HDFS220 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Myelin, Mirror Neuron, Autism Spectrum
11 Oct 2017
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Structures of the brain: the brain is divided into two hemispheres, left hemisphere, right-side motor function. Language centers (for right-handed people: right hemisphere. Forebrain: complex, brain stem , spinal cord, basic functions like breathing, heartbeat and blood pressure, cerebellum , controls balance and movement, occipital lobes . Processes visual information: temporal lobes , hearing, language, memory for facts, visual memory, emotion, parietal lobes . Myelination: the process of laying down a fatty sheath of myelin on the neurons, occurs from infancy throughout adolescence, myelin is necessary for neurons to work, provides insulation, allows for faster neurotransmission. Stimulation of neurons provides more myelin: experience-dependent development, allows babies brains to think faster than they would without it. Important for social learning, empathy: how we are able to relate to other people (if you see someone crying, there is less mirror neuron activity in people with asd, difficulty with social interactions for people with asd.
