what is behavioral neuroscience?

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What is Behavioral Neuroscience?

Chapter One

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• Neuroscience– “The scientific study of the brain and nervous

system, in health and in disease” (UCLA, 2000)

– Incorporates the fields of psychology, biology, chemistry, medicine, mathematics, physics, engineering, and computer science

Neuroscience as an Interdisciplinary Field

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• The functions of the brain and nervous system are studied on many different levels

From Molecules to Behavior

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• Ancient milestones– Trepanation– Egyptian medical papyrus; mummification – Ancient Greeks: Hippocrates, Galen

• The dawn of scientific reasoning – Descartes (1596-1650): mind-body dualism– Van Leeuwenhoek– Galvani and du Bois-Reymond– Bell and Magendie

Historical Highlights in Neuroscience

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Prehistoric Brain Surgery

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Galvani – the Role of Electricity in Neural Communication

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• Santiago Ramón y Cajal and Camillo Golgi– The Neuron Doctrine

• Gall and Spurzheim: phrenology• Paul Broca• Fritsch and Hitzig• John Hughlings-Jackson (1835-1911)

– Founding of modern neuroscience

• Sherrington, Loewi, Eccles, Katz, Huxley, Hodgkin

Modern Neuroscience Begins

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Phrenology Bust

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• The study of microscopic structures and tissues

• Provides the means for observing structure, organization, and connections of individual cells

• Tissue fixation, microtome machine, and specialized stains

Behavioral Neuroscience Research Methods – Histology

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Tissue Sectioning using a Microtome

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• Examination of the body after death• Correlational method that must be

interpreted carefully and precisely

Behavioral Neuroscience Research Methods – Autopsy

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• Types of imaging technologies– Computerized tomography (CT)– Positron emission tomography (PET)– Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

• Functional MRI (fMRI)• Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)

• Advantage of imaging over autopsy– Can watch the living brain as it behaves

Behavioral Neuroscience Research Methods – Imaging

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CT Scans – Historical and Modern

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PET Scans Show Patterns of Brain Activation

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Functional MRI (fMRI) Tracks Cerebral Blood Flow

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Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) Constructs Maps of the Brain’s Fiber Pathways

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• Records electrical and magnetic output from the brain – Electroencephalogram (EEG)– Event-related potentials– Magnetoencephalography (MEG)– Single-cell recordings

Recording

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Event-Related Potentials (ERPs)

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Magnetoencephalography (MEG)

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• Artificial stimulation of specific brain regions and observation of resulting behavior– Surface electrodes during neurosurgery– Surgically implanted electrodes– Repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation

(rTMS)– Optogenetics

Brain Stimulation

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Deep Brain Stimulation and rTMS

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• Lesion: injury to neural tissue • Naturally occurring• Deliberately produced

• Ablation– Surgical removal of neural tissue

Lesions

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• Biochemical methods– Use of chemical stimulation and microdialysis

• Genetic methods– Twin studies (concordance rates)– Adoption studies (heritability)– Studies of genetically-modified animals

(knockout genes)– Epigenetics (gene expression due to external

factors)

Other Research Methods

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• Stem cells– Undifferentiated cells that can divide and

differentiate into other types of cells– One of the most promising approaches to

understanding neural development, regeneration, and disease

– Embryonic or adult: advantages and disadvantages of both

– Can be used to repair the nervous system

Other Research Methods (cont’d.)

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• Mechanisms for protection of human participants and animal research subjects– Hippocrates– Federal government and the Common Rule– University review and institutional review

boards

Research Ethics in Behavioral Neuroscience

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• Coercion of research participants is unacceptable

• Benefits to participants should not be “excessive or inappropriate”

• Participants must be informed that they can leave without penalty at any time

• Participants must be told enough about the experiment to make an informed decision about participating

Research Ethics – Human Participants

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• Participants must receive contact information in case they have questions

• Participants must be assured their data will be confidential

Research Ethics – Human Participants (cont’d.)

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• Animal research should have a clear scientific purpose

• Excellent care and housing should be provided

• Experimental procedures should cause as little pain and distress as possible

Research Ethics – Animal Subjects