VSE human brain Flashcards

1
Q

studying brain function
MEDICAL reasons

A
  1. understanding neurological disorders
    e.g. alzheimer’s, parkinson’s, epilepsy
    - developing diagnostic tools, treatments + potential cures
  2. psychiatric disorders
    e.g. depression, sz, anxiety
    - developing more effective therapies
  3. brain trauma
    - improve care for traumatic brain injuries + stroke pxs
    - enhancing recovery + rehabilitation methods
  4. neurosurgery
    - to perform precise surgeries
    - minimising damage + preserving cognitive abilities
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2
Q

studying brain function
NON-MEDICAL reasons

A
  1. cognitive enhancement
    - development of stategies for enhancing memory, learning + cognitive performance
    - applications in education + personal development
  2. human-computer interaction
    - creating innovative technologies for controlling computers + devices directly w the mind
  3. AI
    - advancements in robotics, autonomous systems + data analysis
  4. ethical + legal implications
    - questions related to consciousness, privacy + brain-based evidence in legal cases
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3
Q

how can we study human brain function?

A
  • studying how a given part of the brain develops from birth (vision)
  • studying mistakes by the brain - visual illusions
  • studying the behaviour of persons that have suffered brain damage
  • brain scans
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4
Q

visual illusions

A

mistakes made by the brain

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5
Q

mach bands

A

illusion (edge) that appears when a lighter object is next to a darker object

  • can be source of diagnostic error in radiography
    e.g. can mimic a fracture
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6
Q

perception

A
  • not exclusively driven by sensory input
  • shaped by expectation, knowledge + experiences
    aka schema
  • can lead to systematic biases in perception e.g. distortions in shape, size, speed + position
    e.g. AMES ROOM
  • both info through our eyes AND our schema contributes to our vision
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7
Q

phantom limb theory

A
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8
Q

human cortical area

A

for seeing things move

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9
Q

phineas gage

A
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9
Q

parietal cortex

A

damage can lead to strange behaviour

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10
Q

ways to investigate brain function

A
  • fMRI + PET scans allow us to visualise brain activity + connectivity, identifying regions involved in specific tasks/states
  • EEGs + MEGs record electrical/magnetic brain activity w high temporal resolution, useful for studying cognitive processes in real-time
  • brain lesion studies (studying individuals w brain injuries/lesions) helps localise functions; e.g. learning about motion perception through study of motion-blind woman
  • behavioural/psychophysical studies (observing behaviour changeds in response to diff stimuli) provide behavioural correlates of brain function; e.g. using psychophysical procedures to assess contrast sensitivity or colour perception in human vision
  • computational modelling (building mathematical models of neural networks + cognitive processes) helps stimulate + understand brain function
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