PSYC10003 · Mind, Brain and Behaviour 1
Behavioural Neuroscience: Models of the Mind and the Nervous System
Weeks 6-7 open the Behavioural Neuroscience strand with its historical and contemporary perspectives (the mind-body problem, localisation of function) and the organisation of the nervous system: central versus peripheral, somatic versus autonomic, and the sympathetic/parasympathetic divisions. It then covers gross brain anatomy and functional divisions — the lobes and key subcortical structures and their behavioural roles. The examinable skill, within the 25% Behavioural Neuroscience block, is locating major structures and mapping them to function, and tracing the divisions of the nervous system.
What this chapter covers
- 01Behavioural neuroscience: the study of the relationship between the nervous system and mind/behaviour
- 02History of localisation: Broca (speech production) and Wernicke (speech comprehension); Gall's modular brain
- 03The mind-body problem (Descartes); the brain as command centre (Hippocrates)
- 04Divisions: central nervous system (brain + spinal cord) vs peripheral nervous system
- 05PNS: somatic (voluntary, afferent/efferent) vs autonomic (involuntary)
- 06Autonomic: sympathetic (fight-or-flight, noradrenaline) vs parasympathetic (rest-and-digest, acetylcholine)
- 07Key structures: thalamus (relay), hypothalamus (ANS/endocrine, the 4 Fs), cerebellum (coordination), basal ganglia (movement)
- 08Functional cortex: frontal (executive), parietal (spatial/attention), temporal (auditory/object), occipital (vision); Phineas Gage
Matching structure to function from a symptom profile
- +1(i) Jerky, uncoordinated movement and poor balance with intact strength points to the cerebellum, which coordinates movement using visual, vestibular and somatosensory input; damage produces incoordination and balance problems, not paralysis.
- +1(ii) Resting tremor, rigidity and difficulty initiating movement is the basal ganglia profile (dysfunction in Parkinson's disease), reflecting their role in controlling automatised/involuntary movement.
- +1(iii) Fluent but meaningless speech with impaired comprehension and normal hearing localises to Wernicke's area (posterior superior temporal region) — Wernicke's aphasia, damage to the speech-comprehension area (contrast Broca's area = speech production).
- +1(iv) Impulsivity and inability to plan after frontal damage implicates the frontal lobe and its executive functions (impulse control, planning, social cognition) — the classic Phineas Gage pattern.
Key terms
- Central vs peripheral nervous system
- The CNS is the brain and spinal cord; the PNS is the cranial and spinal nerves that carry motor commands out and sensory information in.
- Somatic vs autonomic nervous system
- Two PNS divisions: the somatic system carries sensory input and controls voluntary skeletal muscle; the autonomic system controls involuntary smooth/cardiac muscle and glands.
- Sympathetic vs parasympathetic
- The two arms of the autonomic system: sympathetic is arousing ('fight or flight', driven mainly by noradrenaline); parasympathetic is calming ('rest and digest', driven mainly by acetylcholine).
- Thalamus
- The major relay station that routes sensory input (except smell) to the appropriate areas of the cerebral cortex.
- Hypothalamus
- A small structure controlling the autonomic and endocrine systems and regulating survival behaviours (the '4 Fs') and homeostasis.
- Broca's vs Wernicke's aphasia
- Broca's aphasia (frontal Broca's area) impairs speech production with relatively preserved comprehension; Wernicke's aphasia (posterior temporal Wernicke's area) impairs comprehension with fluent but meaningless speech.
Behavioural Neuroscience: Models of the Mind and the Nervous System FAQ
How do I keep the four lobes and their functions straight?
Frontal = executive functions (planning, impulse control, voluntary movement via the motor cortex); parietal = spatial awareness and attention plus somatosensation; temporal = auditory processing and complex object/face recognition; occipital = vision. Anchor each with a landmark (frontal → Phineas Gage; temporal → Wernicke).
What is the difference between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems?
Both are autonomic (involuntary). The sympathetic system mobilises the body for action — raising heart rate, dilating pupils, releasing adrenaline — mainly via noradrenaline. The parasympathetic system conserves and restores energy — slowing the heart, promoting digestion — mainly via acetylcholine. They act largely in opposition.
Why do Broca and Wernicke matter for localisation of function?
They provided the first solid evidence that specific mental functions map to specific brain regions: damage to Broca's area impaired speech production while comprehension survived, and damage to Wernicke's area impaired comprehension while production stayed fluent. This double dissociation founded the idea of cortical localisation.
Is this examined with anatomy diagrams?
It is examined as findings and function-mapping MCQs, not as labelling from scratch. You should be able to match a structure to its role or read a symptom profile and infer the structure — for example, coordination problems implicating the cerebellum, or a comprehension deficit implicating Wernicke's area.
What does the hypothalamus actually do?
It is the control hub for the autonomic nervous system and the endocrine (hormone) system, and it regulates the survival-related '4 Fs' and homeostasis. Despite its small size it links the nervous and hormonal systems, which is why it recurs across the emotion and motivation material.
Exam move
Make two lookup tables and drill them until automatic: (1) nervous-system divisions (CNS/PNS → somatic/autonomic → sympathetic/parasympathetic, with the neurotransmitter and 'fight-or-flight vs rest-and-digest' tag for each ANS arm); (2) structure→function for thalamus, hypothalamus, cerebellum, basal ganglia and the four lobes, each anchored to a landmark case or disorder. Practise reading a symptom profile and naming the structure, since that is how the block tests it. Keep Broca (production) and Wernicke (comprehension) straight with a fixed mnemonic. Confirm exam details on Canvas.
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