Ch.2(B) Neuroscience

Today’s coming attractions

How can we see an image of the brain’s functioning?

What do different parts of the brain do?

Your patient was in an auto accident.

To check for damage to the skull. What method would you use? CT Scan = Computed Tomography What does it do? Records X-rays

You want to see if there was a brain hemorrhage.

What do you use? MRI = Magnetic Resonance Imaging Why? What does it do? Reads radio waves leaving the body

within a magnetic field.

You want to record which specific brain areas are most active during a mental task. What would you use?

fMRI = Functional MRI

You are concerned your patient may have Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. You want to see what parts of the brain

are most active and which are not. What brain imaging system would you

use? PET Scan = Positron Emission

Tomography What would it do? Records radioactive glucose uptake in the

body

The Brain

Bill was shot in the back of his head, and immediately stopped breathing, and his heart immediately stopped.

Where was he shot? Medulla

After an auto accident, Bill had damage in the Broca’s area of his cerebral cortex.

He will likely have difficulty doing what?

Speaking fluently.

After a skiing accident, Janice had difficulty understanding what others were saying, even when her hearing tested out fine.

What part of her brain was possibly damaged?

Wernicke’s area

After an accident, Twee has difficulty writing with her right hand.

What side of her brain was possibly damaged?

Left side How did the information get from the

right hand to the left side of her brain? Corpus Callosum

What happens when the corpus callosum is cut?

Split brain movie

When Mrs. Simpson was younger, she prided herself of her good memory. At 92 years she has difficulty with memory.

What portion of her brain may be less active?

The Hipoocampus

Janet sees someone coming toward her with a knife. She realizes he is trying to hurt her. She becomes fearful and starts to run.

What part of her brain received and evaluated the emotional significance of information from her environment and organized a fitting response?

Amygdala