AP PsychologyThe Brain!

EQ: How do different brain areas influence our physical behavior?

9/16/13

Pinky & the Brain

• One of those stupid videos teachers like to show from when they were growing up…

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snO68aJTOpM

Sections of the brain

• Older sections• Limbic system• Cerebral cortex• Language centers

Brainstem

• Brainstem is the oldest & lowest part of the brain (fits with evolution).

• Made up of the medulla & pons.

Medulla Oblongata

• Lower section of brainstem—controls autonomic functions (heartbeat, breathing, blood pressure, etc.)

Pons

• Pons means “bridge”—connects brainstem (Medulla) & brain (Thalamus)

• Regulates sleep, dreaming cycle, etc.

Reticular formation

• Reticular = “netlike”• Neural system primarily responsible for

arousal from sleep & alertness

• Coma cat

Thalamus

• Little eggs on top of the brainstem• Routes information to proper places in the

brain—makes sense, as it is the first thing after the brainstem

Cerebellum

• “Little brain”• Primarily motor control—does not initiate, but

it influences coordination, precision, and timing of movements.

• Motor learning

Limbic System

• Emotions & memory

Amygdala

• Bean-sized neural clusters• Aggression & fear• Messing with animals…

Hypothalamus

• Influences temperature, hunger, thirst, sleep, etc.

• Extremely important for homeostasis• Works with pituitary gland• “Pleasure center”

Hippocampus

• Means “sea horse”• Extremely important in converting short- to

long-term memory (Patient HM)• Spatial memory & navigation

Cerebral Cortex

• Frontal lobe (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrULrWRlGBA)

• Parietal lobe• Occipital lobe• Temporal lobe

Frontal Lobe

• Planning, deciding, perceiving, personality/temperament (Phineas Gage)

• Motor cortex—inside frontal lobe

Parietal Lobe

• Specialize in sensation (touch, temperature, pain, pressure)

• Somatosensory (sensory) cortex—inside parietal lobe

• Which body parts take up the most space in the motor & sensory cortexes?

Occipital Lobe & Temporal Lobe

• Occipital: back of brain…visual

• Temporal: side of brain…sound

• Remember Avatar fMRI• They (mostly) correspond with location of

eyes/ears.

Cerebral Cortex

• Motor cortex• Sensory cortex• Association areas

Association areas

• Large difference between humans and animals

• Sensory inputs tied to memory

Language centers

• Visual cortex• Angular gyrus• Wernicke’s area• Broca’s area• Motor cortex

Language centers (functions)• Visual cortexProcesses written info• Angular gyrusTurns written info into auditory info• Wernicke’s areaInterprets auditory info• Broca’s areaControls speech muscles in motor cortex• Motor cortexWords are pronounced

Aphasia

• How would damage to Wernicke’s area & Broca’s area lead to different forms of aphasia?

• Wernicke’s: no motor issues, but comprehension issues

• Broca’s: major motor issues, but comprehension issues may be intact

Corpus Callosum

• Connects the two hemispheres• Can be cut…

Brain posters…

• Pick 1 part of the brain (everyone needs a different one).

• Your poster should have these parts:1. Picture of the brain with location labeled2. General overview of its function3. What happens if the section is lesioned4. At least 1 extra fact (preferably interesting)5. Some tips for classmates on how to remember the

information

Present posters

Yay!

A legion of lesions…

• Jot down a list of each part of the brain and what would happen if it was lesioned.

Brain plasticity

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaDlLD97CLM

• What is plasticity? What happens to it over time?

• What is the relationship between brain plasticity and behavior?

Brain hemispheres

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFs9WO2B8uI

• Cerebral dominance (certain tasks, but hemispheres cooperate)

• Wernicke’s area & Broca’s area: 95% only have them in left hemisphere

• Plasticity shows the brain can compensate in the case of a hemispherectomy

Right/left handedness

• http://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/04/us/being-left-handed-may-be-dangerous-to-life-study-says.html

Homework

• Pages 95-106 in Myers