Neuroscience and Behavior
How does your brain work?
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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How do they transmit information?
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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Ask yourself …
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Neurons
Nerve cells
◦ Basic building
blocks of the
body’s
information
processing system.
Made up of
◦ Dendrites
◦ Axons
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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Receive
information
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Transmit
information to other
◦ Neurons
◦ Muscles
◦ Glands
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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Ask yourself …
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The junction between the sending and receiving
neuron
Chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) bridge the
gap
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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Rats in an enriched environment will
increase their neurons and synapses.
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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Think about …
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Chemicals
Enable
communication
between neurons
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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Neurotransmitters
(similar to
morphine)
Reduces pain
◦ E.g. Childbirth
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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Can you draw and label the parts of a neuron?
◦ Dendrites, body, axons
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What is a synapse, and how do neurotransmitters
aid neural communication?
What are endorphins?
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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Ask yourself …
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What do these parts do?
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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Ask yourself …
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Central nervous system
◦ Brain and spinal column
Peripheral nervous system
◦ Links central nervous system (spinal
cord) to sense receptors, muscles
and glands
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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Ask yourself …
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Brain and spinal column
Severed spinal cord E.g.
E.g. -Sally - knee jerk reaction
without sensation of a tap on the
knee if spinal column is broken.
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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Ask yourself …
“Sympathetic
creates
symptoms”
“Para is
peaceful”
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Sympathetic
nervous system
(Arousing)
◦ Increases
heartbeat &
blood
pressure
Parasympathetic
nervous system
(Calming)
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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Think about …
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Reflex
Simple reflex pathway
◦ Knee-jerk reaction
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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What is the difference between the central
and peripheral nervous systems?
What is the difference between the
sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous
systems?
What is an example of a simple reflex
pathway?
If the spinal cord is broken, how does that
effect the perception of sensation?
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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 Brain
stem
 Limbic system
 Cerebral cortex
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
Ask yourself …
Brainstem the oldest part of your brain, beginning where the
spinal cord swells and enters your skull. Responsible for your
automatic survival functions.
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
Medulla base of the
brainstem, controls your
heartbeat and breathing.
Reticular Formation a nerve
network in the brainstem that
plays an important role in
controlling your arousal.
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
Ask yourself…
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Coordinates your movements
“A bell helps me be coordinated”
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
Ask yourself …
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Between the brain stem
and the Cerebral cortex
Includes:
Hippocampus
◦ Memory
 “Hippos can remember”
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Amygdala
◦ Emotion
 Aggression & Fear
 “Amy makes me mad”
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Hypothalamus
◦ Hunger, thirst,
temperature, & sex
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
Amygdala [ah-MIG-dah-la]
two almond-shaped neural
clusters linked to your
emotion of fear and anger.
What does Amy do?
“Amy makes me mad.”
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
Hypothalamus lies below
(hypo) the thalamus; directs
several maintenance
activities like eating, drinking
body temperature, and
emotions. Helps govern the
endocrine system via the
pituitary gland.
“Thal maintains my body”
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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What parts of your brain evolved first and
last?
What makes up the limbic system?
◦ What does each part focus on?
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What does the cerebellum do?
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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Think about …
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Brain plasticity
Brain adjusts after damage
◦ Blind learning to read brail
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Think: “Your brain can bend like plastic”
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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Damage to frontal lobe
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
Corpus Callosum “It can call the other side”
 Sends information from one cerebral
hemisphere to the other.
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© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
Think about …
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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Left = Logical (Math)
Right = Creative (Music)
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
Remember, all thinking
requires both sides of the
brain.
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What characteristic of the brain allows it to
adjust after damage?
How does information get from one side of
your brain to the other?
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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Ask yourself…
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EEG
CT scan
MRI scan
fMRI
MEG
PET scan
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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Brain waves – Amplifies and records
electrical activity across the surface of
the brain.
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
Think about …
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CT Scan
◦ Computed tomography
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X-ray photographs
“Scan the cat with Xrays.”
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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Think about …
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MRI Scan (Magnetic
Resonance Imaging)
Magnetic fields and
radio waves create
images of the brain’s
soft tissues.
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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Think about …
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fMRI Scan (Functional Magnetic Resonance
Imaging)
Identifies specific brain areas during mental tasks
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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Detects and amplifies
magnetic fields generated by
the electric current in
neurons
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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PET Scan
Positron emission
tomography scan
Radioactive glucose
“Feed your pet
radioactive sugar.”
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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What does an EEG measure?
What imaging method using radioactive
glucose is used for identifying which of
Lucy’s brain areas was most active when she
talked?
What does a fMRI do?
How does magnetoencephalography (MEG)
work?
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.