Regulates glands, autonomic NS

19. ©2006 Prentice Hall The Brain Regions of the Brain The Cerebral Cortex in Animals The outermost covering of the brain, largely responsible for higher-order mental processes

20. ©2006 Prentice Hall The Brain Regions of the Brain The Four Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex

21. ©2006 Prentice Hall The Brain Regions of the Brain Within the Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex Are: §The Somatosensory Cortex l Receives sensory information §The Motor Cortex l Sends impulses to voluntary muscles §The Association Cortex l Houses the brain’s higher mental processes

22. ©2006 Prentice Hall The Somatosensory and Motor Areas

23. ©2006 Prentice Hall The Brain Regions of the Brain Language Processing §Broca’s Area l Located in the left hemisphere, directs the muscle movements in speech production §Wernicke’s Area l Located in the left hemisphere, involved in the comprehension of language The brain operates as an integrated system.

24. ©2006 Prentice Hall The Brain The Split Brain The Corpus Callosum l A bundle of nerve fibers that connects the left and right hemispheres §If surgically severed for treatment of epilepsy, hemispheres cannot communicate directly.

25. ©2006 Prentice Hall The Brain The Split Brain Visual Processing §Both eyes send information to both hemispheres. §Images in the right half of the visual field go to the left hemisphere. §Images in the left half of the visual field go to the right hemisphere.

26. ©2006 Prentice Hall The Brain The Split Brain Sperry’s Split-Brain Experiment §Split-brain subjects could not name objects shown only to the right hemisphere. §If asked to select these objects with their left hand, they succeeded. §The left hemisphere controls speech, the right does not.

27. ©2006 Prentice Hall The Brain The Split Brain The Talking Left Hemisphere §Brighter areas indicate higher activity levels. §When hearing words, for example, auditory cortex and Wernicke’s area are the most active.

28. ©2006 Prentice Hall The Brain The Split Brain Neglect Syndrome §A patient with a stroke in the right hemisphere was asked to copy the drawings. §Typical of neglect syndromes, the left side of the model is almost completely ignored.

29. ©2006 Prentice Hall Prospects for the Future The Brain’s Capacity for Growth & Reorganization §Plasticity l A capacity to change as a result of experience §Richer environments lead to heavier, thicker brains, more synapses, and better learning. §The cost of plasticity is the case of the phantom limb.

30. ©2006 Prentice Hall Prospects for the Future The Brain’s Capacity for Growth & Reorganization §Neurogenesis l The production of new brain cells §Neural Graft l Technique of transplanting healthy tissue from the nervous system of one animal into that of another