• Why neuroscience is harder than physics
• Course overview
• Methods in neuroscience

• Components
• Interactions
• Forces/influences
• Boundaries
• Inputs/outputs/processes

• "Behave" or change state across time
• Return to starting state
• Appear to be regulated, controlled, influenced by feedback loops

• Single parts -> multiple functions
• Single functions -> multiple parts
• Change structure/function over time (learning, development)
• Biological systems not "designed" like human-engineered ones
• Measuring what is being exchanged? What is being controlled?

• Master fundamentals of neuroscientific concepts and facts
• Prepare to read primary source literature in behavioral, cognitive, affective, and clinical neuroscience

https://psu-psychology.github.io/psy-511-scan-fdns-2017

• What is the basic plan of the nervous system?
• How do neurons work?
• How do neurons connected in networks achieve behavioral goals?
• How does the nervous system develop? How has it evolved?

Brain architecture (neuroanatomy)

Brain function (neurophysiology)

Brain communication (neurochemistry)

Changes over evolutionary and developmental time

• The nervous system as information processing system
• Inputs
  • From environment, body, brain
• Processing
  • Current inputs + brain state + body state + possible future states…
  • Stored information
  • Physiological & behavioral goals

• Outputs
  • To brain, body, environment

What is the question?

• Structure X -> Structure Y
• Structure X -> Function Y

What are we measuring?

• Structure
• Activity

Strengths & Weaknesses

• Cost
• Invasiveness
• Spatial/temporal resolution

Structural

• Anatomy
• Connectivity/connectome

Functional (next time)

• What does it do?
• Physiology/Activity

• Cell/axon stains
• Golgi stain – whole cells
• Cellular distribution, concentration, microanatomy

- Computed axial tomography (CAT), CT - X-ray based

• Magnetic resonance a property of some isotopes and complex molecules
• In magnetic field, absorb and release radio frequency energy
• Hydrogen, common in water & fat, is one
• Aligns with strong magnetic field
• When perturbed, speed of realignment varies by tissue
• Realignment gives off radio frequency (RF) signals
• Strength of RF ~ density

• Tissue density/type differences
• Gray vs. white - Axon fibers
• Spectroscopy
• Region sizes/volumes

• Structural MRI technique
• Diffusion tensor: measurement of spatial pattern of \(H_2O\) diffusion in small volume
• Uniform ("isotropic") vs. non-uniform ("anisotropic")
• Strong anisotropy suggests large # of axons with similar orientations (fiber tracts)

• Psychology is harder than physics
• Understanding brain/behavior relations requires a diverse toolkit

1. Pick two papers you want to read and (better) understand
   • Email me APA formatted citation (with DOIs)
   • Indicate three concepts/terms you are especially interested in understanding
2. Choose a behavior or mental state you want to (better) understand
   • Take an information processing perspective and briefly sketch out (in no more than a short paragraph) the main inputs, outputs, and computations involved.