Discuss the why, how, and what of studying the human brain.
Course mechanics and allocation of grades.
Story: A Medical Incident
Summary
Bob's Incident: A friend (Bob) experienced a medical emergency while staying at the instructor's house. Discovered unresponsive, later woke up, EMTs could not find an immediate problem.
ER Visit: Advised to go to the hospital, various tests run without findings. Instructor suspects Bob's brain needs to be checked due to past navigation issues.
MRI Findings: A lime-sized tumor (meningioma) found in Bob's brain, near a region known for navigation (para hippocampal Place area).
Surgery: Successful major surgery; tumor removed. Bob's navigation skills did not recover.
Key Points: Brain functions are specialized; damage to specific areas can cause loss of very specific abilities.
Themes from the Story
Brain's Structure: Not a mushy organ; has distinct parts with specific functions.
Specific Functions: Bob's issue highlighted the specificity in brain areas for functions like navigation.
Organization of the Mind: Brain architecture provides clues about fundamental aspects of the mind.
Brain Changes: Differences in recovery from brain damage based on age. Bob did not recover navigation skills, likely would have if damage happened in childhood.
Research Methods: Various approaches to studying the brain; behavioral observations, anatomical and functional imaging, brain damage studies, etc.
Why Study the Human Brain?
Know Thyself: Understanding our brain is understanding our very identity.
Limits of Knowledge: Studying the brain helps understand the bounds of human cognition and understanding.
Advance AI: Leveraging insights from human brain functions to progress AI technologies.
Deep Nets: Significant advancements, but still limitations (e.g., image understanding beyond object recognition).
Great Intellectual Quest: It is considered one of the greatest intellectual pursuits.
How Are We Going to Study the Brain?
Levels of Organization: From molecules to neural circuits to brain regions and networks.
Approaches in this Course: Focus more on the mental functions and their brain bases.
Course Content Overview
Mental Functions: Perception, recognition, cognition, language, theory of mind, emotion, etc.
Specialized Machinery: Understanding if specific brain regions are dedicated to certain functions.
Methodologies: Cognitive science methods, functional MRI, neuropsychological studies, etc.
Domains Covered: Visual perception, recognition, navigation, number understanding, language, etc.
Exclusions: Motor control, detailed circuit-level mechanisms, etc.
Overlap with 900/901: Minimal overlap, tailored for advanced understanding and current research exposure.
Reading and Writing Assignments
Regular assignments to ensure understanding and engagement with current research papers.
Quizzes: Periodic checks for comprehension and keeping up with readings.
Major Assignment: Designing an experiment towards the end of the course.
Schedule Highlights
Neuroanatomy: Basic introduction followed by real brain dissection.
High-Level Vision: Lectures on motion, color, shape, faces, etc.
Scene Perception and Navigation: In-depth focus using multiple research methods.
Development and Blindness: How brain functions develop and adapt.
Special Topics: Brain-machine interface, understanding speech, music, and theory of mind.
Conclusion
Goals: Appreciate big questions, understand research methods, gain knowledge in specific domains.
Approach: Focus on understanding rather than rote memorization, preparing students to engage with cutting-edge research.