Ch. 1- History & Introduction

Question 1

Definition of Cognitive Neuroscience/applications

Answer 1

the study of how the brain enables the mind. Physics, engineering, geology, and math can all utilize cog neuro

Question 2

Franz Joseph Gall

Answer 2

(1758-1828) believed different abilities were localized to diff areas of the cortex -> ability/practice of certain traits creates larger bumps on the skull
coined this term “phrenology”

Question 3

Jean Pierre Flourens

Answer 3

(1794-1867) destroyed parts of pigeon’s brains and observed changes in behavior -> concluded that complex function related to perception, memory and cognition were NOT localized to specific regions (globalism)

Question 4

Paul Broca

Answer 4

(1824-1880) worked w “Tan,” a patient with aphasia who could understand speech but not produce it. Found damage to left frontal operculum (now called Broca’s area)

demonstrated clear link between complex function & specific brain region

Question 5

John Hughlings-Jackson

Answer 5

(1835-1911) studied seizures & their patterns
proposed a topographic representation of the body surface in cerebral cortex

noted that specific deficits were often associated with damage to particular brain regions

Question 6

Broca & Werniche’s aphasia

Answer 6

led to the development of the classic view of language comprehension & production -> support for localizationism

Question 7

Gustav Fritsch & Edward Hitzig

Answer 7

(1838-1927) and (1838-1907) applied electrical activity to the cortex of dogs -> stimulation of diff regions resulted in movement of diff body parts

identified motor strip
more evidence for localizationism approach

Question 8

Brodmann

Answer 8

(1868-1918) analyzed the cellular organization of the cortex -> divided it into 52 distinct regions based on cytoarchitectonics (cell types, density, layers, etc)

suggestive of distinct functional regions

Question 9

aggregate field theory

Answer 9

belief that the whole brain participates in behavior

coined by Flourens when studying behavior of pigeons

Question 10

Cajal & Golgi

Answer 10

Cajal used the golgi stain to come up with the idea of the ‘neuron doctrine’- that a neuron is the basic functional unit of the nervous system. Neurons have synapses and are not continuous.

Golgi maintained more popular idea of the brain as a reticulum

overall, further supported the existence of individual fcnal units of brain

Question 11

behaviorism

Answer 11

the idea that the study of behavior is limited to observable processes related to stimulus & response.
precluded study of mental processes
Pavlov, Thorndike, Skinner & Watson
became popular view-> led to lots of research

Question 12

factors that led to the cognitive revolution

Answer 12

new developments in computer technology and artificial intelligence

Chomsky’s work arguing that behaviorist theories can’t explain language acquisition

Miller’s work showing that internal processes like short-term memory can be quantified

overall shift from behaviorism to experimental research

Question 13

metaphors related to brain conceptualization

Answer 13

information theory
computer
small world network
cognitive models

Question 14

information theory

Answer 14

(Claude Shannon)
mathematical theory for measuring transmission of info from a source to a noisy receiver

became foundation for modern computing

provided tools for understanding nature of neural code

was applied to concepts of communication in language

Question 15

small world network

Answer 15

says that the brain is organized according to two basic principles: functionally segregated brain areas process specialized information, and complex cognition emerges from the interaction among distinct brain regions
the model of the brain needs to account for the seemingly incompatible notion of segregation and integration

Question 16

cognitive models vs connectionist models

Answer 16

1. proposed discrete processing stages and assume a neural basis
2. take neural architecture into account