Introduction- why study neuroscience Flashcards
Susannah Cahalan case study
24 year old who began to experience a variety of psychotic symptoms, motor problems, cognitive deficits, and catatonia. She became severely ill within weeks. Her symptoms mimicked that of a psychiatric disorder, until her CSF from a spinal tap had an elevated WBC count. This indicated an infection (encephalitis) which is a very broad symptom.
How was Susannah Cahalan finally diagnosed?
A neurologist had her do a clock face test, where the patient draws the face of a clock. Susannah only wrote the numbers on one side of the circle, completely ignoring the right side. This test is usually only used for patients with neurological disorders to determine which side of the brain is damaged, but in Susannah’s case it confirmed that she was suffering from a neurological disorder rather than a psychiatric condition. Doctors then conducted a brain biopsy.
What disease did Susannah Cahalan have?
anti-NMDAR encephalitis- her immune system was attacking the very important NMDAR receptor. This is a very rare disease that had only been discovered 2 years before she was diagnosed.
What topics is behavioral neuroscience concerned with?
How does the brain function and how can it go wrong? How can it impact human behavior and how can we treat it? Also concerned with molecules and how their functioning affects behavior. How does brain activity control normal activities like sleep or eating?
What underlies every brain activity?
Neuron communication
How do neurons create behavior?
Neurons create behavior through their interactions with each other, and they organize into circuits. The neurons responsible for vision form a circuit, as do the neurons responsible for the knee jerk reflex. Circuits connect different parts of the brain to allow for transfer of information. They coordinate different parts of the brain to drive behavior.
More complex circuits result in
More complex functions: thoughts, feelings, attention and perception, and personality and intelligence
Complex neuron circuits are still vulnerable to
Complex circuits are still vulnerable to “simple” components (like single molecules) within cells, which leads to the influence of single molecules on complex behaviors.
