Lecture 1: Introduction to The Human Brain

Jul 15, 2024

9.13 The Human Brain

Instructor: Nancy Kanwisher

Introduction

  • Class starts at 11:05 promptly.
  • Instructor: Nancy Kanwisher.
  • Story shared at the beginning of the class to set the stage for course themes.

Story Overview

  • True story about a medical situation with a friend, Bob.
  • Highlights themes of the human mind, brain organization, and recovery post-brain damage.
  • Bob experienced a navigational deficit due to a brain tumour near the para hippocampal place area.
  • Tumour incidentally revealed during discussions and MRI scans.

Key Themes from the Story

  1. Brain Structure and Organization:

    • Brain isn't a mush; it has specific structures doing distinct functions.
    • Example: Bob retained IQ but lost navigational ability.

  2. Specificity of Brain Regions:

    • Some regions of the brain handle remarkably specific tasks.

  3. Brain Reflects Mental Architecture:

    • Brain organization mirrors key cognitive processes.
    • Example: para hippocampal place area related to navigation.

  4. Recovery and Plasticity:

    • Adults and children have different recovery rates post brain damage (adults recover less).

  5. Methods of Studying the Brain:

    • Combination of behavioral observations, anatomical imaging, functional imaging, neuropsychology, EEG, diffusion tractography, etc.

Importance of Studying the Brain

  1. Know Thyself:

    • Understanding the brain as it's central to identity.
    • Brain transplants aren't done because the brain defines who you are.

  2. Limits of Human Knowledge:

    • Insights into cognitive capabilities and limits.
    • Empirical epistemology - knowing how much we can know.

  3. Advancing AI:

    • AI development benefits from understanding the human brain.
    • AI is advancing quickly (e.g., AlexNet and image recognition), but humans still outperform in flexible understanding.

  4. Intellectual Pursuit:

    • Understanding the brain is considered the greatest intellectual quest, involving deep, foundational questions about human cognition and mind.

Course Format

  • Focus on understanding mental functions and their brain basis.
  • Emphasis on specialized brain machinery for specific cognitive functions.
  • Methods include psychophysics, perceptual illusions, neuropsychology, functional MRI, neurophysiology, EEG, and more.

Covered Topics

  • Visual Perception: color, shape, motion.
  • Visual Recognition: faces, places, bodies, words.
  • Higher-Level Cognition: navigation, understanding numbers, language, social cognition.

Assessment and Assignments

  • Midterm: 25%
  • Final Exam: 25% (cumulative but focused on the second half of the course).
  • Weekly Reading and Writing Assignments: Assess comprehension and critical thinking.
  • Quizzes: Short, frequent quizzes to ensure consistent engagement.
  • Experiment Design Assignment: Longer written task towards the end of the course.

Additional Notes

  • No textbook, reliance on primary literature and recent papers.
  • Overlap with 900/901 courses but with a unique and more focused approach.
  • Emphasis on understanding research methodology and critical thinking in cognitive neuroscience.

How to Read Scientific Papers

  • Focus on key components such as the research question, findings, interpretation, and methodology.
  • Be strategic in reading, identify major points first, then delve into details if necessary.

Next Class Preview:

  • Brief review of neuroanatomy.
  • Special brain dissection session with A. Graybiel.

Remember: Course emphasizes linking cognitive functions to specific brain regions, understanding methodologies, and engaging with current and cutting-edge research in the field.