Cerebral cortex

No one knows for certain exactly what causes migraines. Currently it is thought a series of small irritations or events build up until the dam bursts and a migraine headache is triggered. What causes migraines, or triggers them, varies from individual to individual. What affects one person won't have the slightest affect on others. Migraine triggers are very personal. The experience of many who suffer from these headaches is that a particular food or mix of foods will tip them over the edge into…

The amygdala is often called the “aggression center” of the brain. There are two of them in one’s limbic system, and they are located on either side of the thalamus, at the end of the hippocampus, a little bit in front of the brain stem. When the amygdalas are stimulated, one feels anger, violence, fear, and anxiety. When the amygdalas are completely destroyed, a person has what is called Kluver-Bucy syndrome. The effects of this syndrome include hyperorality, hypersexuality, and…

hemispheres look like mirror images (identical). However, science has been proving since 1968 effectively through examinations of positron emission tomography (PET), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), electroencephalography (EEG) and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), the existence of anatomical asymmetries, neurochemical and functional, thereby designating the hemispheric specializations. Paul Broca (1860), through work and biopsies found that the language processing was given in…

motor cortex area to have decrease activity because of the increase inhibition from the thalamus causing decrease activity to the lateral corticalspinal and rubrospinal tracts. The result of this change is impairment of voluntary movement creating symptoms of such as akinesia and bradykinesia. The next part of the motor loop to be affected is the increase inhibition pedunculopontine nucleus causing disinhibition of the reticulospinal tract causing rigidity of postural and girdle…

The prefrontal cortex is located in the frontal lobe of the brain and can be subdivided into different regions such as the orbitofrontal cortex and the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. These areas as a whole are responsible for decision making, controlling emotions and other key social skills, they are also important for dealing with executive functions such as reasoning and planning. Mitchell (2014) claims that ‘the prefrontal cortex represents the pinnacle of evolution as it handles some…

Today, I will be talking about Transcendental Meditation and what patterns are found in the EEG scans of research subjects. Neuroscience is a complicated field, yet enlightening. So, what do we see? First, higher frontal alpha 1 coherence. Second, activation of the default mode network (DMN). Third, a lower breath rate. Lastly, all those distinguishing characteristics “are seen within the first minute of Transcendental Meditation practice” (Travis, 2018). During Transcendental Meditation…

What Does it Mean to Have a Split Brain? By Amanda Larkin Psychophysiology January 10, 2015 California Baptist University In order to understand the concept of a Split Brian, we must know the functions of the corpus callosum. The corpus callosum is located at the center of the brain, just beneath the cerebrum. The corpus callosum allows sensory and cognitive information to enter a passageway through the two separate hemispheres of the brain. The corpus callosum enables the right and…

Gage’s doctor, Harlow founded this case to change how people study illness and injuries. It was a push for medical advancement. “Today, scientists better understand the role that the frontal cortex has to play in important higher order functions such as reasoning, language, and social cognition” (Cherry) Harlow was right, although knowledge about the brain in the 1800s was very little we now a lot more. The main topic that people talk about…

LeDoux said we “do not come preassembled, but are glued together by life.” (LeDoux, 3) As a leading neuroscientist, he makes this claim intending to show that neuroscience is the best approach for understanding identity. It is the most complete and concise way of understanding the numerous, undeniable correlations between brain structures and identity. Current research has already shown key facets of human experience to be directly represented in the brain. Computers are closing in on matching…

An individual that utilizes denial as a coping skill throughout their life is extraordinarily nimble at avoiding glaring behaviors and actions of themselves and the people that they love. The motivation of drive theory of denial allows the individual in denial to reduce their inner turmoil and tension by pretending the unwanted situations are not there. As an example, Jean is a middle child in a family of six. She is the only girl and if often overwhelmed by the boys arguing and rough housing.…