Learning Objectives
In This Course, We Will…
Understand Major Points About Healthy, Well Functioning Cortex
The brain has many levels of specialization, down to single neurons, but these multiple levels also work together. For example, the two amygdalas (right & left) are involved with fear and trust. The two arms of the hippocampus (right & left) are involved with learning and memory. The enormous sub-cortical brain supports vital life functions.
Examine Split-brain Surgeries & Outcomes
One path to understanding the conscious brain is to study split-brain surgeries. These show us the difference between the isolated left and right hemispheres. The intact cortex is highly connected, but it is very revealing to study the hemispheres in isolation as well.
Experience the Brain’s Enormous Adaptability
Science deals with the stunning fact that the cortex works well even after injury. Like a human city after an accident, adaptation takes place almost invisibly and in the most surprising ways that are hard to see from the outside.
Examine Case Studies by Leading Scientists
Because the living brain encounters injury and regular changes, it is often useful to study famous cases, like Phineas Gage who was severely injured in a railroad accident more than a century ago. Gage became famous because he survived so well, and we will find out why.
Learn that the Brain is Only the Largest Component of a Nervous System that Spreads Everywhere Throughout the Body
We can think of the whole nervous system as a web with the brain playing the central role. The peripheral nervous system constantly interacts with the brain and spinal cord. Every second of life involves constant traffic between the center and the periphery of the nervous system.
Examine the Information Flow in the Living Brain
The “connectome” gives us the city map of the brain, and modern recording methods give us the traffic flow over that map. Together, the map and the traffic tell us a great deal.
Learn the Functions & Activities of Fundamental Regions of the Brain
Two major regions of the brain are very different with respect to consciousness. The cortex and the cerebellum look different, and they have comparable numbers of neurons, but cortex enables conscious experiences, while the cerebellum does not. Why is that?
Investigate the Detailed Functioning of the Brain Through its Electrical Activity
Brain cells are tiny batteries that communicate by electrical and chemical signals. By recording these, we can learn about the microscopic functioning of mind and brain.
Understand How Thalamus & Cortex Make Up a Single System
The visible anatomy of the brain shows two different looking pieces of the puzzle. The cortex is large and shaped like a helmet, and inside there are two egg-shaped structures we call the thalamus. Thalamus and cortex look separate but they are part of the same, tightly coupled system that enables the conscious mind.
Understand How Thalamus & Cortex Interact
The thalamocortical system is viewed as a “unified oscillatory machine” (Steriade, 1999). A city is more than its structures, it is also the human traffic that works to keep the city alive and well.