VSE human brain

Question 1

studying brain function
MEDICAL reasons

Answer 1

1. understanding neurological disorders
   e.g. alzheimer’s, parkinson’s, epilepsy
   - developing diagnostic tools, treatments + potential cures
2. psychiatric disorders
   e.g. depression, sz, anxiety
   - developing more effective therapies
3. brain trauma
   - improve care for traumatic brain injuries + stroke pxs
   - enhancing recovery + rehabilitation methods
4. neurosurgery
   - to perform precise surgeries
   - minimising damage + preserving cognitive abilities

Question 2

studying brain function
NON-MEDICAL reasons

Answer 2

1. cognitive enhancement
   - development of stategies for enhancing memory, learning + cognitive performance
   - applications in education + personal development
2. human-computer interaction
   - creating innovative technologies for controlling computers + devices directly w the mind
3. AI
   - advancements in robotics, autonomous systems + data analysis
4. ethical + legal implications
   - questions related to consciousness, privacy + brain-based evidence in legal cases

Question 3

how can we study human brain function?

Answer 3

• studying how a given part of the brain develops from birth (vision)
• studying mistakes by the brain - visual illusions
• studying the behaviour of persons that have suffered brain damage
• brain scans

Question 4

visual illusions

Answer 4

mistakes made by the brain

Question 5

mach bands

Answer 5

illusion (edge) that appears when a lighter object is next to a darker object

• can be source of diagnostic error in radiography
  e.g. can mimic a fracture

Question 6

perception

Answer 6

• not exclusively driven by sensory input
• shaped by expectation, knowledge + experiences
  aka schema
• can lead to systematic biases in perception e.g. distortions in shape, size, speed + position
  e.g. AMES ROOM
• both info through our eyes AND our schema contributes to our vision

Question 7

phantom limb theory

Question 8

human cortical area

Answer 8

for seeing things move

Question 9

phineas gage

Question 9

parietal cortex

Answer 9

damage can lead to strange behaviour

Question 10

ways to investigate brain function

Answer 10

• fMRI + PET scans allow us to visualise brain activity + connectivity, identifying regions involved in specific tasks/states
• EEGs + MEGs record electrical/magnetic brain activity w high temporal resolution, useful for studying cognitive processes in real-time
• brain lesion studies (studying individuals w brain injuries/lesions) helps localise functions; e.g. learning about motion perception through study of motion-blind woman
• behavioural/psychophysical studies (observing behaviour changeds in response to diff stimuli) provide behavioural correlates of brain function; e.g. using psychophysical procedures to assess contrast sensitivity or colour perception in human vision
• computational modelling (building mathematical models of neural networks + cognitive processes) helps stimulate + understand brain function