Neuroscience Disciplines
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Neuroanatomy
Neurochemistry
Neuroendocrinology
Neuropathology
Neuropharmacology
Neurophysiology
BIOPSYCHOLOGY
Brain Anatomy - Three
Divisions
FOREBRAIN
Telencephalon
Cerebral cortex
Basal Ganglia
Limbic System
Diencephalon
Thalamus
Hypothalamus
Brain Anatomy - Three
Divisions
FOREBRAIN
Telencephalon
Cerebral cortex
Basal Ganglia
Limbic System
Diencephalon
Thalamus
Hypothalamus
MIDBRAIN
Mesencephalon
Tectum
Tegmentum
Periaqueductal Gray
HINDBRAIN
Metencephalon
Cerebellum
Pons
Myelencephalon
Medulla Oblongata
Biopsychology
• The discipline of neuroscience that
attempts to discover how the various
neural phenomena studied in the other
disciplines control behavior.
• Example: Sleep Behavior
• What brain structures are responsible for
sleep?
• What is the chemical content of the
structures?
• What drugs promote sleep?
Members of Society for Neuroscience
- Departmental Affiliations
Department
Psychology
Physiology
Pharmacology
Biology
Anatomy
Neurology
Psychiatry
Percentage of Sample
16.1
14.3
12.5
11.2
11.2
6.7
5.8
Divisions of Biopsychology
• Physiological Psychology
• Manipulations of nervous system in controlled
experimental settings
• Laboratory animals
• “Pure” or “basic” research
Psychopharmacology
• Drug effects on behavior and how these
effects are mediated
• “Applied” research - purpose to develop
therapeutic drugs
Neuropsychology
• Effects of brain damage on human
behavior
• “Applied” research to help those afflicted
with behavioral disorders
Psychophysiology
• Study of the relationship between
physiology and behavior in humans
• Non-invasive procedures taken from the
body surface
• Strive to understand the physiology of
basic psychological processes such as
information processing, emotion
Cognitive Neuroscience
• The neural basis of cognition including
thought, attention and memory
• Human research involving non-invasive
human brain imaging techniques
• Involves interdisciplinary collaboration
among neuroscientists
Comparative Psychology
• Comparison of behavior of different
species
• Focus on genetics, evolution and
adaptiveness of behavior
• brain differences that contribute to
behavioral differences among species
Research approaches used in
Biopsychology
Somatic Intervention
• Bodily Intervention
Examples
• Administer hormone
• Stimulate Brain Area
• Local Brain Damage
Behavioral Effect
Examples
Measure Mating
Measure Aggression
Measure Memory
Behavioral Intervention
• Somatic Effect
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Examples
Measure Hormones
Measure Brain Activity
Measure Brain Anatomy
Behavioral Intervention
Examples
Female with Male
Memory Task
Altered Rearing
Correlational Studies
Somatic Variables
Behavioral Variables
Examples
Examples
Brain Size
Hormonal Levels
Learning Scores
Strength of Mating
Why does one study the
biological basis of behavior?
Brain Function and Behavior
Early Theories
Localizationist Theory
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1800ff. - Gall, Spurzheim
Brain is not a unitary organ
Cerebrum is a mosaic of centers
Each center has a specific mental function
Centers developed in size as a function of use
Centers produced protuberances on skull
surface
• Anatomical Personality or Phrenology
Aggregate Field Theory
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1824 - Flourens: 1924 - Lashley
Specific mental functions are not localized
Brain acts as a whole for each function
Any part of cerebral cortex is capable of
performing all functions
Cellular Connectionism Theory
• 1876 - Wernicke: 1861 - Broca
• Simple mental functions are discretely localized
to single cortical areas
• The areas for these simple functions are
interconnected
• Complex mental functions arise from interactions
among several of these areas