Brain

:For other articles about other subjects named brain see brain (disambiguation). For information about the human brain in specific, please see its article.

The study of brains

Fields of study

The brain is studied by several areas of science. Neuroscience seeks to understand the nervous system, including the brain, from a biological perspective. Psychology seeks to understand behavior and the brain. The terms neurology and psychiatry usually refer to medical applications of neuroscience and psychology, respectively. Cognitive science seeks to unify neuroscience and psychology with other fields studying the brain, such as computer science (as in Artificial intelligence, etc) and philosophy.

Related Topics:
Science - Neuroscience - Psychology - Neurology - Psychiatry - Cognitive science - Computer science - Artificial intelligence - Philosophy

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Methods of observation

Each method for observing activity in the brain has its advantages and drawbacks. Electrophysiology, in which wire electrodes are implanted in the brain, allows scientists to record the electrical activity of individual neurons or fields of neurons, but since it requires invasive surgery, this is a technique usually reserved for lab animals. By placing electrodes on the scalp, electroencephalography (EEG) measures brainwaves, which are the mass changes in electrical current from the cerebral cortex, but can only detect changes over large areas of the brain and very little sub-cortical activity. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measures changes in blood flow in the brain, but the activity of neurons is not directly measured, nor can it be distinguished whether this activity is inhibitory or excitatory. Behavioral tests can measure symptoms of disease and mental performance, but only provide indirect measurements of brain function and may not be practical in all animals. Post-mortem analyses of brains allow for the study of anatomy and protein expression patterns but can only be done after the human or animal is dead.

Related Topics:
Electrophysiology - Electroencephalography - Functional magnetic resonance imaging - Protein

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Myths

The following are some common myths or misconceptions about the mind and brain, perpetuated through common or urban myths, the media, and the promotion of dubious products to consumers (Sala, 1999). A number of practitioners of pseudoscience, new age philosophies, and mystical or occult practices are known to use some of these myths as a part of their belief systems. Also see popular psychology.

Related Topics:
Urban myths - Media - Pseudoscience - New age - Occult - Popular psychology

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• Myth: The human brain is firm and grey. The fresh/living brain is actually very soft, jelly-like and deep red. They do not become firm and grey until they have been preserved with various chemicals/resins.
• Myth: Humans use only 10% or 1% of their brain. Though the brain still holds mysteries that are being studied, every part of the brain is known to have a function. A possible origin of this myth is the fact that only about 10% of the neurons in the brain are firing at any given time. However, if all of your neurons began firing at once, you would not become smarter, but instead suffer an epileptic seizure. In fact studies have shown that the brains of more intelligent people are less active than the brains of less intelligent people, when working on the same problems.
• Myth: Mental abilities are separated into the left and right cerebral hemispheres.
• Myth: Creativity can be easily developed using the simple brainstorming/lateral thinking techniques.
• Myth: Learning can be achieved more powerfully through subliminal techniques.
• Myth: Hypnosis can lead to perfect recall of details. Not only is this not entirely true, an incompetent or deceptive hypnotist can actually implant memories of events that never occurred.