Overview of Human Brain Course

Aug 3, 2024

Lecture Notes: Introduction to the Human Brain

Instructor Information

  • Professor: Nancy Camwisher
  • Course: 9.13 Human Brain
  • Date: September 13

Agenda

  1. Brief story (10 minutes)
  2. Why, how, and what of studying the human brain
  3. Mechanics and details of the course

Key Story about Bob

  • Context: A friend named Bob stayed overnight before a conference.
  • Incident: Bob collapsed in the professor's home; ambulance called; Bob was initially unresponsive but began to regain consciousness.
  • Hospital Visit:
    • ER tests were inconclusive.
    • Professor had concerns about Bob's brain due to past strange behavior, e.g., navigation issues.
    • Mentioned a past brain scan during an experiment in her lab, which led to discovering a growth in his brain.

Discovery of the Brain Tumor

  • Tumor: Found a lime-sized meningioma in Bob's brain.
  • Significant Find: Tumor was adjacent to the para hippocampal Place area, related to navigation, a region Professor Camwisher's lab had studied.
  • Growth Rate: Tumor was growing slowly, indicating it was less dangerous than rapidly growing tumors.

Surgery and Aftermath

  • Surgery: Bob underwent an 11-hour surgery to remove the tumor.
  • Recovery: Bob's cognitive functions returned quickly; however, he did not recover his navigational skills, relying on GPS for directions.

Themes from the Story

  • Brain Organization: Different parts of the brain serve specific functions.
  • Specificity of Brain Regions: Some brain areas are extremely specialized; damage can lead to specific deficits without affecting general intelligence.
  • Mental vs. Brain Processes: The relationship between brain structures and mental functions will be a focus of the course.
  • Brain Change and Recovery:
    • Brain’s ability to recover from damage varies, especially with age.
    • Children's brains are more plastic than adults'.

Why Study the Brain?

  1. Understanding Identity: The brain is central to personal identity.
  2. Limits of Knowledge: Understanding the brain helps evaluate human knowledge limits.
  3. Advancing AI: Insights from brain studies can inform AI development.
  4. Great Intellectual Quest: Studying the brain is a significant scientific endeavor.

How to Study the Brain

  • Levels of Study:
    • Molecules, individual neurons, circuits, brain regions, and networks.
  • Course Focus: Understanding how the brain produces the mind by studying mental functions and their brain bases.
  • Methods:
    • Neuropsychology (e.g., studying patients like Bob)
    • Psychophysics
    • Functional MRI (fMRI)
    • EEG and MEG
    • Connectivity measures

Course Topics

  • Key Areas of Study:
    1. Visual Perception: Color, shape, motion, and object recognition (especially faces).
    2. Navigation: Understanding spatial awareness and navigation systems.
    3. Number Understanding: Cognitive processes related to numerical comprehension.
    4. Language: Understanding and producing language.
    5. Social Cognition: Theory of mind and understanding others’ behaviors.
    6. Brain Networks: Interactions between different brain regions.

Grading and Assignments

  • Midterm Exam: 25%
  • Final Exam: 25%
  • Readings: Approximately two papers per week.
  • Written Assignments: Short assignments based on readings.
  • Quizzes: Short quizzes at the end of class to check understanding.
  • Longer Assignment: Design an experiment in a relevant area.

Additional Notes

  • Reading Scientific Papers: Approach papers with specific questions to guide understanding.
  • Class Structure: Emphasis on understanding mental functions and their brain bases rather than memorizing facts.
  • No Textbook: Focus on the latest research articles instead of outdated textbooks.

Next Steps

  • Next Class: Brief neuroanatomy overview, followed by a live brain dissection demonstration by a guest neuroscientist.

Conclusion

  • Questions: Open the floor for student questions and clarifications about the course.