Introducing the brain Ethics and the brain initiative Neurotransmitters, Action Potential, Information Coding, Grey and White Matter, Cerebrospinal Fluid, Central Nervous System, Cerebral Cortex, Subcortex, Limbic System, Midbrain and Hindbrain.

1. Cognitive Psychology
Lesson 2 - Spring 2018
Introducing the brain
Professor Valentina Bazzarin, PhD
USAC Reggio Emilia

2. Suggested topics - Social aspects of
psychology
- Mnemonics
- How cognition changes and
develops throughout the
lifespan
- Development
- Decision making
- Fine and gross motor
skills and how they relate
to the physiology of the
brain
- Intuition “gut feeling”
- Child development
- Stress
- Foreign language
acquisition
- Muscles’ memory
- Prefrontal cortex (in
depth)
- How our brain perceives
things using other senses
- Monogamy and brain
chemistry

3. Meditation and complaining can affect the brain
Source: https://youtu.be/q0DMYs4b2Yw

4. Suggested reading
Optogenetics is a technique for
genetically modifying cells – neurons
in this case – in living animals so that
their function can be turned on and off
with light. CLARITY is a remarkable
feat of chemical engineering in which
the fatty, opaque tissues that
constitute an intact, non-living brain
are removed, leaving behind a
transparent physical structure with all
of its parts and wiring exactly in place.
Source: https://news.stanford.edu/2016/05/26/stanford-research-shows-different-brain-cells-process-positive-negative-experiences/

5. The brain initiative

6. Why is The BRAIN Initiative needed?
With nearly 100 billion neurons and 100 trillion connections, the human brain remains one of
the greatest mysteries in science and one of the greatest challenges in medicine.
Neurological and psychiatric disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease,
autism, epilepsy, schizophrenia, depression, and traumatic brain injury, exact a tremendous
toll on individuals, families, and society. Despite the many advances in neuroscience in
recent years, the underlying causes of most of neurological and psychiatric conditions
remain largely unknown, due to the vast complexity of the human brain. If we are ever to
develop effective ways of helping people suffering from these devastating conditions,
researchers will first need a more complete arsenal of tools and information for
understanding how the brain functions both in health and disease.

7. Introducing the brain
The brain is the organ that
makes possible our mental
life.
Neuron is a type of cell
that makes up the nervous
system and support the
cognitive functions. All
the neurons have the same
structure.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuron

8. Neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters are the
chemical signals that are
released by one neuron and
affect the properties of other
neurons.
Source:
http://ib.bioninja.com.au/options/option-a-neurobi
ology-and/a5-neuropharmacology/types-of-neurot
ransmitters.html

9. Excitatory and inhibitory activity of neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters may be either excitatory or inhibitory in
their effect (some may be both depending on the receptor
they bind to)
■ Excitatory neurotransmitters trigger depolarisation,
increasing the likelihood of a response
■ Inhibitory neurotransmitters trigger hyperpolarisation,
decreasing the likelihood of a response

10. The human brain and Einstein’s intelligence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE53EkxKWpwSource: https://youtu.be/BE53EkxKWpw

11. Electrical signal and the action potential
Myelin is a fatty substance that is
deposited around the axon of some
neurons and it speeds the
conduction.
Destruction of myelin is found in a
number of pathologies, notably
multiple sclerosis
Source:
https://sites.psu.edu/psych256sp15
/2015/01/31/multiple-sclerosis/

12. How do neuron code information?
Source: https://youtu.be/ExvSvUlZuck

13. Grey and white matter and the cerebrospinal fluid
Grey matter: neuronal cell
bodies
White matter: axons and support
cells (glia)
CSF (CerebroSpinal Fluid): it
fills the ventricles and it
serves some functions (carries
waste, transfers signals),
albeit non-cognitive.
Source:
https://pathologyproject.wordpress.com/2012/04
/10/meningitis/

14. CNS is organised hierarchically
Source:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/201411231809
29-4078391-how-the-brain-works-and-why-you-
should-know/

15. Terms of reference and section
http://www.thinksciencemaurer.com/anatomical-position
-directional-terms-planes/

16. The cerebral cortex
Gyri: the raised folds of
the cortex
Sulci: the buried grooves of
the cortex
The cortex is only around
3mm thick and is organized
into different layers that
can be seen when viewed in
cross section.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_cortex

17. Labelling the regions of the cortex
By:
- Pattern of gyri and sulci
- Cytoarchitecture (cell
types) as Brodmann’s
- Function (only primary
sensory and motor areas) Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brodmann_a
rea

18. Subcortex
Basal ganglia: regions of the
subcortical grey matter involved in
aspects of motor control and skill
learning: they consist of structures
such as the caudate nucleus, putamen
and globus pallidus.
Disorders of the basal ganglia can be
characterized as hypokinetic (poverty
of movements - Parkinson’s) or
hyperkinetic (excess of movement -
Huntington’s)
Source: https://youtu.be/JL9Y3P870jU

19. The limbic system
Present and previous experience
Is a region of the subcortex involved
in relating the organism to its
present and its past environment. The
limbic structure includes amygdala,
hippocampus, cingulate cortex and
mammillary bodies.
Detects and expresses emotional
responses
Relation with the olfactory bulbs
Source: https://youtu.be/JVvMSwsOXPw

20. Diencephalon, Thalamus and hypothalamus
The diencephalon of the brain consists of structures
that are lateral to the third ventricle, and
includes the thalamus, the hypothalamus, the
epithalamus and the subthalamus.
The diencephalon is one of the main vesicles of the
brain formed during embryogenesis. During the third
week of development a neural tube is created from
the ectoderm, one of the three primary germ layers.
The tube forms three main vesicles during the third
week of development: the prosencephalon, the
mesencephalon and the rhombencephalon. The
prosencephlon gradually divides into the
telencephalon and the diencephalon.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diencephalon

21. The midbrain and the hindbrain
The midbrain or mesencephalon is a
portion of the central nervous system
associated with vision, hearing,
motor control, sleep/wake, arousal
(alertness), and temperature
regulation.
The hindbrain or rhombencephalon is a
developmental categorization of
portions of the central nervous
system in vertebrates. It includes
the medulla, pons, and cerebellum.
Together they support vital bodily
processes
Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midbrain

22. Assignment: Quiz/Trivia
2 teams
Prepare 10 multiple choices
questions for the quiz we
are going to perform during
next lesson on this
chapter.
I will prepare the
flashcards…