Basic Brain Anatomy; Functions; Brain-Body Communication; Nature Versus Nurture

2. Methods
● Electroencephalograph
● MRI
● BrainSPECT

3. Electroencephalograph

4. MRI

5. Brain SPECT

7. Hindbrain - Brain Stem
● Survival
● Breathing, Heartbeat
Damage =

8. Hindbrain - Cerebellum
● Movement
● Motor memory - bike riding, swimming
Damage effects depend on
where the damage is

9. Cerebellar
Damage

10. Subcortical Structures - Thalamus
Thalamus
All Sensory Input
(except smell)

11. An example of Thalamic
damage: Central Pain
Syndrome
Excruciating, chronic
pain
The Thalamus can no
longer regular sensory
input to the brain
Frequent;y due to stroke

12. Subcortical Structures - Hypothalamus
● The boss of the organs
● The Boss of the hormones
● Blood pressure, body temp, sleep, wake,
and just about every other body function
under the sun

13. Hypothalamic Damage
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001202.htm

14. Subcortical Structures: Amygdala
Fear, Anxiety
Learn to avoid danger and
pain
Memory
This is why you learn
never to put your hand in
fire

15. Cerebral Cortex
All of that complex,
rational thought
Different areas =
Different functions
Right side controls left Body
Left Side Controls Right Body

17. Occipital Lobe
Visual Processing
Damage = Blindness
EVEN IF THE EYES WORK

18. Parietal Lobe
Touch
Includes the Primary
Somatosensory Cortex
Right Parietal lobe: Touch on the
left of the body
…..and vice versa
Damage = Difficulty with touch
sensitivity

20. Frontal Lobe
Planning and Movement
Includes the Primary Motor Cortex
Right Frontal lobe: Movement on
the left of the body
…..and vice versa
Damage = Difficulty with
movement

22. PreFrontal Lobe
Critical and Rational Thought
Sense of Self
Guilt and Empathy
Psychopaths have different and
damaged pre-frontal lobes.

23. Pre
Frontal
Lobe
Damage

24. Temporal Lobe
Primary Auditory Cortex
Facial recognition
Memory
Damage - trouble recognizing
people; trouble processing
hearing (even if the ears are fine);
loss of short term memory

25. Corpus
Callosum

26. Millions of
Axons

27. Connects the
left
and right
hemispheres

28. So that the left hand
knows what the right
hand is doing

29. Brain - Body Communication
1. Somatic Nervous System
1. Autonomic Nervous System
1. Endocrine System

30. Somatic Nervous System
Detect and Respond

31. Somatic Nervous System
Detect and Respond

32. Somatic Nervous System
Receptors: Action Potentials
Action Potentials to Thalamus
Through Thalamus to Brain

33. Somatic Nervous System
Brain: Ouch
Brain: Arm, pull finger away
Cerebellum: Orders finger to pull away

34. Autonomic Nervous System
Homeostasis
Stimulates Glands
So you know your belly is full, or that you are
seasick and need to throw up

35. Autonomic Nervous System
Sympathetic NS - Prep for danger
Parasympathetic NS - Back to normal

36. Autonomic Nervous System
Sympathetic NS - Prep for danger
increased heart rate, breathing, fight/flight
Parasympathetic NS - Back to normal
decreased heart rate, breathing, end of fight, flight, shaking

38. Endocrine System
Glands

39. Endocrine System
Glands
Pineal (Sleep), Pituitary, Thyroid, Adrenal,
Testes/Ovaries

40. Endocrine System
Hormones

41. Endocrine System
● TESTOSTERONE
● GROWTH HORMONE
● ESTROGEN
● EPINEPHRINE
● NOREPINEPHINE
● MELATONIN

42. Nature vs Nurture
Genes and Predispositions
Twin Studies
Brain Plasticity

43. Predispositions
● We’re all born with a predisposition to
something
● Whether it shows or not depends on
environment

44. Genes and
Predispositions:
Alcoholism

45. Twin Studies
Study biological twins reared apart (Nature?)
and
Study unrelated adoptive siblings reared
together (Nurture?)

47. But what if…..
Biological twins, reared together are
significantly different?

49. Brain Plasticity
● The brain can re-arrange itself
● The environment helps plasticity
● The brain treats its own damage

50. Brain
Plasticity