Cognitive Neuroscience Flashcards
What are the 4 philosophical views on the mind-brain link?
- Interactionism
- Epiphenomenalism
- Parallelism
- Isomorphism
What is interactionism?
idea that the mind and brain are separate entities
What is Epiphenomenalism?
Mental thought (mind) is the result of physical events (brain)
What is the problem with Epiphenomenalism?
It is counter-intuitive and cannot explain the evolutionary purpose of the mind.
What is Parallelism?
the mind and brain are two aspects of the same thing. Every event in the mind has a corresponding event in the brain.
What is the problem with parallelism?
there is no explanation for this parallel structure
What is isomorphism?
no point-for-point link between the brain, the physical world and mental experiences, but related in structure.
the mind is linked to the brain through a pattern related to the associated physical experience.
what is the model-building theory of isomorphism?
mind is an internal model of the external world.
brain supports physical and mental event following similar laws.
What is Jerry Fodor’s modularity of mind hypothesis?
the brain is composed of modules that perform a simple computation that contributes to a task.
What is a module?
dedicated systems that work on very simple info
What are the characteristics of modules?
- Domain specific
- They work automatically and quickly
- They share the results of their processes to other modules but not the process to other modules.
what is phrenology?
parts of the brain correspond to mental functions and personality characteristics
How are mental strengths and weaknesses measured in phrenology?
Location of bumps (strengths) and dents (weaknesses) on skull
what were the criticisms of phrenology?
too simplistic and very speculative
what is brain localization?
seeks to find the brain area that supports a cognitive function. Used in modern neuroscience
What are the two types of brain localization methods?
- Neuroimaging
2. Brain damage
what did Franz and Lashsley find in their rat maze study?
maze learning impairment depends don the amount of brain damage not location.
what are the 2 laws on Functional organization of the brain?
-Law of mass action
ability to perform mental tasks depends on the total mass of brain tissue that remains after damage
-Law of equipotentiality
Any part of the brain can do the job of any other part of the brain
What are the 4 cognitive Neuroscience Methods?
- Animal models
- Psychophysiological measurements
- Neuropsychological cases
- Neuroimaging techniques
what are the strengths and weaknesses ofAnimal models?
Strengths:
- Provides a causal link between brain and behaviour
- Foundational discoveries about how the mind works
weaknesses:
-Differences in brain structure and function across species puts limits on the generalization of these findings.
What are psychophysiological measurements?
they measure activity in the peripheral nervous system (not the brain) in response to things humans perceive or imagine.
What is skin conductance used for?
assess how emotional arousal impacts cognitive tasks
What is split brain?
the corpus callous is cut and the two hemispheres cannot communicate with each other.
What are the left and right hemispheres responsible for?
Left: speech and language
right: visual-spatial processing
What is a neuroimaging technique?
Measures (or affect) neural communication
What are the different types of neuroimaging techniques?
- EEG
- PET
- fMRI
- Brain stimulation techniques
What is brain stimulation?
non-invasive method of changing the brain activity.
What is Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)?
Transient change of brain activity by applying a focal magnetic field.
What is the parahippocampal place area (PPA) responsible for?
thinking about spatial layouts
what is the supplementary motor area (SMA) responsible for?
performing or imaging movement
