Topic 2 7 Tools for Examining Brain Structure

Topic 2. 7 - Tools for Examining Brain Structure and Function

How do we learn about the brain? • Accidents: Phineas Gage had a steel rod blasted through his frontal lobe. Later, his personality dramatically changed. What did scientists learn from this?

Lesions Cutting into the brain and looking for change. Brain tumors also lesion brain tissue.

Less Invasive ways to study the Brain • Electroencephalogram (EEG) • Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT) • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) • Positron Emission Tomography (PET) • Functional MRI (f. MRI)

Our Divided Brain Corpus callosum § Corpus Callosum § large band of neural fibers § connects the two brain hemispheres § carries messages between the hemispheres

Split-Brain Patients • Since the Corpus Callosum attaches the two hemispheres of the cerebral cortex, when it is removed, you have a split-brain patient. • https: //www. youtube. com/watc h? v=8 c. OBt 5 fx. S 3 Y

Split Brain “What word did you see? ” or “Look at the dot. ” Two words separated by a dot are momentarily projected. “Point with your left hand to the word you saw. ”

Our Divided Brain § The information highway from the eye to the brain § Meet Joe, a splitbrain patient who worked with Dr. Michael Gazzaniga § https: //www. youtub e. com/watch? v=a. Cv 4 K 5 a. Std. U&list=WL&in dex=2&t=0 s