PSYC10003 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Dorsal Root Ganglion, Caudate Nucleus, Substantia Nigra
6 Jun 2018
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PSYC10003 – MIND, BRAIN, & BEHAVIOUR 1
BEHAVIOURAL NEUROSCIENCE
Lecture 6 (Week 2 . 3): Structure & Function of the
Human Nervous System – Part 2
Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex:
Frontal Lobe: responsible for ability to plan, reason, & reflect on our
own behaviours (is especially large in humans)
Parietal Lobe: left hemisphere plays a special role in aspects of
language comprehension & mental arithmetic; right involved in
representing the locations of salient objects in space
Temporal Lobe: left hemisphere plays a role in understanding the
spoken & written word; right hemisphere may be particularly involved in
recognising complex objects & faces
Occipital Lobe: processes various aspects of visual info, such as motion, colour, shape, etc.
Hemispheres: many functions are lateralised to just one hemisphere (specialises)
• Left: suggested that cognitive & perceptual process is piecemeal, analytic, & serial, & hence that it is
particularly efficient at extracting the parts that make a whole. Controls many aspects of language
(talking, comprehension of speech, reading, writing)
• Right: proposed that it’s specialised for the synthesis of information (i.e. for putting parts together
into wholes). Constructing objects / drawings from pieces (e.g. jigsaw puzzle)
Corpus Callosum: large bundle of axons connecting cortical areas of the 2 cerebral hemispheres. Allows
perception, memory, & thinking process to be unified & both
hemispheres to be coordinated
• Homeotopic fibres: connect corresponding regions of cortex
• Heterotopic fibres: connect different cortical regions
• Ipsilateral fibres: connect adjacent regions within same hemi
• Callosotomy: corpus callosum surgically cut. Treatment for
epilepsy to prevent spread of abnormal electrical activity.
Hemispheres essentially operate in isolation
Limbic system: set of structures in the medial portion of each hemisphere, that
form a circuit whose primary functions are motivational & emotional
• Hippocampus: involved in learning & memory, consolidates new memories
(patient H.M. → amnesic)
• Amygdala: crucial role in mediating emotions
• Fornix: bundle of axons connecting the hippocampus & amygdala with other
brain regions (e.g. the mammillary bodies)
• Mammillary bodies: 2 little nodules that form part of the hypothalamus
• Cingulate cortex: region of cerebral cortex, above the corpus callosum,
that controls many functions, such as the emotional response to pain
Basal Ganglia: a collection of nuclei buried deep within each hemisphere,
responsible for controlling movement (particularly highly automatized /
involuntary aspects) (Parkinson’s disease)
• Classified as grey matter b/c it contains the cell bodies of many neurons
find more resources at oneclass.com
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Document Summary
Frontal lobe: responsible for ability to plan, reason, & reflect on our own behaviours (is especially large in humans) Parietal lobe: left hemisphere plays a special role in aspects of language comprehension & mental arithmetic; right involved in representing the locations of salient objects in space. Temporal lobe: left hemisphere plays a role in understanding the spoken & written word; right hemisphere may be particularly involved in recognising complex objects & faces. Occipital lobe: processes various aspects of visual info, such as motion, colour, shape, etc. Hemispheres: many functions are lateralised to just one hemisphere (specialises: left: suggested that cognitive & perceptual process is piecemeal, analytic, & serial, & hence that it is particularly efficient at extracting the parts that make a whole. Controls many aspects of language (talking, comprehension of speech, reading, writing: right: proposed that it"s specialised for the synthesis of information (i. e. for putting parts together into wholes). Constructing objects / drawings from pieces (e. g. jigsaw puzzle)
