Psychology 1100 Introduction to Psychology Christopher Gade, PhD Office: Bertrand 27 Office hours: MW 1:30-3:30 and by apt Email: christopher.gade@dominican.edu Class MW 9:25-10:40 Angelico 226

Psychology 001

Introduction to Psychology

Christopher Gade, PhDOffice: 621 HeafeyOffice hours: F 3-6 and by apt. Email: gadecj@gmail.com

Class WF 7:00-8:30 Heafey 650

1Pop Quiz QuestionsWhere do our thoughts, memories, and perceptions occur in the human body?

How do we direct the motion of our bodies (e.g. how do we get our eyes, limbs, mouth, and other parts to move the way we want them to)?

What makes human unique from other animals, and what makes each of us unique from our peers?Notes about the brainThe brain is a dense, location specific organ that controls conscious and unconscious human functioning.

The spinal cord and nervous system allow our brains to efficiently communicate with our bodies.

Our knowledge about the specific regions of the brain and how they communicates is still limited.Why do we know so little?Time:We have just begun to develop technology that allows us to look at the brain in a very efficient manner.

Money:Most of the current technologies that we have are very, very expensive to use. This limits us in both the number, and type of individuals that conduct research on this topic.

Variety:The brain and nervous system are, in relative terms, HUGE! Theres a lot to examine, and were just getting started.

How the mind/brain is studiedIn the past:Philosophy and debate

Autopsy

How the brain/mind is studied (cont.)Currently:HistologyStains

Invasive Studies

Recording

Imaging

Reviewing Stains

How the brain/mind is studied (cont.)Currently:Histology

Invasive StudiesAutopsiesExperimentation/stimulation on animalsChance and correlation lesion studiesPhineas Gage caseHemisphere neglect exampleTranscranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

Recording

Imaging

The Most Cited Lesion Example EverPhineas GageWorked for a railroad companyHad a metal rod shot through his headSurvived the incident, but his behavior changed dramatically after the incidentMuch more impulsiveMore excitable and agitatedStruggled with the ability to maintain friendships, relationships, and conversationwhat was once a well mannered man, now became something that resembled a mere animalExample of Chance Anatomy Studies: Parietal Stroke (Hemisphere Neglect)

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The Lesion MethodStrengths:Can determine the necessity of a region for a certain cognitive process.

Weaknesses:Lack of experimental control.Time for plasticity.Low number of subjects.

11TMS Studies

How the brain/mind is studied (cont.)Currently:Histology

Invasive Studies

RecordingElectroencephalogram (EEGs)Event related potentials (ERPs)Electrocorticography (ECog)

Imaging

Human ElectrophysiologyElectrophysiology can record electrical potentials of large populations of simultaneously active neurons at the scalp

A direct measure of neural activity14

Applications of Electroencephalography (EEG)

INDIVIDUAL NEURON ACTIVITYCOMBINED NEURON ACTIVITY16

Electrocorticography (ECoG)17How the brain/mind is studied (cont.)Currently:Histology

Invasive Studies

Recording

ImagingComputerized Tomography (CT Scans)Positron Emission Tomography (PET Scans)Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRIs, and fMRIs)

Why Neuroimaging?In comparison to lesion studies, neuroimaging experiments tell us a whole slew of information about the brain with some distinct advantages. NoninvasiveAllows us to look at people while livingAllows us to get larger samples of individualsNote: they also look at more specific activity that mere recording methods.

Blood Flow MeasuresThe Beginning: CT ScansCT scans were first introduced in order to see the structure of the brain (great for detecting abnormalities)

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)Measures variations in cerebral blood flow by tracking the decay of a radioactive tracer (an unstable isotope) usually tagged to water molecules.

More blood = more neural activityan indirect measure of neural activity21PETPROsDecent spatial resolution (5-10mm3)Can also measure neurotransmitter metabolism.CONsInvasiveVery expensivePoor temporal resolution (minutes)Cannot detect the neural response to discrete cognitive events. 22Functional MRI (fMRI)Advances over PETNon-invasive (no radioactive agents required)Better spatial resolution (1mm)Better temporal resolution (seconds rather than min)

How does it work?Similar to PET in thatit is an indirect measureof changes in blood flowBlood flow is measured by the deoxygenating ofthe hemoglobin in yourbrain and a giant magnetspinning around yourhead

23How the brain/mind is studied (cont.)Currently:HistologyStainsInvasive StudiesAutopsiesChance and correlation lesion studiesExperimentation/stimulation on animalsTranscranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)RecordingElectroencephalogram (EEGs)Event related potentials (ERPs)Electrocorticography (ECog)ImagingComputerized Tomography (CT Scans)Positron Emission Tomography (PET Scans)Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRIs, and fMRIs)

So what have we learned by examining the brain and nervous system through these techniques?