Brain and Behavior

* In split-brain surgery the bundle of fibers that connects cerebral hemispheres (the corpus callosum) is cut to reduce the severity of epileptic seizures.

For my reflection paper, I chose to give my opinion on the NBB’s, short for “Neurological-Based Atypical Behaviors”. NBB is defined as a collection of deeds or the behavior of children that happen outside the usual boundaries of self control.

I have always had a passion and interest in working with the unknown. When I was in high school, I always made sure I was taking science classes that interested me, and would help me decide on what I wanted to major in college. I chose neuroscience as my major because it is a subject that continues to fascinate me. Neuroscience is the study of how the nervous system develops, its structure, and what it does. I want to focus on the brain and its impact on behavior and cognitive functions. I want to go into clinical neuroscience (looking at the disorders of the nervous system) or cognitive neuroscience, which studies the higher cognitive functions and underlying neural bases. With a neuroscience major, I would like to pursue a career in clinical research, do research for the National Institute of Health, work for the CDC and specialize in neurological disease, and/or run a clinical research project in another country. I want to pursue a career in one of these areas because I want to dedicate my knowledge, skills, and time to helping people and the world of science. I want my work to make a positive impact on society and be beneficial for the forthcoming generations. I want to help people and discover new things that will help those in need. I am motivated every day to continue working hard by realizing there are still more things to be discovered and that it could be done by me.

Differences in brain structure between males and females result in important differences in perceptions, emotional expressions, priorities and behaviors. (*) Relationship traits, problem solving approaches, mathematical abilities, reactions to stress, language, emotions, brain size, pain perception, spatial ability and susceptibility to disorders are just some areas in which men and women react differently because of their differences in brain structure. (*) To some scientists and theorists these many influential biological differences between men and women make gender roles inevitable. (*)

The part of the brain that I picked is the Cerebellum. The Cerebellum is the part of the brain at the back of the skull in the vertebrates. Its function is to coordinate and regulate muscular activity. The Cerebellum is located behind the top part of the brain stem, it is where the spinal cord meets the brain, the Cerebellum is made of two hemispheres. The Cerebellum receives information from the sensory systems, the spinal cord, and other different parts of the brain, and then it also regulates motor movements. The Cerebellum coordinates voluntary movements such as posture, balance, coordination, and speech, and then it results in smooth and balanced muscular activity.

In her scientific work Sex Differences in the Brain Kimura analysis several key differences that cause men and women to excel in various tasks and jobs due to naturally occurring phenomenon in the body and

According to Lu and Bludua, the outer layer of the cerebral hemisphere is called the cerebral cortex, which is the outer layer of the brain. Under the cortex is the limbic system, which consists of the amygdala, hippocampus, thalamus, and hypothalamus. In the temporal lobe, the amygdale purpose is to store and process strong feeling such as fear. Behind the amygdala is the hippocampus, which channels making memories and learning into short term memory. Then short term memory converts into long term memory. On the top of the brain stem is the thalamus. The thalamus is the “central processing center of the limbic system” (Lu & Bludau, 2011) which accumulates, processes, and distributes limbic and sensory information to the cerebral cortex. Beneath the thalamus is the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus maintains homeostasis and the body’s equilibrium. To keep the system at a set point, the equilibrium monitors body temperature, blood pressure, body weight, fluid

The human brain contains about 100 billion neurones, and has an average volume of 1200-1400mL. Once brain cells die, they stay dead forever.
The brain controls and regulates body functions. Without it you cannot survive. Damage to the brain is repaired slowly. Sometimes other parts of the brain take over the function of the damaged parts, but there are instances where brain damage is permanent.

The Cerebrum:
Associated with higher brain function, such as thought and action. The cerebrum obtains information from an individual’s surroundings and their body, and then sends that information to a specific part of the cerebrum. The cerebrum interprets this knowledge and decides what must happen next. The muscles and sensory information from the left side of the body is controlled by the right side of the brain, and vice versa.

