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