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The Human Brain (Lecture 1)

Jul 15, 2024

The Human Brain (9.13)

Lecturer: Nancy Kanwisher

Class Logistics

  • Lecture start time: 11:05 AM
  • Course name: 9.13 The Human Brain
  • Professor: Nancy Kanwisher
  • Key Agenda: Brief story, why/how/what of studying the human brain, course mechanics (syllabus).

Story: Bob's Medical Incident

  • Introduction: True story, changed minor details for privacy.
  • Audience: Friends, Cambridge community members, anyone interested in the human brain

The Incident

  1. Background: Bob

    • Close friend, known for years
    • Planning to go to a conference; stayed overnight at Prof's house
  2. Morning Incident

    • Noise heard by Prof; Bob was on the floor, unresponsive
    • Called 9-1-1; EMTs arrived quickly but found nothing wrong
    • Decided to drive Bob to Mt. Auburn Hospital ER
  3. ER Visit

    • Routine tests, nothing conclusive
    • Prof's intuition to “check Bob's brain” due to past signs (e.g., frequent disorientation)
    • Previous scan had shown a small abnormality
  4. Discovering the Tumor

    • Radiologist found a lime-sized tumor in Bob’s brain
    • Previous scan from Prof's lab: tumor was the size of a grape
    • Diagnosis: Meningioma (not cancer, but serious)
    • Prof's analysis related to Bob’s navigational deficits
  5. Tests Conducted by Prof

    • Sketch maps: home and Prof’s house
    • Couldn’t draw floor plans accurately
    • Drawing exercise: Bicycle (accurate), lobster (accurate)
    • Indicated specific spatial memory issues
  6. Surgery and Recovery

    • Lengthy surgery; removed lime-sized tumor
    • Post-op: Bob fine but navigational abilities didn’t recover
    • Dependents on GPS for navigation now
  7. Interesting Discussions

    • Immediate spatial orientation vs. navigational planning
    • Other spatial abilities intact
    • Recognizes places but cannot navigate them

Themes from Bob's Story

  1. Specialization of the Brain

    • Different brain regions have specific roles
    • Bob had selective navigational issues despite general cognitive health
  2. Recovery and Plasticity

    • Specific brain damage recovery is limited in adults
    • Children have higher plasticity
  3. Studying the Brain

    • Behavioral observations: Key insights (Bob could navigate using GPS but not otherwise)
    • Anatomical images: Localization of abnormalities
    • Functional Imaging: Understanding impact on cognitive functions

Lecture Key Points

Why Study the Human Brain?

  1. Self-Knowledge: Understanding our identity and functioning
  2. Limits of Knowledge: Empirical epistemology - knowing the knower
  3. AI and Machine Learning: Improved understanding aids AI development
  4. Intellectual Quest: Profound understanding of human existence

How We’ll Study the Brain?

  1. Levels of Organization: Molecules, neurons, circuits, brain regions
  2. Understanding the Mind: Perception, cognition, etc.
  3. Methods: Psychophysics, neuropsychology, MRI, EEG

The Human Brain’s Organization

  1. Historical Knowledge: Limited understanding before 1990
  2. Current Understanding: Dozens of specific brain regions identified

Key Functional Domains Covered in the Course

  • Visual perception, navigation, language, music, social cognition, etc.
  • Methods across cognitive science: Psychophysics, neuroimaging, and more

To be Discussed

  1. Mental Functions: Specialization
  2. Developmental Aspects: How brain regions develop
  3. Technology Integration: Deep Nets and their implications
  4. Neurological Basis: How specific regions contribute to mental functions
  5. Shortcomings: Areas not covered extensively (e.g., motor control, memory)
  6. Cutting Edge Research: Reading and analyzing recent research papers

Course Logistics Again

  • No Textbook: Current research papers instead
  • Assignments: Regular readings and written responses
  • Quizzes: To ensure engagement
  • Grading: Midterm (25%), Final (25%), Assignments, and Quizzes
  • Final Assignment: Design an experiment

Summary and Reflection

  • Engagement: Responding to student feedback
  • Focus: Cognitive neuroscience as it relates to mental functioning