VSE human brain Flashcards
1
Q
studying brain function
MEDICAL reasons
A
- understanding neurological disorders
e.g. alzheimer’s, parkinson’s, epilepsy
- developing diagnostic tools, treatments + potential cures - psychiatric disorders
e.g. depression, sz, anxiety
- developing more effective therapies - brain trauma
- improve care for traumatic brain injuries + stroke pxs
- enhancing recovery + rehabilitation methods - neurosurgery
- to perform precise surgeries
- minimising damage + preserving cognitive abilities
2
Q
studying brain function
NON-MEDICAL reasons
A
- cognitive enhancement
- development of stategies for enhancing memory, learning + cognitive performance
- applications in education + personal development - human-computer interaction
- creating innovative technologies for controlling computers + devices directly w the mind - AI
- advancements in robotics, autonomous systems + data analysis - ethical + legal implications
- questions related to consciousness, privacy + brain-based evidence in legal cases
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
4
Q
visual illusions
A
mistakes made by the brain
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
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
7
Q
phantom limb theory
A
8
Q
human cortical area
A
for seeing things move
9
Q
phineas gage
A
9
Q
parietal cortex
A
damage can lead to strange behaviour
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