what is behavioral neuroscience?

© Cengage Learning 2016 © Cengage Learning 2016

What is Behavioral Neuroscience?

Chapter One

© Cengage Learning 2016

• 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


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

From Molecules to Behavior


• 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


Prehistoric Brain Surgery


Galvani – the Role of Electricity in Neural Communication


• 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


Phrenology Bust


• 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


Tissue Sectioning using a Microtome


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

interpreted carefully and precisely

Behavioral Neuroscience Research Methods – Autopsy


• 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


CT Scans – Historical and Modern


PET Scans Show Patterns of Brain Activation


Functional MRI (fMRI) Tracks Cerebral Blood Flow


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


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

Recording


Event-Related Potentials (ERPs)


Magnetoencephalography (MEG)


• 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


Deep Brain Stimulation and rTMS


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

• Ablation– Surgical removal of neural tissue

Lesions


• 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


• 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.)


• 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


• 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


• 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.)


• 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

what is behavioral neuroscience?

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