PSYCH 1XX3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Phineas Gage, Brain Injury, David H. Hubel
18 May 2017
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Document Summary
When describing the brain, the labels gets rotated nearly 90 degrees to the front; rostral = front of brain. Special techniques exist for studying the function of the brain. Brain injury links brain anatomy with behavioural deficits. Used explosives to remove large sections of rock from path of railroad. 3-foot iron rob went through left cheekbone and through top of skull. Became selfish, profane erratic, unreliable survived with only some visions loss and facial disfigurement. Lesion studies must be specific to target the function of a brain region. Hard to selectively target particular regions and draw conclusions. Solution: specific brain lesions can be studies in animal models. Targeted electrical stimulation can also provide insight on brain function. Electrically stimulate area of brain & observe behaviour. Used by cdn neurologist dr. wilder penfield during brain surgery on those with epileptic seizures. Single cell stimulation helps map behaviour to specific brain regions.
