Annotated Links
Academics Question the Reliability of Neuroscience Research New research has questioned the reliability of neuroscience studies, saying that conclusions could be misleading due to small sample sizes. This according to new research published in Nature Reviews Neuroscience and summarized here in Medical News Today, April 12, 2013.
Amygdala Volume and Social Network Size in Humans Summarizes recent research which found that the size of the amygdala is correlated with the size and complexity of social networks (like Facebook). Discusses the findings and possible alternative explanations. Find the original article here
Antidepressants Can Change Personalities Taking an antidepressant can lead to significant personality changes, likely for the better, a new study finds. The study looked at the effects of taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which are widely used to treat depression today, and found that those who took these antidepressants experienced more positive emotions, were more outgoing and more emotionally stable in the long-term. "Our findings lead us to propose a new model of antidepressant mechanism," said Tony Z. Tang of Northwestern University in Chicago. "Our data suggests that modern antidepressants work partly by correcting key personality risk factors of depression" according to this summary in Live Science'', December 7, 2009.
Area of brain that makes a people person discovered Cambridge University researchers have discovered that whether someone is a 'people-person' may depend on the structure of their brain: the greater the concentration of brain tissue in certain parts of the brain, the more likely they are to be a warm, sentimental person.
Biological Bases of Behavior Teaching of Psychology in the Secondary School (TOPSS) and the APA Education Directorate are pleased to announce a newly revised lesson plan on Biological Bases of Behavior (September, 2012). The lesson plan includes lessons on the brain and neural function, the neuron, the organization of the nervous system, localization of function of the brain, lateralization of function of the brain, the endocrine system, and behavioral genetics. Five teaching activities are included in the unit plan, and two online modules aligned to the unit are also available through the website above, one on key points to remember in biopsychology and one of classroom demonstrations for the unit. Note: You must be a member of TOPSS to access the materials.
Brain Activity Map Proponents Explain Goals of Blood Neuroscience Science writer Stephanie Pappas explains Neuroscientists are pushing for a major project that would map the activity of the brain, potentially illuminating the causes of depression, schizophrenia and other major mental health disorders. in this article from LiveScience, March 7, 2013.
Brain Activity Map: What's Wrong With the Brain Activity Map Proposal Science writer Partha Mitra explains With the president suggesting a multibillion-dollar neuroscience effort, a leading neuroscientist explains the deep conceptual problems with plans to record all the brain's neurons in this article from Scientific American, March 5, 2013.
BrainFacts.org The Kavli Foundation, the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, and the Society for Neuroscience, all leading global nonprofit organizations working to advance brain research, created this web site to share what neuroscientists know, explore what they don’t yet know fully, and discuss how today’s research advances understanding. Written for a general audience, the site presents short articles and summaries of current research on the brain and nervous system.
The Brain Basis of Unrealistic Optimism Discovering that an initial estimate was unduly pessimistic was associated with increased activity across the frontal lobes which being unduly optimistic was associated with reduced activity in these areas according to research by Tali Sharot and colleagues published in Nature Neuroscience (2011) and summarized here in BPS Research Digest, December 5, 2011.
Can Brain Scans Read Your Mind? Can neuroscience read people's minds? Some researchers, and some new businesses, are banking on a brain imaging technique known as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to reveal hidden thoughts, such as lies, truths or deep desires. This summary, from ScienceDaily, July 23, 2009, summarizes the research of Russell Poldrack and colleagues at UCLA.
Core Concepts in Neuroscience The Society for Neuroscience sponsors this extensive website filled with useful and up-to-date resources including a downloadable e-book on the core concepts of neuroscience and a matching power point presentation.
Culture Wires the Brain According to research by Denise Park and colleagues from Perspectives on Psychological Science, Where you grow up can have a big impact on the food you eat, the clothes you wear, and even how your brain works […] There is evidence that the collectivist nature of East Asian cultures versus individualistic Western cultures affects both brain and behavior according to this summary from Science Daily, August 3, 2010.
Damaged Connections in Phineas Gage's Brain: Famous 1848 Case of Man Who Survived Accident Has Modern Parallel The personality changes noted in Phineas Gage after his famous brain injury may have been due more to a disruption in connections between the left frontal cortex and the rest of the brain, than due to injury of the cortex itself. Jack Van Horn and colleagues studied the wiring of the brain and the severing of these connections which made neuroscience's most famous case study no longer Gage. Their research, published in PLoS ONE is summarized here in ScienceDaily, May 16, 2012.
