Lecture Notes: The Human Brain (Class 913)

Introduction

Instructor: Nancy Kamwisher
Class Overview: Focus on the human brain, its functions, and how to study it.
Agenda for Today:
- Brief story related to the human brain
- Discuss reasons for studying the brain
- Course mechanics and grading details

Story Context: True experience of a friend named Bob who faced a medical emergency.
Incident: Bob stayed overnight en route to a conference, had an unexplained collapse.
- Bob was later found lying unresponsive but eventually regained consciousness.
- Despite initial calm, concerns arose due to Bob's prior signs of possible brain issues (e.g., navigation difficulties).
Medical Response:
- Ambulance arrived quickly, and vital signs seemed normal.
- Bob was taken to ER; tests were inconclusive initially.
- Instructor suggested they check Bob's brain after recalling previous signs of confusion and navigation issues.

Brain Structure and Function: Different parts of the brain are specialized for specific functions (e.g., navigation).
Brain Damage and Recovery:
- Recovery from brain damage varies; some specific functions may not return, especially in adults.
- Bob's navigation skills were permanently affected.
Personal Experience in Research:
- Instructor's research on navigation connects with Bob's situation, highlighting the relationship between brain structure and cognitive function.
Resilience and Support:
- Importance of medical expertise and support systems during crises.
Research Connections:
- Historical research led to better understanding of brain functions and their implications for real-life situations.

Know Thyself: Understanding brain function is key to understanding one’s identity.
Limits of Knowledge: Studying the brain helps define the boundaries of human understanding and cognition.
Advancement of AI: Insights from brain research can inform AI development, despite current limitations of AI compared to human cognition.
Intellectual Quest: Understanding the brain is one of the greatest intellectual challenges.

Levels of Organization:
- Molecules, neurons, brain circuits, brain regions, and networks.
Focus of the Course:
- How the brain gives rise to the mind.
- Understanding the mind's functions and their brain bases.

Cognitive Science:
- Psychophysics, perceptual illusions, patient studies, functional MRI, etc.
Research Techniques:
- Neuropsychology, brain imaging, electrophysiology, and more.

Focus on specific mental functions with established brain bases:
- Visual perception (color, shape, motion, faces, scenes)
- Language understanding, navigation, and number cognition.
Discussion of methods and their implications for understanding cognition.

Grading:
- Midterm (25%), Final (25%), reading and writing assignments, quizzes.
Assignments:
- Read and understand scientific papers, with written tasks to emphasize comprehension.
- No textbook; focus on current research articles.

Upcoming classes will cover:
- Neuroanatomy, guest lectures, navigation, scene perception, number understanding, and language processing.

Class Engagement: Questions and discussions expected to deepen understanding of themes.
Next Class: Brief neuroanatomy overview and a brain dissection demonstration.