The document discusses the structure and function of the human nervous system. It describes the major divisions as the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system (PNS), which connects to sense organs and muscles. The CNS is further divided into the hindbrain, midbrain, and forebrain. Specific regions of the brain are associated with different functions, such as motor control, sensory processing, memory, and language. However, the brain regions also work interconnected to enable complex human behavior.

1. Biopsychological Perspectives
Lecture 1
Functional
Neuroanatomy

2. “I said in Dorian Gray that the great sins of the
world take place in the brain: but it is in the brain
that everything takes place.... It is in the brain
that the poppy is red, that the apple is odorous,
that the skylark sings…” (Oscar Wilde)

3. Aims and Objectives
• Basic divisions and sub-divisions of the
human nervous system
• Gross neuroanatomy of the human brain
• Localization of function in the brain
(especially the cortex)

4. The Human Nervous System

6. Peripheral Nervous System
Sense organs and
muscles
↓↑
Peripheral nervous
system
↓↑
Spinal cord
↓↑
Brain
(sensory / motor specific areas)

7. Somatic
Peripheral Nervous System
• Nerves that convey
information:
– Sense organs /
muscles → spinal
cord → brain
(Afferent)
– Brain → spinal
cord → muscles
/glands (Efferent)
• Primarily involved in
voluntary muscle
control

8. Autonomic
Peripheral Nervous System
Nerves that control involuntary muscles
(heart; intestines; lungs, etc)
The two branches of the ANS
↓ ↓
Sympathetic Parasympathetic
Adapt the bodies internal / metabolic activity
to meet environmental / perceived needs

9. Autonomic Nervous
System
Sympathetic
↓
Expends energy in
“fight or flight”
situation
Parasympathetic
↓
Conserves energy in
non-emergency
situations

11. ANS Control of Organs
• Most organs controlled by both sympathetic
and parasympathetic nerves
• Usually active at the same time
– dynamic relationship between the two
• Relative balance dependent on immediate
needs of individual

12. Example of Psychological
Application of ANS
Investigation
• Lie detection
• Lie → increase in
sympathetic activity →
increased sweating →
picked by electrodes as
increased electrical
conductance
• Lie detected (as deflection
in a waveform)

14. Central Nervous System - Brain

16. Central Nervous System
• 3 major divisions
• Hindbrain
– most posterior and oldest part
• Midbrain
– in centre of brain
• Forebrain
– most anterior and prominent part
– outer portion = cerebral cortex

17. Hindbrain
• Medulla
• Pons
• Cerebellum

18. Medulla
Location - Just above
spinal cord (extension of
spinal cord)
Function – Controls
(via cranial nerves) vital
functions: breathing;
heart rate; salivation;
coughing; sneezing.
Damage fatal.

19. Pons
Location - above and
in front of medulla
Function – sensory
relay station

20. Reticular Formation
• Medulla and pons
(and other
structures) form
Reticular Formation
• Raphe system and
Locus Coeruleus
• Networks of neurons
sending axons up to
forebrain; involved
in arousal and sleep

22. Cerebellum
• “little brain” – large
convoluted structure
behind pons and
medulla
• Function -
coordination of
muscles and
maintaining balance

23. Cerebellar Functions
• Planning movement
• Developing newly
learned motor
programmes (slow,
deliberate) into rapid
automated “habits”
(driving)
• Lateral cerebellar
regions contribute to
language development
– Dyslexics – often have
cerebellar damage

24. Midbrain
• Middle of brain
(under convoluted
outer bit)
• Superior Colliculus
• Inferior Colliculus
• Substantia Nigra

25. Superior and Inferior
Colliculi
• Two pairs of swellings
at top of midbrain
section
• Superior Colliculus -
route for visual sensory
information from eyes
(to visual processing
areas)
• Inferior Colliculus –
route for auditory
sensory information
from ears (to auditory
processing areas)

26. Left
Auditory
cortex
Right
Auditory
cortex
Cochlea Medial geniculate nucleus
Inferior colliculus
Superior
Olivary
nucleus
Ipsilateral
Cochlear
nucleus
Auditory
nerve fiber

27. Substantia Nigra
• Area implicated in
control of movement
• Abnormality in SN
nerves in
Parkinson’s disease
(movement / tic
disorder)

28. Forebrain
• Most anterior and
prominent part of
mammalian brain
• Cerebral Cortex (outer
portion – visible)
• Subcortical structures -
limbic system (set of
structures forming a
border, encapsulating
the brain stem)

29. Limbic System
• Structures heavily
involved in motivated
and emotional
behaviours:
eating
drinking
sexual behaviour
anxiety
aggression

30. Larger Structures of the Limbic System
• Olfactory Bulb
• Hypothalamus
• Thalamus
• Hippocampus

31. Olfactory Bulb
• Detection and
perception of smell
• Through links with
rest of limbic system
and cortex (higher
brain) – association
of smell with
previous events

32. Hypothalamus
• Just below thalamus
• Contains several
distinct sets of nuclei
• Each relates to a
specific “motivated
behaviour”
• 4 Fs
– Feeding
– Fighting
– Fear
– Sex

