The neurological Basis of the Mind Flashcards
What is the mind?
What happens during development?
Where is the location of the mind?
The mind is not an entity, it is a state of brain activity, and the product of a working brain output
During development, the brain itself requires critical inputs that will affect the mind that subsequently develops.
The location of the mind is in the brain, but this is also subjective- see below the historical opinions of where the mind is
What is cerebral activity?
Cerebral activity is information processing by neurones which occurs in neuronal networks
Neuronal network: an interconnected group of neurons that control a particular function
Neuronal networks are defined by their anatomy= connectivity and biochemistry (neurotransmitters)
Why did the brain develop such cerebral activity and this kind of architecture?
Learning is dependent on structural changes in brain
Neuronal networks provide massive system redundancy which guards against loss eg loss of one group of memories
Brain architecture at a global level is life preserving – large parts of brain can sustain damage while preserving life e.g. Phineas Gage
Who was Hubel and Wiesel?
Won nobel prize for work on visual processing in the Cat
Demonstrated that early visual experience was critical for the brain to develop the regions necessary to “see” certain visual features.
What is the implications of Hubel and Wiesel?
Brain requires input with a world ”out there” in order to learn and develop information processing pathways
The input has a short window of maximal brain plasticity in which to occur = a critical period in humans (0 -12 years approx)
Use a diagram to explain how cerebral info is sequential
Use a diagram to explain how cerebral info is parallel
how is cerebral info organised hierarchically?
Primary, secondary, and tertiary cortical areas each do a different job
What are 2 approaches to study the mind?
Explain what factors contribute to the mind