Dead Salmon's Brain Activity Cautions fMRI Researchers A shopping center or an empathy center in the brain? See why fMRI studies are problematic and should be interpreted with caution. A team of researchers vividly illustrate the problem of not correcting for chance properly in fMRI studies by finding that parts of the brain of a dead salmon responds to human emotion. PDF of their study is also available here. See also the Story Behind the Salmon here.
Dopamine Jewelry Microscopic photographs of behavior altering chemicals showcased in a key chain. Includes neurotransmitter, hormone, and other behavior-altering molecules such as caffeine, alpha-endorphin, acetylcholine, norephinephrine, beta-endorphin, serotonin, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and others.
Ethics: Psychopharmacology and the Self From the website: The development of psychotropic drugs has stimulated a renewed interest in questions about what constitutes "the self" and one's personality. Does an authentic, static, and incorrigible self exist? Do antidepressants alter, enhance, or corrupt the authentic self? Is cognitive enhancement possible and desirable, and if so, is it ethical? This module, prepared by the High School Bioethics Project at the University of Pennsylvania, takes students and teachers on an exploration of the impact of psychotropic drugs on our understanding of the self, including the use of stimulants such as Ritalin and Adderall, drugs often used by students as study aids. Includes a downloadable pdf filled with group projects, individual activities, teacher-directed classroom discussion, case study, and references. Written for high school students, much of the information can be revised for use in some college classes.
Ethics: Neuroethics Curriculum module From the website: ``Although bioethics has been around for more than four decades, the field of neuroethics is in its infancy. Philosophers have developed several conceptual frameworks that contain valuable insights concerning the analysis of questions of right and wrong, good and bad. These ethical theories can help us as we struggle with the moral dilemmas presented to us by advances in brain science.'' Includes a downloadable pdf filled with group projects, individual activities, teacher-directed classroom discussion, case study, and references. Written for high school students, much of the information can be revised for use in some college classes.
Facebook Friends Predicted by Size of Brain Structures Brain regions associated with creating memories of names and faces and interpretation of social cues appears to be larger in people who have more friends on Facebook according to research by Geraint Rees published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences and summarized here in LifeScience, October 18, 2011.
Flawed Logic of Segregating Boys and Girls for Education Purposes Based on Alleged Brain Differences According to research by Lise Eliot and colleagues, There is no scientific basis for teaching boys and girls separately. Her review reveals fundamental flaws in the arguments put forward by proponents of single-sex schools to justify the need of teaching teach boys and girls separately. Eliot shows that neuroscience has identified few reliable differences between boys' and girls' brains relevant to learning or education. This research was published in Sex Roles and is summarized here in Science Daily, August 18, 2001.
fMRI techniques: Validity and Reliability Questioned New findings raise questions about reliability of fMRI as gauge of neural activity in this article by Richard A. Lovett from Nature News, March 17th, 2010.
Functional Assymetry: Sitting in the Right Spot According to research by Matia Okubo of Japan, right-handers sit to the right of the movie screen to optimize neural processing of the film. This summary from the British Psychological Society Research Digest Blog, December 29, 2009, of the paper: Okubo, M. (2010). Right movies on the right seat: Laterality and seat choice. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 24 (1), 90-99.
The Human Brain: Hardwired to Sin Read about what neuroscientists have discovered about how the brain processes lust, gluttony, sloth, pride, wrath, and greed using brain scanning techniques. From Focus Magazine, February 2012.
Human Connectome Project A joint project of scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital of Harvard University and the University of California, Los Angeles, The Human Connectome Project aims to ''construct a map of the complete structural and functional neural connections in vivo within and across individuals." Read about the details of their work and see their amazing pictures of neural connections within the human brain.
Interactive Teaching Activities for Introductory Biopsychology The Office of Teaching Resources in Psychology (OTRP) presents these Interactive Teaching Activities for Introductory Biopsychology. This resource by Stephanie L. Simon-Dack describes 11 simple, interactive activities for biopsychology courses to engage students and illuminate core neurophysiological concepts. Each activity requires little or no outlay of resources; most can be implemented in the classroom and take only 10-15 min of class time. Published November 2012.
Loneliness Adds to Rate of Blood Pressure Increase Chronic feelings of loneliness take a toll on blood pressure over time, causing a marked increase after four years, according to a study by Louise Hawkley and summarized in Science Daily March 19, 2010.
