9.13: The Human Brain - Lecture Notes

Introduction

• Lecturer: Nancy Camwisher
• Course: 9.13 The Human Brain
• Date:

Agenda

1. Brief anecdotal story (10 minutes)
2. The why, how, and what of studying the human brain
   • Why it's important
   • How it's studied
   • What will be covered in the course
3. Mechanics and course details (grading, syllabus, etc.)

Anecdotal Story

• Main Subjects:
  • A scary medical situation involving a friend
  • Insight into the nature and organization of the human mind and brain
  • Ability or lack of ability to recover after brain damage
  • Themes of resilience, privilege, and expertise
• Story Highlights:
  • Friend named Bob: brain medical incident (collapse, hospital visit)
  • Confusion, symptoms, potential brain lesion detection
  • Long-term, slow-growing brain tumor (meningioma) (size of a lime)
  • Neurological impact, specific navigational deficit (example in locale situations)
  • Signs years ago indicating navigational issues: Did not recognize early signs
  • Brain region navigation (hippocampus)

Themes Introduced

• Brain structure: different parts, different functions
• Recovery from brain damage: adults vs. children
• Role of specialized circuits and mental process recovery
• Interaction between privilege, access to medical care, and recovery success

Brain Study Overview: Why, How & What

Why Study the Brain?

1. Know Thyself: Understanding your identity (brain=identity)
2. Empirical Epistemology: Limits of human knowledge
3. Advancing AI: Insights to build algorithms that imitate human processes
4. Intellectual Quest: Greatest intellectual challenge

How to Study the Brain?

1. Levels of Organization: Molecules to networks
2. Focus: Understanding mind via specialized brain machinery

• Behavioral observations
  • Neuropsychological observations from patients (e.g., Bob)
  • Anatomical brain imaging
  • Functional brain imaging (functional MRI)
  • Electrophysiological recordings (single/measured units)
  • Electroencephalography (EEG)/magnetoencephalography (MEG)

Mind-Brain Connections

• Specialized functional brain properties (e.g., face recognition, scene recognition)
• Interpretation of patient studies for specific navigation deficits
• Important Brain Functions to be Covered

Domains

• Perception: Color, shape, motion
• High-Level Vision: Faces, recognizing places, bodies, words
• Navigation: Perceiving scenes and finding paths
• Order: Early lectures on vision, navigation; later lectures on language, thought
• Final Goals: Read and interpret scientific papers, understand current cognitive neuroscience

Required Materials

1. Reading scientific papers regularly

Grading

1. Exam Partitioning: Midterm, final, written responses, quizzes
2. Experiment Designing: Holistic grasp of methodological application

Important Themes

• Consider webs of networks, multiple sections of the brain
• Interconnection of brain functions and cognitive operations
• Scientific method approaches and milestones
• Latest research primary sources as textbook alternatives
• Assessment allocation details: Attending lectures, participation

Additional Topics

1. Methodological segments focusing on different cognitive functions (vision, navigation, language)
2. Comprehensive overview progression knowledge arc (Neuroanatomy, perception, cognition)
3. Human brain dissection sessions (subcortical inclusions)

Closing Notes

1. Remembering practical lecture demonstrations and guest lectures (e.g., brain dissection)
2. Practical learning and participating in designing empirical experiments.