PS263 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Reticular Formation, Basal Ganglia, Amygdala
Document Summary
Lesion: damage by means of a stereotaxic instrument, electrode stuck through to damage specific part of brain area. Today we might instead inject chemicals that kill nerurons or disable them temporarily without harming passing axons. Transcranial magnetic stimulation: application of magnetic stimulation to a portion of the scalp, inactivates neurons in narrow area below magnet thus producing a virtual lesion. Enables us to study behaviour with some brain area active, then inactive, then active again. Optogenetics: using light to control a limited population of neurons, light sensitive proteins react by opening sodium channel and exciting neuron, another reacts by opening chloride channel and inhibiting neuron. Eeg: records electrical activity of brain through electrodes attached to scalp, measure average activity at any moment for population of cells under electrode. Evoked potentials: activity recorded in response to a stimulus. Meg: measures faint magnetic fields generated by brain activity.
