Saturday, June 17, 2017
Had I been going through my old posts, pondering over what topic would be appropriate to write about next. Even though I have yet to tackle one more teaching approach, there is one particular subject that caught my attention this past week. I am referring to neuroscience. Not only was it part of the curriculum for one the courses I am taking at school, but it also came up in a marketing book I am currently reading (Customer Sense by Aradhna Krisna). The aforesaid led me to believe that neuroscience encompasses a wide variety of fields. In the following post, will I address this matter as best as possible.
Neuroscience (Also known as Neural Science) studies how the nervous system develops. Apart from its main role and how it affects an individual's behavior and cognitive functions. In fact the concept of neuroscience as a field was first introduced in 1963 through the "Society of Neuroscience Conference". As opposed to neurology, which is a substantially older term. Be that as it may, neuroscience studies not only the biology of the brain, but it expands and entails several other areas of study related to it. Case in point, the fields of psychology, medicine and even marketing, among others, can all be benefited from the study of neuroscience. In the case of medicine (including psychiatry as well) for instance, it can assist experts in the treatment of diseases such as: Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, autism, schizophrenia, depression, etc. Alternatively, it can also be of great help in several areas of education. For example, through the use of neuroscience educational experts are going to be able to design methods and strategies so as to improve students long term memory and IQ levels.
As mentioned above, neuroscience can aid a countless number of other fields. The aforementioned being possible in light of it being such a far-reaching area of study. Notwithstanding, let us not forget about the anatomy of the human brain. The brain is a three pound organ (1.36 kg) that processes information. It takes that information and it generates thoughts and actions. Albeit, due to it being a physical organ, it can also malfunction or make mistakes. When taking into account the exterior parts of the brain first, we should begin with the "neocortex". The neocortex is located in front of the head between the temples. It receives and stores information for the process of decision making and remembering. Not to mention that it has several other functions that I will mention as I go on. The somatosensory cortex is a part of the cerebral cortex where touch sensations are processed. Moreover, the visual and auditory cortex occupy a considerably large part of the neocortex and are essential for a fully operational brain. Among the core part of the brain, we have the following: The hypothalamus, which is located in the lower center and the brain. It regulates body temperature, stress responses, blood pressure, emotions such as rage, sleep cycles, among others. The cerebellum on the other hand is responsible for sensory processing. Such as smooth movements. A tennis stroke or a fancy dance step for instance. The amygdala (almond shape set of neurons that cover 1/7th of the brain) also does emotional processing. It is part of the limbic system communicates with other regions such as the insula. I could continue talking about the parts of the brain. Nonetheless, it would take such a long time that it would be better not to.
In summary, neuroscience plays such an important role not a wide variety of areas of study. Not only does it deal with the biological part of the brain, but with everything it entails and has a connection with. As mentioned above, countless breakthroughs in this field have yet to be made. Case in point, in the treatment of mental disorders and brain diseases. Needless to say, that it also helps us understand the human psyche in such a way that we can develop new strategies to improve the quality of teaching in the field of education. Not to mention that it could also be possible to even improve a professional athlete's performance through the utilization of mental training, among others. The possibilities on how useful neuroscience will become are endless. It already is fundamental in our understanding of human behavior and psyche. Nevertheless, it seems as though we are only touching the surface.
Sources:
- The Neuroscience of every day life - Lecture 1- Sam Wang Ph.D. Princeton University
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