COGNITION IN THE

BRAIN: THE ANATOMY

AND MECHANISM OF THE
BRAIN
JOANNAH Q. BELOY
THE NERVOUS SYSTEM IS THE BASIS
FOR OUR ABILITY TO PERCEIVE, ADAPT
TO, AND INTERACT WITH THE WORLD
AROUND US. THROUGH THIS SYSTEM
WE RECEIVE PROCESS, AND THEN
RESPOND TO INFORMATION FROM
THE ENVIRONMENT.
GROSS ANATOMY OF THE BRAIN: FOREBRAIN,
MIDBRAIN AND THE HINDBRAIN
FOREBRAIN

IS THE REGION OF THE BRAIN LOCATED TOWARD THE TOP AND

FRONT OF THE BRAIN. IT COMPRISES THE CEREBRAL CORTEX, THE
BASAL GANGLIA, THE LIMBIC SYSTEM, THE THALAMUS AND THE
HYPOTHALAMUS.
DAMAGE OR REMOVAL OF AMYGDALA

• MAY RESULT MALADAPTIVE LACK OF FEAR

• ADDITIONALLY, PERSON WITH AUTISM DISPLAY LIMITED ACTIVATION IN
AMYGDALA.
• WHICH LEAD TO SOCIAL IMPAIRMENT, DIFFICULTIES IN EVALUATING PEOPLE’S
TRUSTWORTHINESS OR RECOGNIZING EMOTIONS IN THE FACES.
HIPPOCAMPUS – MEMORY FORMATION

• IS ESSENTIAL FOR FLEXIBLE LEARNING AND FOR SEEING THE RELATIONS

AMONG ITEMS AS WELL AS FOR SPATIAL MEMORY.
• APPEARS TO KEEP TRACK WHERE THINGS ARE AND HOW THESE THINGS ARE
SPATIALLY RELATED TO EACH OTHER.
SUFFERED DAMAGE OR REMOVAL OF HIPPOCAMPUS
• STILL CAN RECALL EXISTING MEMORIES, BUT THEY ARE UNABLE TO FORM NEW
MEMORIES.
• NEW INFORMATION, NEW SITUATIONS, PEOPLE, PLACES REMAIN FOREVER
NEW.
• KORSAKOFF’S SYNDROME – A DISEASE THAT PRODUCES LOSS OF MEMORY
FUNCTION.
• CAUSED LACK OF THIAMINE (VITAMIN B-1)
 THALAMUS
• RELAYS INCOMING SENSORY INFORMATION THROUGH GROUP OF NEURONS
THAT PROJECT TO THE APPROPRIATE REGION IN THE CORTEX.
• ALSO HELPS IN THE CONTROL OF SLEEP AND WAKING.

MALFUNCTION
• RESULT CAN BE PAIN, AMNESIA, TREMOR, IMPAIRMENT LANGUAGE AND
DISRUPTION OF WAKING AND SLEEPING.
 HYPOTHALAMUS
• REGULATE BEHAVIOR RELATED TO SPECIFIC SURVIVAL; FIGHTING, FEEDING,
FLEEING AND MATTING.
• ACTIVE IN REGULATING EMOTIONS AND REACTIONS TO STRESS.
• PLAYS A ROLE IN SLEEP

DYSFUNCTION
• NARCOLEPSY, WHEREBY A PERSON FALLS ASLEEP OFTEN AND AT
UNPREDICTABLE TIMES.
MIDBRAIN
HINDBRAIN

• MEDULLA OBLONGATA – CONTROLS HEART ACTIVITY AND LARGELY

CONTROLS BREATHING, SWALLOWING, AND DIGESTION.
• PONS – SERVE AS KIND OF RELAY STATION BECAUSE IT CONTAINS NEURAL
FIBERS THAT PASS SIGNALS FROM ONE PART OF THE BRAIN TO ANOTHER.
• CEREBELLUM – CONTROLS BODILY COORDINATION, BALANCE MUSCLE TONE,
AS WELL AS SOME ASPECTS OF MEMORY PROCEDURE-RELATED MOVEMENTS.
THANK YOU, NEXT
REPORTER.