PSYC1020 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Paul Broca, Cognitive Neuroscience, Frontal Lobe
Document Summary
Explains normal brain function by examining what changes when part of the brain is damaged. Assumption: whatever changes in behaviour/cognition must rely on that part of the brain that is damaged. Paul broca described a patient who was unable to speak after damage to the left frontal lobe (broca"s area) - concluded that this area was related to speech production. Place a thin electrode into an animal"s brain (rat/cat/monkey) Record action potentials "firing" from a single neuron. Best for localisation and timing of brain function - directly measuring action potentials from individual neurons. Animals only - although some studies now measure single neuron firing in humans during brain surgery. Summed activity from action potentials of neurons in the cortex cause electrical activity change on the scalp. Measures voltage changes from electrodes placed on the scalp. Brain activity in eeg shows constant oscillations (waves) Frequencies of oscillations change with alertness and sleep. Brain activity related to a specific event or stimulus.
