The Brainy and the Beast

How do we Study the Brain?

• Phineas Gage

• Tamping iron through

the brain

PET scans

• Positron Emission Tomography

• Radioactive substance given to patient

fMRI

• Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

• Uses blood oxygen levels

• No injections

• AMEN Clinics

• Different parts of the brain have different functions.

• Broca’s Area- speech and language

• Wernicke’s Area- language

Comprehension

• Hippocampus -

memory

Criminal Minds

• Do they think differently?

• Id, ego, superego

Cerebrum – START NOTES

• The “higher” brain

• Conscious thought, memory, learning

• Personality to some extent

Thalamus

• Relay Station- sensory impulses go up and motor impulses go down

• Deep pain, temperature, touch

Hypothalamus

• Cardiovascular regulation• Body-temperature regulation• Regulation of water and electrolyte balance• Regulation of hunger and GI activity• Regulation of sleeping and waking• Sexual Response• Emotions• Endocrine functions

Midbrain

• Connection for motor pathways

• Corpora Quadrigemina- reflex centers involving vision and hearing

Pons

• Connects the CNS.

• White matter, sends messages

Medulla Oblongata

• Visceral Reflexes- heart rate, blood pressure and breathing

• Pyramids- where crossover happens

Brain Stem

• Midbrain, Pons, Medulla Oblongata

• Intoxication

• Brain Dead

Cerebellum

• Coordination of motor activities

• Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences

Divisions of the Cerebrum

• Right and Left hemispheres (longitudinal fissure)

• Frontal lobe- personality• Parietal lobe- sensory• Occipital lobe- vision

• Temporal lobe-speech and language

Gray Matter

• Clusters of cell bodies, enable them to talk to each other and make decisions

• Many cell bodies and synapses to integrate info.

White Matter (deep inside)

• Has myelinated fibers to transfer information quickly

• Connects both hemispheres- Corpus callosum

Protective Coverings END NOTES

• SKIN

• Perisiosteum

• Brain has flat bones for protection

• The meninges – system of membranes protecting the CNS

• In mammals there are 3 layers of meninges (out to in): – the dura mater = thick durable membrane– the arachnoid mater = spider web appearance– the pia mater = thin membrane pierced by

blood vessels…nourish the brain.

Cerebral Spinal Fluid (CSF)

• Formed in the ventricles of the brain

• Blood plasma is filtered through capillaries

How is CSF different from Blood?

• Blood cells, bacteria and proteins are removed

• CSF is mainly water, glucose and oxygen

• Blood-brain barrier- no blood in the brain

Movement of CSF• Passes 3rd and 4th

ventricle and enters the central canal as well as the subarachnoid space. Absorbed by the arachnoid villi at the top of the head.

Accumulation of Fluids

• Severe head injury- ruptured vessels

• Change in CSF production and re-absorption

• Hydrocephalus “water on

the brain”

You make the Diagnosis!

• You see a patient with the following symptoms:

• Cannot sit up straight

• Can’t pick small items up

• Has difficulty standing on one foot

What Area Am I?

• The patient has the following symptoms:

• Cannot remember a phone number

• Change in personality

What Area Am I?

• The patient has the following symptoms:

• Cries for no reason

• Constantly runs a low grade fever

• Has trouble sleeping

• Excessive urination

What Area Am I?

• The patient has the following symptoms:

• Can’t breathe on their own

• Low blood pressure