The Brain

Question 1

what is the spinal cord capable of?

Answer 1

autonomous function (functions automatically)

very primative

Question 2

what does the brainstem house?

Answer 2

basic programs of survival

allows us to transmit information between the spine and the brain

Question 3

what is the cerebellum essential for?

Answer 3

movement

it is known as the “little brain” - largest part of the brain (Very convoluted and allows us to fit everything into that part of the brain)

Question 4

what does the subcortial structures control?

Answer 4

basic drives and emotions

Question 5

what is the cerebral cortex important for?

Answer 5

complex mental activity

reasoning, thinking, and planning

makes us who we are

Question 6

what are the three main divisions of the brain?

Answer 6

hindbrain

midbrain

forebrain

Question 7

what is the main function of the hindbrain? what does it consist of?

Answer 7

coordinates info coming into and out of the spinal caord, and controls the basic funcitons of life - primative

could live primitively with just this part of brain and midbrain

medulla

reticular formation

cerebellum

pons

Question 8

what is the main function of the midbrain? what does it consist of?

Answer 8

important for orientation and movement

tectum and tegmentum

Question 9

what is the forebrain? what does it consist of?

Answer 9

highest level of brain - critical for complex cognitive, emotional, sensory, and motor functions

complex in thinking and movement

cerebral cortex and subcortical structures - limbic system

Question 10

what is the tegmentum? where is it located?

Answer 10

midbrain

movement and arousal

orrients toward sensory stimuli

neurotransmitters present are related to mood, arousal, and motivation

Question 11

what is the tectum? where is it located?

Answer 11

midbrain

orients an organism in the environment, recieves stimuli from eyes, ears, and skins

helps move us move in a coordinated way in response to the stimuli

Question 12

where is the brainstem located? what does it contain?

Answer 12

the “inner core” of the brain - regulates life support

rests atop and connects to the spinal cord

attaches to the cerebellum

contains the medulla, pons, and reticular formation

Question 13

how does the brainstem help us survive?

Answer 13

survival reflexes - gagging, breathing, swallowing, etc

uses spinal relfexes to produce useful behavior

*reticular formation and sleep are KEY

Question 14

what does the medulla do? where is it located?

Answer 14

middle of brainstem

vital for involuntary functions like heart beats and respiration

Question 15

what is the pons? where is it located?

Answer 15

top of the brainstem

relays info from cerebellum

Question 16

what does the reticular formation do? where is it located?

Answer 16

bottom of brainstem

important for sleep, arousal, and attention

Question 17

what is the cerebellum referred to as? what is it key in helping? what part of the brain?

Answer 17

hindbrain

“the little brain”

has a role in motor learning and movement

beyond motoric training it helps with (shown in fmri scans)

1. multiple cognitive processes - learned responses
2. empathy - lights up in cerebellum along with other regions when activated

(thought to be more primative but now finding more complex things)

Question 18

what is the thalamus? what part of brain?

Answer 18

in the forebrain

processes senses - “sensory relay station”

relay center for sensory info that we are processing

Question 19

what is the corpus callosum? what part of the brain?

Answer 19

forebrain

communication system with bundles of axons

**connects the left and right brains

Question 20

what is the hippocampus? what part of the brain?

Answer 20

forebrain

strong memory center

memory formation

alcohol damages this part of the brain

Question 21

what is the amygdala? what part of the brain?

Answer 21

forebrain

“aggression center”

fear center - strong emotional response region

Question 22

what is the hypothalamus? what part of the brain?

Answer 22

forebrain

regulatory functions - connected to the pituatary gland (which releases hormones and responds)

*regulates temp, hunger, activity of ANS, hormone release via pituitary, site of pleasure center (sexual, food, etc) - autonomic nervous system

ex. hunger, thirst, etc

Question 23

why can you remember strong emotional memories?

Answer 23

hippocampus and amygdala are next to eachother

Question 24

where is the limbic system? what is it critical to? what is included in it?

Answer 24

above the brainstem, surrounded by cortex

critical to motivation, emotion, and memory

subocritc structures are included in it…

thalamus, hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus

Question 25

what do the subcortical structures control? what do they consist of?

Answer 25

part of the limbic system - separates older and newer parts of the brain

control basic drives and emotions

contain the hypothalamus, thalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, and basal ganglia

Question 26

what is damaged in basal ganglia?

Answer 26

region where dopamine functioning is impaired

leads to parkinson’s disease

Question 27

what are the 4 parts of the cerebral cortex?

Answer 27

frontal lobe

parietal lobe

temporal lobe

occipital lobe

Question 28

what is the frontal lobe associated with?

Answer 28

in front part of the cerebral cortex

associated with moral decision making, problem solving, negative emotions, etc

houses who we are and how manage ourselves

*thought, planning, and movement

*don’t want damaged - otherwise our ability to regulate emotions is lost

Question 29

what is the parietal lobe associated with?

Answer 29

sides of the cerebral cortex

touch, spatial relations

if damaged, lose understanding of where we are

Question 30

what is the temporal lobe associated with?

