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Organiza.onofthebrain

Mentalprocessesandthebrain

•  Mentalprocessesarerepresentedasac.va.onpa<ernsacrossneuronsinthebrain

•  Neuronsarecellsthatsignaleachother– Aneuronmakesayes/nodecisionwhethertopropagateanelectrochemicalsignal

– Thereare100sofbillionsofneurons,sothebraincansignalinverycomplexways

Thecentralnervoussystem

Thalamus(sensoryswitchboard)Brainstem(breathing,heart,stressresponse)

Spinalcord(simplereflexes)

Cerebellum,li#lebrain(movement,.ming)

Limbicsystem(memoryforevents,loca.ons,emo.ons)

Cortex(higher-levelfunc.on)

Limbicsystem

(memory for events, locations) (memory for emotions)

Grayma<er(neurons)

Whitema<er(glia,axons)

Contralateralorganiza.on:Visionpathways

Primaryvisualcortex(Tootelletal.,1982)

S.muluspresentedtomonkey

Map-like(topographic)representa.oninrighthalfofprimaryvisualcortex

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Cor.calregions Superior(dorsal)

Inferior(ventral)

Anterior(rostral)

Posterior(caudal)

Cor.calregions

7 = lateral fissure 9 = central fissure

Inferioraspect

Brainstem

Thalamusandlimbicsystemarehidden

Lateralfissure

Superioraspect

Corpuscallosum(hardbody)

Axons(neuronoutputs)

Cortex(bark):~3mm

Sulcus

Gyrus

Longitudinalfissure

Lateralvs.sagi<alviews

Sagittal = split along longitudinal fissure

Primarymotor,somatosensoryareas

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•  Keypoints:– Whichofthegreenandblueareasiswhich

– Moreneural.ssue=moresensa.on/control

– Anothermap:nearbyareasinthebodymaptonearbyareasinbrain

Primarymotor,somatosensoryareas Associa.onareas

Frontallobes:Thinking:planning,a<ending,workingmemory,inhibi.on,...

Temporallobes:Long-termstorageofmeanings(“what”system)

Parietallobes:Long-termstorageofimages(“where”system)

Thosecor.calareasotherthansensory/motorIntegrateandconnectinforma.on

Brainsacrossspecies Languageareas

In most people, these language areas are left-lateralized

(syntax,controlofspeech)

(complexwordmeanings)

Split-braineffects(Fig.3.31)

Thepersonislookingstraightahead

Personcanperceivetheforkpicture,andsay“fork”

Personcanperceivethephysicalspoonbyfeel,withtheirlebhand

Facerecogni.on

Fusiformfacearea

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+ +Flowers

Face

+ +FaceFruit

+Toad Stool