The higher brain functions discussed in the remaining pages of this chapter are undeniably complex. Nevertheless, neuroscientists, using a wide range of techniques, are making considerable progress in understanding these functions in terms of their cellular, molecular, and network properties. The following discussion will address several aspects of brain and behavior that present challenges to neuroscientists: sleep and dreaming, learning and memory, language use, and consciousness.
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During wakefulness and REM sleep (dreaming), certain brainstem nuclei provide excitatory input that activates the thalamus and cortex, while in non-
Sleep states are divided into slow-
Sleep deprivation impairs cognitive functions.
Language functions are lateralized (typically within the left cerebral hemisphere). Language ability involves parts of the occipital, parietal, temporal, and frontal lobes.
The cellular correlate for learning and memory is the modification of synaptic strength. The hippocampus is important for acquiring and consolidating declarative memories.
In humans and higher mammals, the insular lobe integrates physiological information to generate a conscious awareness of the self.