Occupies more than 80% of the brain, and contains over 10 billions neurones. The folds in the cerebrum are called ‘convolutions’, and are used to fit more neurones and information in. These folds increase its surface area by three times. It is here that the high intellectual functions of humans take place. The cerebrum controls you conscious thoughts and the intentional (voluntary)

The cerebrum makes up three quarters of the brain. In the cerebrum, there is the ability to problem solve, move, think and feel (“Alzheimer’s Disease,”n.d.). The cerebrum can be divided into two halves, the right hemisphere and the left hemisphere. Each hemisphere has four lobes, occipital lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, and frontal lobe. Each lobe has specific tasks. For example, the occipital lobe is responsible for visual images.

Neuroscience has been used to study how the brain regulates behavior since its inception. It was not until recently, that these studies were used in the courtroom as proof of guilt. With new innovations in the field of neuroscience, doctors and lawyers are hoping research can lead to a more accurate legal system. Recent work at Stanford University has revealed that under controlled experiments an fMRI can accurately determine if a person is reliving a memory. Researchers concluded that fMRI methods would one day effectively detect lies.

The hindbrain, located directly above the spinal cord, contains the medulla, pons, and cerebellum.The medulla controls breathing, heart rate, swallowing, digestion, and maintaining an up right posture. As well, the medulla is where nerves from the left brain transfer to the right and nerves from the right brain transfer to the left. Below the medulla are the pons. The pons control sleep and arousal. Behind both the medulla and the pons is the cerebellum. The cerebellum is involved in regulation and coordination of body movements and learning.

The personality trait anxiousness seems to have a genetic component, because individuals with that have different biological and behavioral variations of the serotonin-transporter-linked-promotor region (5HTTLPR) genotypes indicate that it’s the cause of differential biological stress reactivity. “Susceptibility to stress may have biological roots, especially in the serotonergic system” (Petersen). Different people becoming anxious and reacting to stress differently because of a genotype shows that there’s a strong nature component. One of the parts of the brain that anxiousness can affect is the amygdala, which signals aggression and fear. “Cognitively changing the meaning of emotional stimuli effects evoked responses in the amygdala and other brain areas” (Mocaiber). So trait-anxious individuals sometimes unconsciously change the meaning of a stimulus to an anxious context. Not only are they succeptible to making stimuli a threat, Mocaiber also claims that they can be “abnormally sensitive to threat-related stimuli.” This makes sense that anxious people see more things as threats and can spot an actual threat very easily.

The hindbrain consists of the medulla and the cerebellum. The medulla regulates the automatic bodily functions such as blood circulation, heartbeat, and respiration. The cerebellum has to do with fine body movements and muscular coordination. The midbrain contains the Reticular Activation System. This works with arousal, lower level auditory and eye movements. The forebrain contains the hypothalamus, which has to work with the feelings for hunger and thirst, and the cerebral cortex.

DESCRIBE WHAT RESULTS (IN TERMS OF BEHAVIOR) CAN BE ANTICIPATED IN SUCH EXPERIMENTS. "SPLIT BRAIN"

The cortex consists of four sections, called "lobes". The frontal lobe is connected to reasoning, planning, speech, movement, emotions, and problem solving. The parietal lobe is associated with balance, recognizing, and movement. The occipital lobe is associated with vision. The temporal lobe is connected to hearing, memory, and speech. The cortex is highly wrinkled, making the brain more convenient, as this increases the brain's surface area, giving it more room for neurons. The cerebrum is divided into two hemispheres- the left hemisphere, and the right hemisphere. The right hemisphere is associated with creativity, and the left one is linked with logic. A bundle of nerve fibers, known as the corpus callosum connects these "hemispheres" (Brain Structures and their Functions). The cerebellum, which is also known as the "little brain", is similar to the cerebrum, since it also has two hemispheres and a highly folded surface. This part of the brain is linked with movement and balance. The cerebellum is assumed to be older than the cerebrum "evolutionarily" (Brain Structures and Their Functions). The brain stem controls basic life functions such as blood pressure, breathing, and heartbeat. Scientists say that the brain stem is the simplest part of the brain (Brain Structures and Their Functions).