33. Hypothalamus
• Damage to a specific
nucleus → specific
deficit
• Ventromedial and
Lateral hypothalamic
nuclei → eating
disorders (in rats)
• Works in conjunction
with pituitary gland to
alter / regulate release
of hormones according
to need
– Aggression /
testosterone

34. Hippocampus
• Implicated in memory
(I.e. storing “new”
information)
• Infant amnesia -
– cant remember
much of first 5 years
of life – due to
relatively slow
hippocampal
maturation
• Age-related memory
loss
– gradual loss of
hippocampal
neurons

35. Thalamus
• Resembles two
small round pillows
(side by side)
• Sits on top of
hypothalamus /
under cortex / centre
of brain

36. Thalamus
• Function - Main
source of sensory
input to cortex
• Not just passive
relay station –
further processes
info already
processed by
midbrain structures

37. Thalamic Nuclei
• Like hypothalmus has
distinct nuclei
• Each nucleus synapses
onto a sensory-specific
area of the cortex
• E.g. Lateral Geniculate
Nucleus (LGN) → visual
processing areas of
cortex.

38. The Cerebral Cortex
• Most important
part of the the
brain to
psychologists
• Divided into two
hemispheres
(covers all the
other forebrain
structures)

41. Contralateral Control
• Each hemisphere receives sensory information
from contralateral (opposite) side of body
• Each hemisphere controls movement on opposite
side

42. Each hemisphere controls
movement on opposite side

43. Each hemisphere receives
sensory information from
contralateral (opposite)
side of body

44. • Two hemispheres
are connnected
(communicate/
integrate info) by
two bundles of
nerve fibres
• Corpus Callosum
• Anterior
Commisures

45. Commisures
• Corpus
Callosum
• Anterior
Commisures

46. “Areas” in the Cerebral
Cortex – The Cortical Lobes
• Can distinguish 50+
areas within the cortex
(thickness /
appearance of cells)
• Usually divided in 4
cortical lobes
• Occipital
• Parietal
• Temporal
• Frontal

47. Occipital Lobe
• Located – back of head
• Function – Main
recipient of visual info
• Very posterior part =
Primary Visual Cortex –
damage → “cortical
blindness” (normal eyes
but cannot see)

48. Occipital Lobe
• Also involved in
spatial orientation
(e.g. maze learning)
• Damaged in rats –
no ability to maze
learn

49. Parietal Lobe
• Located – between
occipital lobe and
central sulcus
– (deep groove from
top of head down
sides of each
hemipshere)

50. Parietal Lobe
• Functions:
• Somatosensation -
immediately behind
central sulcus =
somatosensory cortex
• Mediates “body
information”
– Touch
– Muscle stretch
– Joint movement

51. Parietal Lobe
• Direct electrical
stimulation → “feeling”
or sensation in
particular part of body
represented
• RH → left side of body
sensation
• Representation of body
parts based on species
needs (hands)

52. The sensory
homunculous
This model
shows what a man's
body would look like
if each part grew in
proportion to the
area of the cortex of
the brain concerned
with its sensory
perception.

53. Other Parietal Lobe
Functions
• Relating visual information to spatial information
(object constancy)
• Ability to draw and follow maps and describe
how to go somewhere
• Ability to identify objects by touch (damage →
loss of Braille ability)
• Body image (what the body looks like and how it
is functioning)

54. Temporal Lobe
• Located – side of
each hemisphere
(near temples)
• Functions
– Hearing
– Balance
– Auditory attention
– Complex visual
processing (faces)
Tumours → visual
hallucinations

55. Other Temporal Lobe
Functions
• In majority - left
temporal lobe
contains language
comprehension area
• Wernickes Area
• Damage →
receptive aphasia

56. Frontal Lobe
• Located – anterior to central
sulcus (front of brain)
• Posterior part of lobe =
precentral gyrus
• Motor cortex (control of fine
movement)
• As with somatosensory
cortex
– Contralateral contro
– Different parts responsible
for different body parts

57. Primary motor cortex (M1)
Foot
Hip
Trunk
Arm
Hand
Face
Tongue
Larynx

58. Motor
homunculus
This model shows
what a man's body
would look like if
each part grew in
proportion to the
area of the cortex of
the brain concerned
with its movement.

59. Prefrontal Cortex
• Anterior to motor strip
• Large area
• Function – receives
information from all
sensory areas and
“integrates” and
“represents” receives
sensory information
• Understanding / thinking
• Memory

60. Prefrontal Cortex and
Language Ability
• In humans (most) left
hemisphere contains
language production
area
• Brocas Area
• Damage → difficulty
producing spoken
language (“telegraphic
speech”)
• Comprehension ok

61. Summary
• The main divisions of the nervous system are
the Central Nervous System and the Peripheral
Nervous System
• The CNS consists of the spinal cord and the
brain (hindbrain, midbrain and forebrain)
• The PNS consists of the somatic and autonomic
NS (sympathetic and parasympathetic)

62. Summary
• Aspects of functioning (sensory, motor
and “cognitive”) are localized to particular
cortical areas and sub-cortical structures.

63. Summary
• BUT brain areas and
structures work
together and
integrate their
processing to
achieve global
functions

64. 3D Brain Anatomy
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/brain/scanning/inde
x.html