Introduction
What general field is the scientific study of the nervous system?
Neuroscience
What theory was Rene Descartes famous for when it came to relating the body and brain?
He believed in the theory of dualism. This is belief that the mind has an immaterial aspect that is distinct from the material body and brain (basically soul is separate from body). Modern scientists do not believe in this but rather materialism theory (behavior can be explained through physical examination or how there is biological basis behind things (like disorders)).
Even though the pseudoscientific fad, phrenology, fell out of date/popularization (as it was plainly wrong in several fundamental ways), what concept did it help establish?
What is Spatial Resolution?
Where brain is active. So shows us where different regions = specialized for one specific function or has different contributes to behavior. Can also show us which parts of brain is active or most active during activities.
Which neuroscience methods are structural?
CT, MRI, DTI = all these tests show structure of brain or neuron connections
What are the three other names for behavioral neuroscience?
biological psychology, brain and behavior psychology, and physiological psychology are all synonyms for behavioral neuroscience
How did Rene Descartes theories similar to Greco-Roman physician Galen? How were they different?
Similarities: Both believed animal spirits are what caused movement and sensation (in other words why we do some behaviors)
Descartes: adapted this idea originally from Galen, but changed it a little as he believed the animal spirits were made of real fluid (specifically pneumatic fluid) that caused movement and sensations
Galen: specifically believed that with animal spirits they were incorporeal souls meaning the animal souls were weightless, intangible, and invisible basically the animal sprits have no material form or physical substance
- he was also 1st to propose idea of flow/movement of animal spirits to cause movement + sensation from his experiences with treating injuries with gladiators
Ontogeny
What is Temporal Resolution?
helps us see when brain is active. so basically good temporal resolution is getting data of brain activity between every millisecond (but would not know which part of brain is specifically active/most active as that is more spatial resolution).
bad temporal resolution example = test takes time to take image
Which neuroscience methods are functional?
fMRI, PET, EEG, MEG = they all shows activity or function of what brain region is involved/active. In addition also shows what part is active and time it is active during a certain activity
What study is of the biological bases of psychological processes and behavior?
What other object/metaphor did Descartes compare the explanation of the control of the behavior?
Descartes said explantation how the control of behavior might resemble the workings of a machine, specifically proposing the concept of spinal reflexes and a neural pathway for them.
What is the ability of the nervous system to change in response to experience or the environment called?
Neuroplasticity
What is casual inference? What are the usual tests/categories/experiments in this category?
What neuroscience methods are non-invasive?
CT, MRI, DTI, fMRI, PET, EEG, MEG, TMS = meaning they don’t involve cutting someone’s head open or causes permanent/long damage to brain.
What does it mean when "psychology has a long past but only a short history"?
The theory and question of why are humans the way they are or why do they do certain behaviors goes all the way back to ancient observations (ex: Aristotle considering mental capacities to be properties of the heart)
To further explain Descartes of behavior and the resemblance of the workings of machine, explain Descartes foot near the fire metaphor/story and what concept/word gave rise.
Foot near fire: when your foot is near fire, fluid will go up to your brain saying your foot hurts to then have fluid go back down which then causes you to move your foot away from fire giving rise to concept and word reflex
True or False: People can only create new neurons in the womb or the first years of life.
False, you can actually create new neurons in your adult life and can be done by doing certain activities such as exercise, etc. Process is also called adult neurogenesis
Studies of identical twins in which one twin has schizophrenia have revealed a relationship between schizophrenia and enlargement of what part of the brain?
The cerebral ventricles
What neuroscience methods are invasive?
Lesion, Electrode Stimulation, Electrode Recording, and Optogenetics
who introduced phrenology?
Thomas Willis
What is the belief that bumps on the skull reflect enlargements of brain regions responsible for certain behavioral faculties?
Phrenology
What is the creation of new neurons in the brain of an adult called?
In humans, about _______% of the brain is used during routine, day-to-day activities.
How many ways to categorize the neuroscience methods?
3: correlational vs causal inference, invasive vs non invasive, and structural vs function