CHAPTER 1
What is Behavioral Neuroscience?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Classify the subfields of neuroscience, and explain how behavioral neuroscience fits
within the field.
2. Interpret the significance of the major historical highlights in the study of the nervous
system.
3. Differentiate the brain imaging technologies, including CT, PET, SPECT, MRI,
fMRI, and DTI.
4. Assess the use of microscopic the use of microscopic, recording, stimulation,
optogenetic, lesion, and biochemical methods in behavioral neuroscience.
5. Analyze the relative strengths and weaknesses of twin studies, adoption studies, and
genetic screens for understanding behavior.
6. Evaluate the ethical standards used to protect human and animal research participants.
LECTURE OUTLINE
I. Neuroscience as an Interdisciplinary Field (pp. 2–4)
PowerPoint Slides 1-4 and 1-6
The following film clips provide interesting insights into how and why we study
neuroscience and make a good introduction to this unit:
Film Clip #1: Discovering the Human Brain: New Pathways to Neuroscience
Film Clip #2: V.S. Ramachandran at Beyond Belief 2.0
Film Clip #3: Jill Bolte Taylor on T.E.D.
A. Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary area of study involving psychology, biology,
chemistry, medicine, mathematics, physics, engineering, and computer science.
B. The functions of the brain and nervous system are studied on many different levels.
What is Behavioral Science?
, 1. The molecular level focuses on DNA, RNA, proteins, and gene
expression and includes the subtopics of neural cell physiology and
psychopharmacology.
2. The cellular level is concerned with the structure, physiological
properties, and functions of neural cells.
3. The synapse level defines the connections between neural cells at the
synapse. Synaptic neuroscience studies the strength and flexibility of
these connections and the implications on complex processes, such as
learning and memory.
4. At the network level, neuroscientists study how interconnected neurons
form pathways.
5. Behavioral neuroscience seeks to understand the biological correlates of
behavior, using all of the previous levels of analysis.
6. All analytical levels use computational neuroscience to develop computational
models that can be compared to living systems.
C. Researchers have a specific interest in the relationships between the nervous system
and behavior.
1. Neurological illnesses have economic costs. For example, delaying the onset of
Alzheimer's disease by five years would save $50 billion annually in health care
costs in the United States.
2. Connections between biology and behavior are relevant to neurological diseases
and to overall health, as many health conditions (e.g., diabetes, cancer) are tightly
linked to behavior.
3. Nervous system responses are linked to behavioral scenarios, such as
relationships, parenting, child development, and thinking and learning.
Understanding the interaction between the nervous system and behavior can
promote well-being.
Behavioral Neuroscience Goes to Work: What Can I Do with a Degree in
Neuroscience?
II. Historical Highlights in Neuroscience (pp. 5–8)
PowerPoint Slides 1-7 through 1-11
A. Key points
1. Although some periods of enlightenment regarding the relationship between the
nervous system and behavior emerged among the Egyptians and Greeks, the
major advancements in biopsychology such as the understanding of electrical
activity and functional neuroanatomy have been relatively modern and recent,
being established within the last 200 years.
Chapter 1
, 2. We take for granted that the brain and nervous system are the sources of
intellect, reason, sensation, and movement. This disarmingly simple fact has not
been universally accepted throughout human history.
3. The history of neuroscience parallels the development of tools for studying the
nervous system.
B. Ancient people's view of the nervous system
1. Trepanation, the drilling of holes in the skull, may represent a prehistoric
understanding of the brain’s role in behavior. (p. 5)
*See the Supplemental Teaching Strategies and Tools section for additional
information regarding the modern day use of trepanation.
2. The Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus indicated an understanding that paralysis and
lack of sensation were due to damage to the nervous system. In addition,
Egyptians discarded the brain during mummification yet provided modern-
sounding descriptions of structure and the effects of brain injury, including the
irreversible nature of brain trauma. (p. 5)
3. Ancient Greeks understood that the brain was the organ of sensation. (p. 5)
* See the Supplemental Teaching Strategies and Tools section for additional
information regarding the use of fluid dynamics as the functional model of the
nervous system.
a. Hippocrates understood that epilepsy originated in the brain. (p. 5)
b. Galen made many accurate anatomical observations but continued the
misunderstanding of the role of the ventricles and the central nervous
system as a fluid-filled network of interconnected tubes. (p. 5)
4. René Descartes (1596–1650) (p. 5)
*See the Lecture Enrichment section for additional information regarding the unusual
circumstances surrounding the death and burial of René Descartes.
a. Continued the notion that fluids produced movement.
b. Proposed mind–body dualism, which maintains that the body is
mechanical and the mind is neither physical nor suited to scientific
observation as opposed to the modern monism philosophical perspective
that the mind is a product of physical neural activity.
