Aristotle (350BC)
heart was crucial in organising our behaviours and thoughts
hippocrates and plato (4th cen BC)
thoughts, feelings etc, originate in the brain - source of reason
monism
mental states, consciousness, viewed as emerging or reducible to physical brain processes
dualism (Descartes)
the mind is a non physical substance distinct from the body
Galvani
demonstrated that electrical stimulation of the sciatic nerve could produce a contraction of the leg muscle
Schwann (1838) - cells
the cell is the fundamental unit of structure, physiology, and organisation in living things
Schwann cell
within the PNS that myelinates nerve cells
Golgi and Cajal (1889)
Golgi - reticular theory (single complex network)
Cajal - gaps between cells (neuron doctrine)
Loewi (1873-1961)
demonstrated chemical stimulation of the vagus nerve could slow a heartbeat
sherrington (1857-1952)
coined the term synapse
Thorndike (1898)
law of effect: responses closely followed by satisfaction from the animal will be more firmly connected to the situation
lesion methods
experimental brain surgery only in animals
case studies in humans (transcranial magnetic stimulation)
biochemical methods
histology
immunohistohemistry
quantification of protein or enzyme activity
positron emission tomography (PET)
- specialist dye with small traces of radioactive substance
- accumulates in active brain cells
diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)
maps white matter tracts (nerve fibre pathways) in the brain, showing structural connectivity
genetic determinism
galton - founder of eugenics
