Higher Brain Functions 2018 PDF

Higher
Brain Functions
Sri Redjeki
Dept. of Physiology
Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia
Definition
• Higher brain function is the exclusive function
of Human CNS that represents mainly the
development of association areas and the
language areas of cerebral cortex
Content
Parts of the CNS involved:
• The cerebral cortex (neocortex)
• The limbic system
CNS Functions related to higher functions

• Consciousness and electrical activity of the brain (EEG)
• Circadian rhythm and sleep
• Learning -memory
• Emotion & motivation
• Verbal expression
The Cerebral Cortex
Key concepts
• The site of higher functions of the brain – a
cognitive system
• Integrating center for sensory information and a
decision-making region for many types of motor
output (voluntary behavior).
• Divided into three specialization areas: 1) sensory
areas; 2) motor areas; 3) association areas.
• Represents hemisphere specialization – the
cerebral specialization or cerebral dominance or
left brain-right brain dominance
The Cerebral Cortex: functional areas
4 cortical regions responsible for higher
brain functions - Robin Wood-Moen; 2010
• Frontal lobe – emotional control center (judgment, fine
motor skills, social skills, sexual behavior). Center for Neuro Skills
• Parietal lobe – movement, coordination, orientation,
recognition and perceptions from environmental stimuli
(daily activities that require dexterity). Merck Manual Home Edition
• Occipital lobe – recognizing faces and familiar objects,
makes sense of surroundings.
• Temporal lobe – processing and placing auditory
sounds/stimuli into memory storage compartments;
constructs speech into audible patterns; comprehension of
spoken words; assists individuals in making decisions or
plans by recalling events: functions as pivotal point for
triggered action.
The Cerebral Cortex: hemisphere specialization
The Limbic System
(limbic = border)
Key concepts
• Represents the most primitive region of the
cerebrum
• Acts as the link between higher cognitive
functions (reasoning) and primitive emotional
responses (fear, rage etc)
• Entire neuronal circuitry that controls
emotional behavior and motivational drives
The Limbic System
Parts of Limbic System
(related to higher functions)
I. Hypothalamus
1. Affective nature of sensory sensations –
pleasant or unpleasant: reward &
punishment centers
2. Motivation: related to the reward &
punishment function – learning & memory
-determines behavior
II. Hippocampus
1. together with temporal & parietal lobes :
hyppocampal formation
2. Indirect connections with: portions of
cerebral cortex & basal structures of limbic
system (amygdala, hypothalamus, septum,
mamillary bodies)
3. Consolidation of memory: short term to
long term memory.
III. Other parts (septum, amygdala, certain

areas of thalamus & basal ganglia)
– Additional reward centers
Concsiousness
and Electrical Activity of the Brain (EEG)
• Body’s state of arousal or awareness of self
and environment – the brain is able to
perceive and analyze stimuli from
environment - drives the behavior (responses
to the stimuli)
• Controlled by the activating – driving system
of the brain: the source of the electrical
activity of the brain -
The activating-driving system of the brain
RAS
Activates the brain in 2 ways:
• By directly stimulating a background level of
neuronal activity in wide areas of the brain
(the bulboreticular facilitatory area)
• By activating the neurohormonal system that
release specific facilitatory or inhibitory
hormone-like neurotransmitter substance into
selected areas of the brain (neurohormonal
system of the brain)
Bulboreticular facilitatory area
Neurohormonal systems
Neurohormonal system
Experiment in animal
Cerebral cortex
comatose
RAS
Defining arousal state
1. By the pattern of electrical activity created
by the cortical neurons.
2. The measurement of brain activity is
recorded by ElectroEncephaloGraphy (EEG)
3. Awake state – all neurons are active but not
in a coordinated fashion – desynchronization:
rapid irregular pattern, n dominant wave
(produced by ascending signal from the RAS)
Defining arousal state
Sleep?
• Sleep is defined as unconsciousness in which
the person can be aroused by sensory or
other stimuli.
• It is to be distinguished from coma, which is
unconsciousness from which the person
cannot be aroused.
• Two types of sleep state: slow wave sleep &
REM sleep
Basic theories of sleep
• Caused by an active inhibitory process
• By transecting the brain stem at the level of
the midpons creates the brain whose cortex
never goes to sleep.
• The center located below the midpons level is
required to cause sleep by inhibiting other
parts of the brain.
• The neurotransmitter that is associated with
the production of sleep is serotonin.
Circadian rhythm
• An alternating daily pattern of rest and activity:
sleep-wake cycle
• All organism follow the 24hour light-dark cycle:
the circadian rhythm .
• The primary “clock” resides in network of
neurons located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus
of the hypothalamus.
• The mechanism of clock cycling involves a
complex feedback loop in which specific gene
turns on and directs protein synthesis. When the
protein accumulate, it turn off the gene.
Learning - Memory
• Learning can change synaptic connections in CNS
• Learning always starts with stimulation of a
sensory receptors
• Learning leads to behavioral changes – to
respond the stimulus adequately (sensitization or
habituation) – related to survival
• Memory is the changes of synaptic connections
resulted from learning process
Learning - Memory
Emotion & Motivation
• Emotion & motivation are two aspects of brain
function that probably represent the overlapping
of behavioral state system and cognitive system.
• The pathways involved are complex and form
closed circuits that cycle information among
various parts of the brain: hypothalamus, limbic
system, cerebral cortex
• The underlying neural mechanism is still unclear
and still become a large and active area of
neuroscience research.
Emotions
• are difficult to defined
• One important characteristic is that they are
difficult to be voluntarily turn on or off.
• Common emotions: anger, aggression, sexual
feeling, fear, pleasure, contentment,
happiness.
Motivation
• Defined as internal signals that shape voluntary
behavior.
• Drives are some motivational states that
generally have three properties in common:
– They create an increased state of CNS arousal or
alertness
– They create goal oriented behavior
– They are capable of coordinating disparate behaviors
to achieve the goal.
• Motivational behavior often work in parallel
with autonomic and endocrine responses
(salty food – increased osmolarity- thirsty
center in hypothalamus – to seek something
to drink)
• Many motivated behaviors stop when the
person has reached a certain level of
satisfaction (satiety) – but may also continue
Pleasure
(activation of reward center)
Addictive behavior
Language & verbal expression
• The most elaborate cognitive behavior

• Sensory information (hearing & vision) –
processing in cerebral cortex – coordination of
motor output for vocalization (and writing)
Language & verbal expression
Summary
Changes in environments – sensory stimuli
Sensation-perception --- cortical association areas

Emotion – motivation --- limbic system
Cognitive responses – motor & language cortex
Repetition of processes: learning & memory

(synaptic changes in reflex circuits)
Higher level of survival

References
• Guyton & Hall, Textbook of medical Physiology
• Silverthorn, Human Physiology.

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What parts of the brain are involved in higher brain functions?

What are some of the functions related to higher brain functions?

Higher

CNS Functions related to higher functions

III. Other parts (septum, amygdala, certain

• The most elaborate cognitive behavior

Sensation-perception --- cortical association areas

Cognitive responses – motor & language cortex

Repetition of processes: learning & memory

Higher level of survival

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