Clicker Question #1
5. Discovery of the light microscope by Anton van Leeuwenhoek in 1674. (p. 8)
What is Behavioral Science?
, 6. In the late 1700s, Luigi Galvani and Emil du Bois-Reymond established
electricity as the mode of communication used by the nervous system. (p. 6)
Figure 1.4 is an interesting depiction of Galvani’s basement laboratory where he
connected wires from a rooftop antenna to the legs of frogs to demonstrate that
electrical disturbances could stimulate the leg muscles of the frogs.
7. Charles Bell (1774–1842) and François Magendie (1783–1855) demonstrated
that sensory and motor information travel in separate pathways. (p. 6)
C. Modern neuroscience
1. Camillo Golgi, an Italian neuroanatomist, developed new staining techniques
allowing the visualization of the structure of single neurons. Santiago Ramón y
Cajal, a Spanish neuroanatomist, made classic trace drawings of neural circuitry
leading to the proposal of the Neuron Doctrine, which stated that the nervous
system is composed of separate nerve cells rather than the interconnect network
of continuous fibers proposed by Golgi. In 1906, Golgi and Cajal shared the
Nobel Prize for their neuroanatomical work and theories. (p. 6)
2. Phrenology, the correlation of bumps on the skull with personal traits and
intellectual abilities, was misguided in most respects, but modern in its
acceptance that different cognitive functions may be localized to specific areas in
the brain. (p. 6)
3. Work by Paul Broca, who examined the postmortem brains of patients with
language deficits, and Fritsch and Hitzig, who observed contralateral muscle
movements when stimulating the motor cortex of a rabbit and dog, further
established the concept of localization of function in the brain. (p. 7)
4. Hughlings Jackson proposed that the nervous system acted as a hierarchy, with
simpler processing carried out by lower levels and sophisticated processing
carried out by the cerebral cortex. (p. 7)
5. Charles Sherrington coined the word synapse and conducted research on reflexes
and the motor systems of the brain. Otto Loewi demonstrated chemical signaling
at the synapse. Sir John Eccles, Bernard Katz, Andrew Huxley, and Alan
Hodgkin furthered our understanding of electrical signaling. (p. 7)
III. Behavioral Neuroscience Research Methods (pp. 9–22)
These film clips illustrate emerging technologies not covered in the textbook. However, this
emphasizes the rapid innovations in neurotechnology and the symbiosis between advances
in technology and our understanding of the nervous system.
PowerPoint Slides 1-12 through 1-32
Chapter 1
What is Behavioral Neuroscience?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Classify the subfields of neuroscience, and explain how behavioral neuroscience fits
within the field.
2. Interpret the significance of the major historical highlights in the study of the nervous
system.
3. Differentiate the brain imaging technologies, including CT, PET, SPECT, MRI,
fMRI, and DTI.
4. Assess the use of microscopic the use of microscopic, recording, stimulation,
optogenetic, lesion, and biochemical methods in behavioral neuroscience.
5. Analyze the relative strengths and weaknesses of twin studies, adoption studies, and
genetic screens for understanding behavior.
6. Evaluate the ethical standards used to protect human and animal research participants.
LECTURE OUTLINE
I. Neuroscience as an Interdisciplinary Field (pp. 2–4)
PowerPoint Slides 1-4 and 1-6
The following film clips provide interesting insights into how and why we study
neuroscience and make a good introduction to this unit:
Film Clip #1: Discovering the Human Brain: New Pathways to Neuroscience
Film Clip #2: V.S. Ramachandran at Beyond Belief 2.0
Film Clip #3: Jill Bolte Taylor on T.E.D.
A. Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary area of study involving psychology, biology,
chemistry, medicine, mathematics, physics, engineering, and computer science.
B. The functions of the brain and nervous system are studied on many different levels.
What is Behavioral Science?
, 1. The molecular level focuses on DNA, RNA, proteins, and gene
expression and includes the subtopics of neural cell physiology and
psychopharmacology.
2. The cellular level is concerned with the structure, physiological
properties, and functions of neural cells.
3. The synapse level defines the connections between neural cells at the
synapse. Synaptic neuroscience studies the strength and flexibility of
these connections and the implications on complex processes, such as
learning and memory.
4. At the network level, neuroscientists study how interconnected neurons
form pathways.
5. Behavioral neuroscience seeks to understand the biological correlates of
behavior, using all of the previous levels of analysis.
6. All analytical levels use computational neuroscience to develop computational
models that can be compared to living systems.
C. Researchers have a specific interest in the relationships between the nervous system
and behavior.
1. Neurological illnesses have economic costs. For example, delaying the onset of
Alzheimer's disease by five years would save $50 billion annually in health care
costs in the United States.
2. Connections between biology and behavior are relevant to neurological diseases
and to overall health, as many health conditions (e.g., diabetes, cancer) are tightly
linked to behavior.