Meditation May Increase Gray Matter Certain regions in the brains of long-term meditators were larger than in a similar control group. Specifically, meditators showed significantly larger volumes of the hippocampus and areas within the orbito-frontal cortex, the thalamus and the inferior temporal gyrus — all regions known for regulating emotions. From Science Daily, May 13, 2009.
Mindfulness Meditation Training Changes Brain Structure in Eight Weeks Participating in an 8-week mindfulness meditation program appears to make measurable changes in brain regions associated with memory, sense of self, empathy and stress according to a study in the January 30 issue of Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging and summarized here in Science Daily, January 21, 2011.
Mindfulness neuroscience Neuropsychologist Deric Bownds summarizes findings from a special issue of the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience devoted to meditation and the brain. He describes four possible mechanisms by which meditation works and discusses the problem of control groups and random assignment in meditation research.
MRI -- The Magnetic Miracle Game NobelPrize.org, the official site of the Nobel prize, presents this interactive game which illustrates how an MRI works, why metal can not be near the apparatus, and how does MRI compare to x-ray and CAT images.
Neuropsychology Central. The objectives of this website are: 1. To describe the importance of neuropsychology as a science of brain and behavior 2. To increase public knowledge of neuropsychology as a branch of practical medicine 3. To indicate the contribution which neuropsychology is making to the neurosciences and 4. To act as a resource for the professional and layperson.
Neuroscience Education Resources Virtual Encycloportal (NERVE) The Society for Neuroscience sponsors the website NERVE, the Neuroscience Education Resources Virtual Encycloportal. Built for instructors of k-12, the site is organized around the themes of addictions, drugs, and the brain; anatomy; cells; sensation, perception and movement; mental health, brain disorders, and disease; nervous system injuries; brain basics; and neuroscientists at work. Filled with activities, cases, fact sheets, images, experiences, quizzes, simulations and much more, many of which are easily tailored to the level of high school and college audiences.
Neuroscience Fiction This article takes a fascinating and critical look at the field of neuroscience and suggests that The real problem with neuroscience today isn’t with the science (…) it’s with the expectations. The brain is an incredibly complex ensemble, with billions of neurons coming into—and out of—play at any given moment. There will eventually be neuroscientific explanations for much of what we do; but those explanations will turn out to be incredibly complicated. For now, our ability to understand how all those parts relate is quite limited, sort of like trying to understand the political dynamics of Ohio from an airplane window above Cleveland. By Gary Marcus for The New Yorker, December 2, 2012.
Personality May Influence Brain Shrinkage in Aging Studying MRI images of volunteers aged 44-88 researchers found lower volumes of gray matter in the frontal and medial temporal brain regions of volunteers who ranked high in neuroticism traits, compared with higher volumes of gray matter in those who ranked high in conscientious traits according to research by Jonathan Jackson, David A. Balota, and Denise Head published in the journal Neurobiology and Aging and summarized in this article from Science Daily, April 27, 2010.
Phineas Gage For the 21st Century. A 24-year old Brazilian construction worker survived after a 6-foot metal bar fell from above and pierced his head according to this video and article from the Associated Press which ran August 17, 2012.
Propensity for One-Night Stands, Uncommitted Sex Could Be Genetic, Study Suggests [I]ndividuals with a certain variant of the [dopamine receptor D4 polymorphism] DRD4 gene [linked to sensation-seeking behavior] were more likely to have a history of uncommitted sex, including one-night stands and acts of infidelity, according to author Justin Garcia and summarized here in Science Daily, December 2, 2010.
Psychopaths' Brains Wired to Seek Rewards No Matter the Consequences The brains of psychopaths appear to be wired to keep seeking a reward at any cost, new research from Vanderbilt University finds. The research uncovers the role of the brain's reward system in psychopathy and opens a new area of study for understanding what drives these individuals, according to research by Francis S. Collins and summarized in this article from Science Daily, March 15, 2010.
The Real Story of Phineas Gage, One of Psychology's Tall Tales From the website: Instructors can demonstrate the importance of critical thinking by taking a closer look at the tales of Kitty Genovese and Phineas Gage. According to some psychologists and historians, Phineas Gage was not as impaired as was once thought, and was, in fact, able to hold down a steady job (and, in case you were wondering, witness claim to have called the police and helped Genovese).
Relative Length of Adults' Fingers Indicator of Verbal Aggression: Prenatal Exposure to Testosterone Linked A new study links verbal aggression to prenatal testosterone exposure, using the 2D:4D finger ratio measure to predict verbal aggression. This study is the first to use this method to examine prenatal testosterone exposure as a determinant of a communication trait according to the study published in the Journal of Communication and summarized here in ScienceDaily, November 29, 2012.
