Imagination Flashcards
What is the path of imagination (perception path) in the brain?
Object- see the object- neural activity- imagine/perceive object
How does neural representation of an object work when its gone (imagination)?
The same neurons that are activated by the actual stimulus are activated during imagination, only to a slightly lesser extent.
What is imagination for?
supports learning through mental practice (mimics actual experiences)
allows “mental time travel” that is important for decision making and planning (supports behavior to plan, reflect)
what did Dr Alvaro Pascual Leone do for the field?
transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to produce brain maps in patients
uses the maps to study the brain and probe imagination and plasticity
What did Wilder Penfield do for the field?
mapped sensory and motor areas of patients
discovered that the brain is topographically organized (homunculus)
What is TMS?
A very brief magnetic field is generated which penetrates the skull to induce electrical activity in the brain.
used to excite or inhibit neurons
What is repetitive TMS (rTMS)?
produces long lasting effects by inducing plasticity
due to inhibition or excitation of neurons
used as therapies for depression, etc
What are TMS treatments for?
stroke, ALS, multiple sclerosis, motor disorders
What are rTMS treatments for?
ocd, migraines, tinnitus, depression, stroke, parkinsons
What are the downfalls of tms? (side effects)
could cause seizures, hearing loss, headaches and unpleasant sensations
Can the visual cortex of blind individuals get repurposed?
yes, the other senses take over that space of the brain so it isn’t wasted
how did the braille experiment work
when the visual cortex was stimulated, parts of the fingers used to read braille lit up
low frequency tms inhibited, high frequency improved
blindfolded individuals read braille better than normal people because the visual cortex was stimulated
how did the piano experiment work
the group that practiced piano physically improved the most but the group that imagined practicing improved too. after the imagined group got physical practice they performed the same
How does thought technology help people who can’t walk?
the brain patterns for different movements were measured and now by using your mind you can be able to do things
What are the 3 steps in the neural interface system?
measure neural signals for movement
use computer to decode
use the code to use a device
What is vicarious trial and error? (vte)
pausing and looking back and forth at a choice point (rat experiement)
What was the rat maze experiment about?
when the rats were moving in the maze, they stopped and thought before making a decision.
can think about possible future outcomes and map what neurons are firing in the brain at that time
What does the hippocampus do?
cognitive map of space
damage results in deficits in episodic memory and spacial navigation
What did dr john o’keefe do for the field?
discovered that the pattern of hippocampal neuron firing is directly related to your location in space
“place cells” fired action potentials when the animal was in that cell’s “place field” (the cells were firing in certain locations as the rat ran around)
What do “place cells” do?
different place cells fire in different places in the environment
when the behavior is repeated, the same cells fire at the same location
What did the place cell experiment with rats do?
able to tell where the rat is in a maze based on the place cells and where they previously fired
What happened when the rat thought about what it was going to do and where it was going to go?
the computer thought that the rat was actually moving because their place cells were firing while the rat was standing still and thinking
how are sensory and motor parts of the brain connected?
your body will do things subconsciously depending on what you are thinking/task you are doing
looking a certain way when doing math, heart rate increase during a lie, future is forward, etc
