Approaches to understanding the brain

• Brain vs. Heart Debate

  Historical debate as to whether the heart or the brain is responsible for mental processes, such as thought, emotion, and behaviour
• Mind-body problem


  Complex philosophical question as to whether our mind is separate and distinguishable from our body or whether they are one integrated entity
• Dualism

  Belief that the human mind and body are separate and distinguishable from one another
• Monism


  Belief that the human mind and body are together a singular complete entity
• Phrenology


  Study of the shape and size of the human skull to determine personality and mental functioning
• Ablation


  Surgical removal, destruction, or cutting of a region of brain tissue
• Brain lesioning


  Practice of inducing and/or studying the effects of damage to an area of the brain
• Cerebral hemispheres


  Symmetrical halves of the cerebrum in the brain
• Hemispheric specialisation


  Difference in functioning between the left and right hemispheres of the brain when performing a specific behaviour or task
• Neuroimaging


  Range of techniques used to capture images of the brain's structure, function, and activities
• Computerised tomography (CT)

  Neuroimaging technique that involves taking continuous two-dimensional x-ray images of the brain which are then stacked to create a comprehensive three-dimensional image of the brain
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)


  Neuroimaging technique that uses magnetic and radio fields to take detailed two-dimensional and three-dimensional images of the brain
• Positron emission tomography (PET)


  Neuroimaging technique that uses a scanning device to take coloured images of the brain, showing its functional activity by tracing the levels of a radioactive substance in the brain
• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)


  Neuroimaging technique that uses magnetic and radio fields to take two- and three-dimensional images of the brain and record its activity levels