Resources for Teaching Neuroscience Jeff Standen compiled these resources for teaching neuroscience including PowerPoint slides on neurons, the brain and brain research and much more.
Scientists Use fMRI to Reveal the Movies in Our Mind Using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and computational models, UC Berkeley researchers Jack Gallant and colleagues have succeeded in decoding and reconstructing people’s dynamic visual experiences – in this case, watching Hollywood movie trailers, according to this summary and published September 22 2011 in the journal Current Biology. Includes excerpts from the actual movies participants viewed alongside images recreated from their brain scans.
The Strange Tale of Phineas Gage Joanna Schaffhausen describes the fascinating case of Phineas Gage who had a change in personality as a result of a traumatic brain injury.
Top Ten Myths About the Brain Smithsonian.com asks When it comes to this complex, mysterious, fascinating organ, what do -- and don't -- we know? in this article by Laura Helmuth published May 20, 2011.
Who Am I? Your Brain The Science Museum of National Museum of Science and Industry (NMSI), London, UK sponsors an extensive website. Check out their interactive online exhibit on Who Am I? featuring videos, pictures, handouts, and information on understanding your body, your brain, and your genes. This page on Your Brain answers the questions how can illness affect the brain, what happens when you are asleep, how do drugs affect the brain, what are emotions, and others.
Assignments, Exercises, and Activities
Sex and the Brain From the BBC sponsored website: Find out more about "brain sex" differences by taking the Sex ID test, a series of visual challenges and questions used by psychologists in the BBC One television series Secrets of the Sexes. Get a brain sex profile and find out if you think like a man or a woman, see if you can gaze into someone's eyes and know what they're thinking, find out why scientists are interested in the length of your fingers, see how your results relate to theories about brain sex.
Electronic Texts
Brain Facts The society for neuroscience provides this free 74-page primer on the brain and nervous system designed as an introduction to neuroscience for a lay audience.
Conversations with Neil's Brain Neurophysiologists William H. Calvin and George A. Ojemann at the University of Washington wrote this book Conversations with Neil's Brain: The Neural Nature of Thought & Language and have made it freely available online. The basics of neuroscience are presented as a series of conversations between a surgeon and his patient. Originally published 1994 by Addison Wesley.
Examples and Illustrations
fMRI: Real-Time Self-Regulation of Emotion Networks Using fMRI, 8 patients with depression were able to increase activity in areas of the brain related to positive emotion and lowered their depression through neuro(bio)feedback. A control group who went through similar cognitive strategies but without the feedback did not show such improvement. Includes downloadable slides of their findings.
Phineas P. Gage Check out the only known photograph (daguerreotype) of Phineas Gage, the foreman who sustained a serious and amazing head wound which changed his personality for the rest of his life. Provides links to background information on Phineas P. Gage. Also available here and an NPR story on him here.
Probe the Brain PBS presents this site where you pretend you are a brain surgeon and get to virtually map out the brain's motor cortex.
Lecture Notes
Slide Presentations
Resources for Teaching Neuroscience Jeff Standen compiled these resources for teaching neuroscience including PowerPoint slides on neurons, the brain and brain research and much more.
Tests, Measures, and Scales
Audio and Video
The Brain: Understanding Neurobiology The early modules of this program The Brain: Understanding Neurobiology Through the Study of Addiction—developed with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) provide a good, interactive overview of parts of the brain, brain functioning, and biochemistry, suitable for a personality class. For example, Lesson 1: The Brain: What's Going On in There includes a brief video describing what a PET scan is and how it's done.
Buddha’s Brain: The Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, & Wisdom Shrink Rap Radio: A Psychology talk and Interview Show (Podcast; Show #249, Oct 16, 2010). In this episode, Dr. Dave talks with neuropsychologist Rick Hanson, who works at the intersection on the brain, positive psychology and meditation. Hanson believes that when the brain changes the mind changes; when the mind changes the brain changes; and you can use your mind skillfully to change your brain and your mind for the better (1 hour, 12 minutes, 47 seconds).
Phineas P. Gage Check out the only known photograph (daguerreotype) of Phineas Gage, the foreman who sustained a serious and amazing head wound which changed his personality for the rest of his life. Provides links to background information on Phineas P. Gage. Also available here and an NPR story on him here.