3. Nervous system responses are linked to behavioral scenarios, such as
relationships, parenting, child development, and thinking and learning.
Understanding the interaction between the nervous system and behavior can
promote well-being.
Behavioral Neuroscience Goes to Work: What Can I Do with a Degree in
Neuroscience?
II. Historical Highlights in Neuroscience (pp. 5–8)
PowerPoint Slides 1-7 through 1-11
A. Key points
1. Although some periods of enlightenment regarding the relationship between the
nervous system and behavior emerged among the Egyptians and Greeks, the
major advancements in biopsychology such as the understanding of electrical
activity and functional neuroanatomy have been relatively modern and recent,
being established within the last 200 years.
Chapter 1
, 2. We take for granted that the brain and nervous system are the sources of
intellect, reason, sensation, and movement. This disarmingly simple fact has not
been universally accepted throughout human history.
3. The history of neuroscience parallels the development of tools for studying the
nervous system.
B. Ancient people's view of the nervous system
1. Trepanation, the drilling of holes in the skull, may represent a prehistoric
understanding of the brain’s role in behavior. (p. 5)
*See the Supplemental Teaching Strategies and Tools section for additional
information regarding the modern day use of trepanation.
2. The Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus indicated an understanding that paralysis and
lack of sensation were due to damage to the nervous system. In addition,
Egyptians discarded the brain during mummification yet provided modern-
sounding descriptions of structure and the effects of brain injury, including the
irreversible nature of brain trauma. (p. 5)
3. Ancient Greeks understood that the brain was the organ of sensation. (p. 5)
* See the Supplemental Teaching Strategies and Tools section for additional
information regarding the use of fluid dynamics as the functional model of the
nervous system.
a. Hippocrates understood that epilepsy originated in the brain. (p. 5)
b. Galen made many accurate anatomical observations but continued the
misunderstanding of the role of the ventricles and the central nervous
system as a fluid-filled network of interconnected tubes. (p. 5)
4. René Descartes (1596–1650) (p. 5)
*See the Lecture Enrichment section for additional information regarding the unusual
circumstances surrounding the death and burial of René Descartes.
a. Continued the notion that fluids produced movement.
b. Proposed mind–body dualism, which maintains that the body is
mechanical and the mind is neither physical nor suited to scientific
observation as opposed to the modern monism philosophical perspective
that the mind is a product of physical neural activity.
Clicker Question #1
5. Discovery of the light microscope by Anton van Leeuwenhoek in 1674. (p. 8)
What is Behavioral Science?
, 6. In the late 1700s, Luigi Galvani and Emil du Bois-Reymond established
electricity as the mode of communication used by the nervous system. (p. 6)
Figure 1.4 is an interesting depiction of Galvani’s basement laboratory where he
connected wires from a rooftop antenna to the legs of frogs to demonstrate that
electrical disturbances could stimulate the leg muscles of the frogs.
7. Charles Bell (1774–1842) and François Magendie (1783–1855) demonstrated
that sensory and motor information travel in separate pathways. (p. 6)
C. Modern neuroscience
1. Camillo Golgi, an Italian neuroanatomist, developed new staining techniques
allowing the visualization of the structure of single neurons. Santiago Ramón y
Cajal, a Spanish neuroanatomist, made classic trace drawings of neural circuitry
leading to the proposal of the Neuron Doctrine, which stated that the nervous
system is composed of separate nerve cells rather than the interconnect network
of continuous fibers proposed by Golgi. In 1906, Golgi and Cajal shared the
Nobel Prize for their neuroanatomical work and theories. (p. 6)
2. Phrenology, the correlation of bumps on the skull with personal traits and
intellectual abilities, was misguided in most respects, but modern in its
acceptance that different cognitive functions may be localized to specific areas in
the brain. (p. 6)
3. Work by Paul Broca, who examined the postmortem brains of patients with
language deficits, and Fritsch and Hitzig, who observed contralateral muscle
movements when stimulating the motor cortex of a rabbit and dog, further
established the concept of localization of function in the brain. (p. 7)
4. Hughlings Jackson proposed that the nervous system acted as a hierarchy, with
simpler processing carried out by lower levels and sophisticated processing
carried out by the cerebral cortex. (p. 7)
5. Charles Sherrington coined the word synapse and conducted research on reflexes
and the motor systems of the brain. Otto Loewi demonstrated chemical signaling
at the synapse. Sir John Eccles, Bernard Katz, Andrew Huxley, and Alan
Hodgkin furthered our understanding of electrical signaling. (p. 7)
III. Behavioral Neuroscience Research Methods (pp. 9–22)
These film clips illustrate emerging technologies not covered in the textbook. However, this
emphasizes the rapid innovations in neurotechnology and the symbiosis between advances
in technology and our understanding of the nervous system.
PowerPoint Slides 1-12 through 1-32
Chapter 1
