Chapter 1 What is behavioral neuroscience Branch of psychology that studies the relationship between the brain and behavior View of ancient Egyptians and Greeks on the brain Hippocrates Galen Nervous system is a network of fluid filled interconnected tubes and chambers Fluid in ventricles plays important role in transmitting messages to and from the brain Hippocrates 460 379 BC First to suggest that the brain was the source of intelligence Galen 130 200 AD Introduced notion that fluid filled ventricles animate the body What does localization of function mean How does Phineas Gage relate Different areas of the brain are specialized for different functions Phineas Gage took a spike through his brain Before the accident he was fully competent after the accident he had intelligence speech learning and movement problems No sense of responsibility no respect for social conventions profane irreverent What are the differences between a theory and a hypothesis Theory integrates and interprets many observations to explain a phenomenon Hypothesis Testable yes no prediction that is used to guide further research How is a correlational design different from an experiment Correlation Systematic research design that does not manipulate but rather observes whether two variables are connected Experiment Research Design characterized by Random Assignment Control of extraneous confounding variables Manipulation of a condition Measurement of changes from the manipulation What are common histological techniques used in neuroscience research When would you use each approach What type of information would you expect to find CT scan Uses multiple x rays to construct a 3D image X ray penetrates body and absorbed by various radiopaque tissues Digital reconstruction within plane of slice PET Injection of a radioactive substance 2 deoxyglucose into the bloodstream which is taken up by parts of the brain according to how active they are MRI Magnetic field and radio waves used to produce high resolution structural images of the brain fMRI Measures brain activation by detecting increases in oxygenenated blood directed at active neural structures Changes in blood flow and blood oxygenation in the brain i e hemodynamics are closely linked to neural activity Ratio of oxyhemoglobin to deoxyhemoglobin determines areas of brain activation Brain recording methods EEG Scalp electrodes provide information about the activity of large populations of neurons Used to study sleep and diagnose seizures ERP Series of EEG responses to environmental stimuli Useful in studies of perception cognitive processes MEG Brain s magnetic output is assessed Skull is transparent to magnetism not electricity making MEG less distorted than EEG Localization of activity is possible What technique is used to stimulate the human brain Brain stimulation Delineate functional properties of neural tissue TMS Applies strong and quickly changing magnetic fields to surface of skull that can interrupt brain function What is histology What are the most common stains and what do they stain Histology Study of microscopic structure and tissue Nissl stain Cell bodies of neurons Example Cresyl Violet Golgi stain Single cells Darkly stains full neuron Randomly stains 5 of neurons Myelin stain Stains myelin that wraps and insulates axons Identifies neural pathways What is tract tracing What is the difference between anterograde and retrograde tracers Tracing the projections from one part of the nervous system to another part Anterograde moving forward Where a pathway ends Retrograde moving backward Where a pathway begins What techniques are used to study neurophysiology Neurophysiology Intracellular Recording Brain slice 0 5 mm wide inject current depolarizing neuron causing Action Potential What are the neurochemical methods When would you use each approach What type of information would you expect to find Neuropharmacology Drugs chemical substances that alter biochemical functioning Receptor antagonists Inhibitors of neurotransmitter receptors Receptor agonists Mimic actions of naturally occurring neurotransmitters Microdialysis Procedure for analyzing chemicals present in the extracellular fluid Immunocytochemistry Uses antibodies attached to a dye to identify the presence of particular proteins What are lesions What are the different ways of producing lesions What type of information does this method provide Lesions a region in the brain that has suffered damage Humans Trauma Strokes Tumors Infection Toxins Neurological disease Animals Ablation Heat Electrolytic Neurotoxic Cooling reversible inactivation What is stereotaxic surgery How is it done What is it used for A three dimensional surgical technique that enables lesions deep within tissues to be located and treated using cold heat or chemicals What are the genetic methodologies Concordance rate Twin studies Compare variable of interest between identical monozygotic and fraternal dizygotic twins Contribution of heredity is stated as concordance rate Statistical analysis on twin studies which determines the extent to which twins are similar low rates not similar or environmentally influenced high rates similar genetically influenced Genetically Modified Animals Knockout or knockin genes Protein production blocked or added Chapter 2 What are the basic anatomical directions Rostral anterior head front Caudal posterior tail back Dorsal superior top back Ventral inferior bottom belly Medial middle Lateral outside Proximal near core Distal extremities Ipsilateral same side Contralateral opposite side What are the three planes of section Coronal sections divide brain crosswise from front to back Sagittal sections are parallel to the midline and give us a side view Horizontal sections section brain from top to bottom medial towards the middle of brain lateral towards outside What are the meninges The three layers System of membranes which envelops the central nervous system 3 layers in the CNS Dura mater Hard mother Arachnoid membrane Pia mater Pious mother What are the ventricles One of the communicating cavities within the brain There are four ventricles two lateral ventricles the third ventricle and the fourth ventricle Filled with CSF What is CSF Where is CSF located Where is CSF produced Cerebral spinal fluid which is located in the ventricles Made by choroid plexus in ventricles Similar composition to clear plasma of blood What are the major nervous system divisions Central CNS brain and spinal cord