Hormones and Trust Oxytocin, the trust hormone appears to increase our trust in others, even momentarily lowering our distrust of strangers. But what happens to people who are born with a genetic syndrome in which they are unable to regulate oxytocin? Hear this fascinating story of a 9-year-old girl with Williams Syndrome and current research on oxytocin and trust (including trust in government) in this feature from All Things Considered on National Public Radio, April 22, 2010 (runs 8 minutes, 36 seconds).
How to Interpret Brain Imaging Studies The Neuroethics Learning Collaborative, of the Center for Neuroscience and Society at the University of Pennsylvania, created this video on Brain Imaging: Reality and Hype. Jeff Aguirre presents this talk on the basics of neuroimaging, focusing on how scientists go from tracking neural activity to making an inference about human behavior. Describes how PET scans and fMRIs work, and how to interpret results from fMRI studies. The talk was given on March 2, 2010 and runs 47 minutes and 10 seconds.
Is This Your Brain on God? According to NPR which created this interactive website: More than half of adult Americans report they have had a spiritual experience that changed their lives. Now, scientists from universities like Harvard, Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins are using new technologies to analyze the brains of people who claim they have touched the spiritual — from Christians who speak in tongues to Buddhist monks to people who claim to have had near-death experiences. Hear what they have discovered in this controversial field, as the science of spirituality continues to evolve. The information is presented in five parts, each revolving around a topic such as The God Chemical, The God-Spot, Spiritual Virtuosos, The Biology of Belief, and Near-Death Experiences, including brain images and interviews with believers and skeptics.
The Meditating Brain With Richard Davidson Shrink Rap Radio: A Psychology talk and Interview Show (Podcast; Show #231, February 26, 2010). In this episode, Dr. Dave talks with Richard J. Davidson, Research Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry and Director of the W.M. Keck Laboratory for Functional Brain Imaging and Behavior, the Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience and the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, about the impact of meditation on the brain.
MRI -- The Magnetic Miracle Game NobelPrize.org, the official site of the Nobel prize, presents this interactive game which illustrates how an MRI works, why metal can not be near the apparatus, and how does MRI compare to x-ray and CAT images.
On Psychoanalysis and Cognitive Science: An Interview with Wilma Bucci David Van Nuys, a clinical psychologist, writes the podcast Wise Counsel, a podcast interview series sponsored by Mentalhelp.net, covering topics in mental health, wellness, and psychotherapy. In this show, from August 1, 2010, he talks with Dr. Wilma Bucci about her work integrating psychoanalytic theory with cognitive science. This page contains the audio of the podcast, as well as a transcript of the interview. Van Nuys also summarizes and links to a PDF of her 2009 paper: How Does The Psychoanalytical Process Work? New Perspectives From Cognitive Sciences and Affective Neuroscience.
Phineas Gage For the 21st Century. A 24-year old Brazilian construction worker survived after a 6-foot metal bar fell from above and pierced his head according to this video and article from the Associated Press which ran August 17, 2012.
Prenatal Testosterone and Finger Ratio Can you predict the winner of an athletic contest by looking at finger ratios? John Manning explains how finger length ratio reflect prenatal hormone exposure which is also related to athletic ability in this short video from the BBC program Secret of the Sexes (runs 6 minutes, 8 seconds).
Psychology Apps for the iPad/iPhone/iPod Michael Brit, former professor of psychology, produces a podcast about psychology called The Psych Files. In this episode (Episode 121) he shows --- using his iPad --- the 10 apps he considers to be the best for psychology, including credible therapy apps, mind mapping tools, relaxation apps, games based on Gestalt principles, and 3-D brain imaging apps.
The Voodoo Debate On the heels of the famous Ed Vul, Nancy Kanwisher and Hal Pashler paper Voodoo Correlations in Social Neuroscience, Matt Lieberman and Piotr Winkielman continued the debate at the annual meeting of the Society of Experimental Social Psychologists (SESP) in 2009. Background information about the original paper which started the controversy is available here.
See-Through Brains Clarify Connections In what has been called one of the most important advances for doing neuroanatomy in decades scientists have found a way to reconstruct three-dimensional data from thin slices to create a transparent view of parts of the brain revealing the brain's neuronal communication networks. Read about the technique here and see a video of the spectacular images it created of the brains of mice (runs 4 minutes, 17 seconds).
Who Am I? Your Brain The Science Museum of National Museum of Science and Industry (NMSI), London, UK sponsors an extensive website. Check out their interactive online exhibit on Who Am I? featuring videos, pictures, handouts, and information on understanding your body, your brain, and your genes. This page on Your Brain answers the questions how can illness affect the brain, what happens when you are asleep, how do drugs affect the brain, what are emotions, and others.