2 posts tagged “brain imaging”
- Dragon*Con 2008
Brain Science Podcast #46 is a discussion of brain imaging with Dr. Shella Keilholz and Dr. Jason Schneiderman. The focus of our discussion is functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which is revolutionizing neuroscience. We talked about both the strengths and weaknesses of this technique. Both of my guests agree that mainstream coverage of this technique tends to exaggerate what we can actually tell from this kind of brain scan. An important principle is that the scan of any single individual can vary greatly from day-to-day, which means that valid conclusions require data from a large number of people.
Listen to Episode 46 of the Brain Science Podcast
Click here for links and detailed show notes
Send email feedback to Ginger Campbell, MD at docartemis at gmail.com
Brain Science Podcast #35 is a discussion of Mirrors in the brain: How our minds share actions, emotions, and experience
by Giacomo Rizzolatti and Corrado Sinigaglia. Mirror neurons were
discovered in Rizzolatti's lab in Parma Italy in the early 1990's and
his book is a detailed to discussion of the experimental evidence in
both monkeys and humans. Direct single neuron recordings have been made
in monkeys. The evidence in humans is indirect since it is based on
mainly on neuroimaging studies like PET scans and fMRI scans. Even so
mirror neurons appear to be essential to our ability to understand both
the actions and emotions of others. Listen Now.
In this episode we also explore the evidence that there are other neurons in the motor areas of the brain that have sensory properties and that the areas of the brain traditionally thought to be devoted to sensory functions also contain neurons with motor properties. Another fascinating discovery is the fact that there are neurons that respond not only to somatosensory inputs (such as being touched) but also to visual or auditory inputs from objects within our peri-personal space. For background on these body maps I recommend listening to Episode 21 and Episode 23. If you are new to the Brain Science Podcast you may want to listen to those episodes first because this week's episode is a little more technical than most.
I will be exploring the importance of these discoveries in future episodes.
Listen to Brain Science Podcast Episode 35 (mirror neurons) NOW.
Links:
Giacomo Rizzolatti- University of Parma
Mirror neurons (wikipedia entry)
Mirror neurons (Scholarpedia entry written by Dr. Rizzolatti)
Listen to Brain Science Podcast #35 (mirror neurons) Now
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