Lecture Notes: The Human Brain - Professor Nancy Camwisher

Introduction

Professor: Nancy Camwisher
Course Title: The Human Brain
Start Time: 11:05
Lecture Date: 9/13
Agenda:
- Brief story related to the human brain
- Why, how, and what of studying the human brain
- Course mechanics and grading details (syllabus)

Story revolves around a friend (referred to as "Bob") who had a medical emergency.
Bob was staying over at Professor Camwisher’s house before a conference.
The story highlights themes of brain organization, recovery from brain damage, resilience, and privilege.

Bob was found unconscious on the floor.
Initial EMT response: calm, but tests showed no immediate issues.
Concerned about Bob’s brain, Professor Camwisher suggested checking it due to previous signs of navigational deficits.
Bob had shown symptoms of getting lost and confusion with directions over the years.

Bob was mentally sharp, holding a high-powered job and social skills, causing confusion about his brain health.
A visit to the ER:
- Despite tests, no conclusive findings at first.
- Later, Bob called to say something was found in his brain.
- Scans revealed a growth (tumor) in the brain.

The tumor was located near the parahippocampal Place area, essential for navigation.
Earlier scans from the lab indicated the tumor had been growing slowly, which was a better prognosis than a fast-growing tumor.
Bob underwent surgery, which was successful due to finding a top neurosurgeon.

Post-surgery, Bob was fine but did not recover navigational abilities.
Continued use of technology (iPhone GPS) for navigation.
Important to note the disparity between loss of specific mental functions versus overall cognitive ability.

Brain Organization: Different parts of the brain serve specific functions; damage can lead to targeted deficits.
Recovery from Brain Damage: Adults often do not recover specific functions post-injury as well as children can.
Importance of Specialized Areas: Understanding the brain’s structure can lead to insights about mental functions.
Methods of Study: Behavioral observations, anatomical images, and functional imaging contribute to understanding the brain.
Cognitive Science: Parsing mental abilities and their relation to brain structures.

Understanding the brain is crucial for self-awareness and identity.
Advances in AI: Understanding human cognition can inform AI development.
The quest to understand the mind-brain relationship is a significant intellectual pursuit.

Understanding limits of human knowledge.
The pursuit of knowledge about how brain processes lead to complex behaviors and thoughts.

The focus is on understanding how the brain gives rise to the mind.
Various levels of organization in the brain can be examined (neurons, regions, networks).
The course will include discussions on mental functions, their implementation in the brain, and different methods used in cognitive neuroscience.

Cognitive science methodologies (psychophysics, perceptual illusions).
Neuropsychology studies (patients with brain damage).
Functional imaging (fMRI, EEG).
Animal studies and human studies will complement the understanding of cognitive functions.

Will cover cognitive functions where brain bases are best understood, including:
- Visual perception (color, shape, motion)
- Recognition of faces, places, bodies, scenes
- Understanding language, music, numbers, and theory of mind
- Brain networks and their interactions

Grading Breakdown:
- Midterm: 25%
- Final Exam: 25%
- Reading and writing assignments
No textbook; focus on current research papers.
Discussions on how to read and comprehend scientific papers will be integrated throughout the course.

Open floor for questions and discussions related to the lecture.
Emphasis on the importance of understanding the brain in context with cognitive science.