Research Techniques of Neuroscience Lesson 7 Studying

Research Techniques of Neuroscience Lesson 7

Studying the Brain & Behavior Anatomy & behavior l Damage behavior changes l Structural differences behavior n Activity & behavior l Behavior record activity l Change activity behavior? n Correlation vs experimentation l causality ~ n

Brain Damage & Behavior n n n Correlate damage behavioral change l Clinical Neuropsychology l Broca’s aphasia Experimental ablation l Lesion brain behavior change? l Lashley & the engram Problems: variability l location of damage l spared behaviors/abilities l multiple areas & tracts involved l post mortem ~

Anatomy & Behavior: Modern Techniques l l l n Noninvasive Computerized axial tomography CAT (CT) scan x-rays of brain Low resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) l higher resolution than CAT l spinning H atoms radio waves ~

Normal Brain Differences Imaging l Staining l Radio-isotope labeling n Sexual dimorphism l corpus callosum l hypothalamus l Sexually Dimorphic Nucleus - SDN ~ n

Brain Activity & Behavior Record activity during behavior n EEG l electroencephalograph l reads electrical activity of brain ~ n

Brain Activity & Behavior PET scan l Positron Emission Tomography l metabolic activity l radioactive 2 -deoxyglucose n Disadvantages l spatial/temporal resolution l correlational ~ n

Brain Activity & Behavior : f. MRI Functional MRI l detects increases in oxygen use n Advantages l anatomy & activity l High resolution spatial & temporal n Disadvantages l Difficulty interpreting activity level ~ n

Brain Activity & Behavior Change activity change behavior? n Electrical Stimulation of Brain (ESB) l Fritz & Hitzig l Olds & Milner l neurosurgery n Advantage l experimental n Disadvantage l invasive ~ n

ESB during Neurosurgery n Map function l minimize loss ~

Brain Activity & Behavior Experimental Psychopharmacology l chemically change activity l learn about drugs l or use drugs to learn about brain & behavior n Block dopamine receptor l movement effects? l learning effects? n Combine with behavioral tests ~ n

Brain Activity & Behavior n Prenatal exposure to methamphetamine l effects on learning?

Brain Activity & Behavior Cellular imaging l radioactive labeling l similar idea to PET n Cellular changes during learning l role of Ca++ ions ~ n

Genetic Techniques Knock-out Mice l Genes l change microanatomy l alter function n Disable gene no protein l receptor, enzyme, etc l evaluate effect on behavior n Obesity n Alcoholism ~ n