Answer 30

by the temples in the cerebral cortex

hearing, auditory system, and memory centers of the brain (hippocampus is in this region)

if damaged… problems with sounds (songs being played because of auditory memory)

Question 31

what is the occipital lobe associated with?

Answer 31

in the back of the cerebral cortex

vision

processes all things we see - alll visual info goes here

Question 32

how are functions represented in the cerebral cotex?

Answer 32

represented in specific brain areas…

motor cortex

somatosensory cortex

broca’s area

wernicke’s area

auditory/ “musical” cortex

visual cortex

Question 33

what is the motor cortex associated with? where is it located?

Answer 33

the cerebral cortex - frontal lobe

coordination

Question 34

what is the somatosensory cortex associated with? where is it located?

Answer 34

cerebral cortex - frontal lobe

understanding peripheral parts

Question 35

where is broca’s area? what is it associated with?

Answer 35

cerebral cortex - frontal lobe

language production/ speaking

when damaged we cannot speak

Question 36

where is wernicke’s area? what is it associated with?

Answer 36

cerebral cortex - temporal lobe

language reception/ understanding

when damaged not able to understand

Question 37

where the is visual cortex?

Answer 37

cerebral cortex - occipital lobe

Question 38

how do brain areas work together in language processing?

Answer 38

each area performs certain functions

areas coordinate thier actions - brain acts as an integrated system

1. visual cortex - recieves written words as visual stimlution
2. angular gyrus - transofrms visual representations into an auditory code
3. wernike’s area - interprets auditory code
4. broca’s area - controls speech muscles via the motor cortex
5. motor cortex - word is pronounced - lip and tongue movements

Question 39

how does size in the somtosensory cortex affect sensitivity?

Answer 39

the bigger the more sensitive

lips and hands

ex. pianists have begger region for fingertips - plasticity

Question 40

how does brain plasticity affect sensations in amputees?

Answer 40

stimulating areas of the face and other parts of the body may activate sensations in the missing limb, due to compensation of cortical area in the somatosensory cortex (learned actions with limb)

phantom limb syndrome - continue to feel sensations where missing limb is following amputation

researchers have used a “mirror box” to teach amputees a new mapping to increase coluntary control over their phantom limbs - activate brain regions through looking at mirror (ex. relaxing the hand)

Question 41

how is the brain divided?

Answer 41

hemispheres are specialized and can be separated

the hemispheres can be separated

the brain is contralateral

left side of the body is controlled in right brain and vice versa

Question 42

what is the split brain? what do the left and right sides control?

Answer 42

corpus callosum is severed when people have severe siezures so it does not spread across the whole brain

left and right brains control different functions and have contralateral processing

right brain - face recognition, spatial and perceptual tasks

left brain - can “talk”, language and speaking

Question 43

split brain video and exercises

Answer 43

video - man could draw squarea and circles with left and right hand at the same time

word would flash to right brain and he couldn’t see it but could draw it

faces and fruits - right brain would recognize faces, left brain would only see fruits

damages are easier to detect - ex. stroke in left = impairment in right

**look at examples

if pick up a key with the left side, the right side recognizes it but can’t verbally say it

Question 44

what is hemineglect?

Answer 44

damage to the right parietal cortex

therefore spacial perception is disturbed

ex. can’t draw the clock right (missing the whole left side) but the person sees nothing wrong with it - no spacial awareness of left side

could describes places BUT left side would not be mentioned

Question 45

how does the brain change?

Answer 45

the brain has plasticity - actively changing - front lobe develops until we are 25

the interplay of genes and the environment wires the brain

the brain rewires itself throughout life

the brain can recover from injury

Question 46

what is the importance of plasticity?

Answer 46

1. chemical signals guide growing connections…

neurons form more dendrites, axons, blood flow, synapses, etc. and therefore allows the brain to nourish and recover

2. experience fine-tunes nueral connections…

plasticity has “critical periods” - explains stroke and injury recover, need to be exposed to language early on (otherwise can’t fully adapt)

Question 47

how does the brain rewire itself throughout life?

Answer 47

change in strength of connections underlies learning…

hebbian learning - “fire together, wire together” - allows the brain to strengthen and grow

change in use distort cortical maps…

use it or lose it, keep brain and body working - less cognitive problem

ex. larger hippocampus development for taxi drivers (spatial navigation) and concert pianist have highly developed critical areas for finger control

Question 48

how can the brain recover from injury?

Answer 48

remapping after injury reflects plasticity

the promise of transplanting stem cells…

help with injured brain

neurons that can help already existing systems - adapt with changes

Question 49

activity, exercise, and the brain tests

Answer 49

adult brain continues to adjust

ex. rats in nourished environment had more inputs for nerve cells, blood system, etc and therefore embellished brain dependent on blood supply for nutrients

exercise and learning - rats that learned had an increase in connections and no increase in blood vessels, rats that were involved in exercise had the opposite happen

Question 50

how are sports performances involved with both sides of the brain?

Answer 50

must connect both sides of the brain for sports - must control amounts used

left must quiet (the verbal portion)

right must do more (more for focus and balance)

imagery and balance help quiet the left brain