Origins of Behavioural Neuroscience

Question 1

Two forms of Scientific Explanation

Answer 1

Generalization & Reduction

Question 2

Generalization

Answer 2

A type of scientific explanation: a general conclusion based on many observations of similar phenomena

Question 3

Reduction

Answer 3

A type of scientific explanation: a phenomenon is described in terms of the more elementary processes that underlie it

Question 4

mind–body question

Answer 4

what role does the mind play and what/where is it exactly

Question 5

dualism

Answer 5

The belief that the body is physical but the mind (or soul) is not

Question 6

monism

Answer 6

The belief that the world consists only of matter and energy and that the mind is a phenomenon produced by the workings of the nervous system

Question 7

Behavioural Neuroscience in Ancient World

Answer 7

Ancient Egyptian, Indian, and Chinese cultures considered the heart to be the seat of thought and emotions

Question 8

Hippocrates

Answer 8

believed brain was seat of thought and emotions

Question 9

Aristotle

Answer 9

• did not agree with Hippocrates

* thought the brain served to cool the passions of the heart

Question 10

Galen

Answer 10

• dissected and studied brains of animals
• found that all of the nerves were connected to the brain and concluded that Aristotle’s theory about the brain’s role was incorrect

Question 11

reflex

Answer 11

An automatic, stereotyped movement that is produced as the direct result of a stimulus

Question 12

Descartes

Answer 12

• animals/humans mechanical devices –> behaviour controlled by environmental stimuli
• first to describe reflexes as automatic/involuntary
• dualist but thought there was link between mind & body

Question 13

Galvani

Answer 13

• first to study ‘animal electricity’
• showed that electric stimulation leads to contraction in frogs leg (detached from body)
• fluid from brain not needed to pump up muscles

Question 14

Müller

Answer 14

• doctrine of specific nerve energies
• messages occur in different channels
• brain is functionally divided

Question 15

doctrine of specific nerve energies

Answer 15

all nerves carry the same basic message but we perceive the message of different nerves in different ways

Question 16

Pierre Flourens

Answer 16

•experimental ablation method
•research mostly in birds/rabbits
•localization of brain function:
    - cerebellum = motor function
    - cerebrum = sensation & perception
•all parts of cerebrum participate equally in function

Question 17

experimental ablation method

Answer 17

systematic destruction of the brain in order to determine function

Question 18

Broca

Answer 18

• studied brain of stroke victims

* identified discrete region of the brain involved in speech production

Question 19

Ramon y Cajal

Answer 19

• discovered nervous system consisted of billions of discrete individual neurons
• made illustrations based on observations using Golgi staining technique

Question 20

Fritsch and Hitzig

Answer 20

used electrical stimulation as a tool for understanding physiology of the brain

Question 21

von Hemlholtz

Answer 21

• first scientist to attempt to measure speed of conduction through nerves
• proved that neural conduction was more than a simple electrical message

Question 22

epigenetics

Answer 22

Changes to gene expression induced by environmental factors

Question 23

Diversity in neuroscience

Answer 23

• interdisciplinary field
• Society for Neuroscience –> more than 37k ppl from 90+ countries
• striving to increase diversity