psychological psychology

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13.BrainResearchAnimalResearch2012.ppt
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Brain Systems and Research

Moodle Discussion Question…

Imagine that you are a police detective investigating a murder.

What evidence would you need to identify suspects?

How would you evaluate the potential guilt of each suspect?

  • Look for physical evidence
  • Eyewitness testimony
  • Interview those close to the victim
  • Check alibi – where/when
  • Consider the motive
  • Test the suspect
  • Weigh the evidence

Why animal research?

  • Simpler nervous systems provide good models

  • Unethical to do certain research on humans

  • Know about animals

Animal research:

  • Stereotaxic surgery—precise placement of experimental devices in the brain
  • Electrical stimulation—use electrode to elicit a behavior (eat, drink, squeak, etc.)
  • Electrical recording—within the cell

Animal research:

  • Lesions—remove part of brain or nervous system

  • Gene knockout—remove a specific gene from the mouse’s DNA.

  • Gene replacement—insert pathological genes from human into a mouse.

Research Tools

  • Computerized Axial Tomography
    (CT scan)

Research Tools

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

  • Measure electrical activity in cortex

Research Tools

  • Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

http://www.med.harvard.edu/AANLIB/home.html

  • Positive Emission Tomography (PET scan)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/PET-MIPS-anim.gif

Research Tools

Normal brain Stroke victim

Research Tools

  • Direct brain stimulation
  • Pioneered by neurosurgeon Wilder Penfield

Dr. Penfield’s remarks:

“The patient thinks of himself as having an existence separate from his body.”

“There is no place…where electrical stimulation will cause a patient to believe or to decide.”