5.2.3 The Emergence of Cognitive Neuroscience

The Emergence of Cognitive Neuroscience

Cognitive neuroscience (CN) investigates the relationship/interaction between cognition and neural mechanisms, brain chemistry and brain structure
The origins of CN lie in the mid-19th century with the discovery that Broca's area (part of the frontal lobe) is linked to speech production
New technology e.g. fMRI and PET allow researchers to explain the neurological basis of mental processes for example:
- Maguire et al. (2000) found increased volume of grey matter in the posterior hippocampi of London taxi drivers using MRI technology, linking this structure in the brain to spatial navigation
- Raine et al. (1997) found via PET scans that impulsive murderers under-utilise their pre-frontal cortex when making decisions which may explain the nature of their crimes
Recently the expanded focus of CN has included the use of computer-generated models, which, in effect, 'read' the brain, leading to mind mapping techniques (brain 'fingerprinting')
In healthcare computer models and mind mapping can be used to, for example:
- To determine the best surgical approach to remove brain tumours
- To diagnose and treat traumatic brain injuries and conditions such as Parkinson's disease
- To guide surgeons during surgery (rather like the sat-nav on a car)
CN has been implemented when trying to understand mental disorders e.g. the link between the parahippocampal gyrus and OCD

Tulving et al. (1994) showed that the different types of long-term memory may be located on opposite sides of the prefrontal cortex
Braver et al. (1997) suggested that the central executive (working memory model) was located near the prefrontal cortex

Strengths

Weaknesses

Technology such as MRI scans are not 100% reliable due to user-error in calibration, temperature and noise interference
CN could be accused of machine reductionism: humans are complex and unpredictable and cannot be likened to an inanimate object