Lecture Notes: The Human Brain

Introduction

• Professor: Nancy Camwisher
• Course: 9.13 - The Human Brain
• Overview of Lecture: Brief story followed by discussion on the why, how, and what of studying the human brain.

Key Story: A Friend's Medical Situation

• Friend's Name: Bob (pseudonym)
• Event: Bob collapses while staying at Professor Camwisher's house before a conference.
• Initial Response: Professor hears a crash, finds Bob unconscious, and calls 911.
• Ambulance Response: EMTs arrive quickly, take vitals, and find nothing alarming.
• Hospital Visit: Bob is taken to Mount Auburn Hospital.
  • Tests and Observations: Multiple tests conducted; doctors are unable to identify the issue.
  • Professor's Concern: Raises the possibility of brain issues, recalling past concerning signs about Bob's navigation skills.

Key Themes in the Story

• Nature of the Brain: Different brain regions specialize in various functions.
• Resilience and Recovery: Importance of privilege and expertise in recovery from brain injury.
• Brain Damage: Specific mental abilities can be lost without affecting overall intelligence.

Research Background

• Professor's Research: Focus on different brain areas and their functions, particularly in navigation.
• Past Findings: Professor's lab previously identified the para-hippocampal place area critical for navigation.

Discovery of Brain Tumor

• Surprising Finding: An imaging scan reveals a tumor (meningioma) in Bob’s brain adjacent to navigation areas.
  • Growth Rate: Slow-growing, which is less alarming compared to fast-growing tumors.
• Surgery: Bob undergoes a successful 11-hour surgery to remove the tumor, demonstrating the impact of expert medical care.

Bob's Recovery

• Post-Surgery: Bob recovers well physically but does not regain navigational abilities.
• Current Tools: Relies on technology (iPhone GPS) for navigation.
• Cognitive Studies: Highlights the complexity of cognitive functions and brain damage recovery.

Course Structure and Content

Why Study the Human Brain?

1. Self-Understanding: Understanding the brain is essential to understanding oneself.
2. Limits of Knowledge: Exploring the brain helps evaluate the limits of human knowledge.
3. Advancement of AI: Insights from brain research contribute to advancements in artificial intelligence.
4. Intellectual Quest: Studying the brain is seen as one of the greatest intellectual pursuits.

How to Study the Brain

• Levels of Organization: Including molecules, neurons, circuits, brain regions, and networks of regions.
• Focus of the Course: How the brain gives rise to the mind by examining mental functions.
• Methods Used:
  • Neuropsychology
  • Functional MRI
  • EEG
  • Neurophysiology
  • Diffusion tractography

Mental Functions Covered

• Major Topics: High-level vision, perception, language understanding, cognition, and navigation.
• Recent Progress: Course emphasizes findings from the past 20 years in cognitive neuroscience.

Course Goals

• Understand the big questions in cognitive neuroscience.
• Learn about methods used in the field and their applications.
• Read and interpret current research papers in neuroscience.

Course Requirements

• Grading Breakdown:
  • Midterm: 25%
  • Final Exam: 25%
  • Reading Assignments: Approximately two papers weekly with written responses.
  • Quizzes throughout the course to reinforce understanding.

Upcoming Topics

• Next Class: Brief introduction to neuroanatomy, followed by a guest lecture on brain dissection.
• Overall Arc: From basic neuroanatomy to complex cognitive functions, examining the relationship between the brain and the mind.