History of Neuroscience Flashcards
Early hominids practiced __, a procedure where holes were drilled into the skull for therapeutic purposes.
Trephination/Trephining
Egyptians were aware of brain damage symptoms.
However, they believed the __, not the brain, was the center of intelligence and memory.
Heart
Stated that the brain is the seat of intelligence.
Hippocrates
Believed that the heart controlled intellect, while the brain served to cool blood.
Aristotle
A Greek physician in Rome, who studied brain and spinal injuries from gladiators.
Galen
He dissected sheep brains and proposed early theories
Galen
According to Galen, this processes sensations
Cerebrum (soft)
According to Galen, this controls muscles
Cerebellum (firm)
According to Galen, this channels for “vital humors” flowing through nerves, which were believed to be hollow tubes
Ventricles
A pioneer in anatomy, he studied the structure of the human brain and ventricles.
Andreas Vesalius
Proposed a hydraulic view, where fluids from the ventricles “pumped up” the body.
Andreas Vesalius
Introduced substance dualism, the idea that the mind (soul) and body are separate.
René Descartes (17th
Century)
Suggested the pineal gland as the connection between the mind and the brain.
René Descartes (17th Century)
Proposed the Cartesian Theater, a hypothetical “center of consciousness.
René Descartes (17th Century)
This period marked the foundation of modern neuroscience with four key insights:
- Nerves as Wires
- Localization of Brain Function
- The nervous system (and
thus behavior) is governed
by the principles of
evolution by natural
selection. - The Neuron is the
Basic Functional Unit
of the nervous system.
Conducted experiments on electricity.
Benjamin Franklin (1751)
Demonstrated that nerves use electricity to make muscles contract.
Luigi Galvani & Emil du Bois-Reymond (1800)
Found that dorsal roots carry sensory information and that ventral roots control motor function.
Charles Bell & Francois Magendie (1810)
Suggested the cerebellum controls motor function (moter fibers: ventral roots) and the cerebrum processes sensations (sensory fibers: dorsal roots).
Charles Bell (1811)
Conducted brain ablation (selective removal) studies to prove Bell’s and Galen’s theories.
Marie-Jean-Pierre Flourens
Developed phrenology, linking skull shape to personality.
Franz Joseph Gall
Studied patients with language impairments, identifying Broca’s area in the left frontal lobe.
Can understand but not speak.
Paul Broca
Proposed evolution by natural selection.
Charles Darwin (1859)
Animal models in neuroscience were validated by showing that basic nervous systems are shared across species.
Charles Darwin (1859)
Proposed cell theory, suggesting that the brain consists of individual neurons rather than a single network.
Theodore Schwann (1839)
Modern neuroscience is divided into several disciplines:
- Molecular Neuroscience
- Cellular Neuroscience
- Systems Neuroscience
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Studies the biochemical processes (biochemistry) of the nervous system.
Molecular Neuroscience
Examines individual neurons and their functions.
Cellular Neuroscience
Investigates neural circuits responsible for sensory and motor functions.
Systems Neuroscience
Explores how brain systems produce behavior, emotions, and cognition.
Behavioral Neuroscience
Focuses on how brain activity leads to thought, memory, and self-awareness.
Cognitive Neuroscience
A major motivation behind neuroscience research is understanding neurological and psychiatric diseases, which affect millions.
Nervous System Disorders
Degenerative Brain Diseases
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Huntington’s Disease
Causes dementia and memory loss
Alzheimer’s Disease
Leads to motor impairments
Parkinson’s Disease
An inherited condition that causes brain cells to slowly lose function and die
Huntington’s Disease
Cerebrovascular Disease
Stroke
Mental Disorders
- Depression
- Schizophrenia
- Addiction
3rd leading cause of death in the U.S.
Stroke
Is the leading cause of suicide.
Depression
Involves delusions and hallucinations
Schizophrenia
Fundamental Neuroscience Concepts
The nervous system operates on a stimulus-response basis:
- Stimulus
- Receptors
- Conductors
- Brain interprets the signal.
- Conductors
- Effectors
Structures in the Stimulus-Response Pathway
- Receptors
- Conductors
- Effectors
Detect and transmit sensory information.
Receptors
Nerve pathways between brain and body.
Conductors
Muscles or glands that respond to stimuli.
Effectors
