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Neumind is aware of the contribution that neuroscience can have on shaping educational practice and feels it is important for families to know a little bit about the field of neuroscience and how they can apply some of its findings when working with their children. To start this discussion, this article has been developed to provide background information regarding the history of neuroscience and how the brain works. Future articles will address other issues related to neuroscience and education.
In simple language, neuroscience is the study of the brain and nervous system which includes the spinal cord and networks of sensory nerve cells, called neurons. Neuroscientists direct their work toward developing an understanding of how the brain and these other systems function.
Do not be fooled by the simplicity of this definition. The field of neuroscience is quite diverse and the research going on is vast. Some examples of the research going on includes: how does the nervous system control sleep and wakefulness, what impact does the nervous system have on the formation of thoughts and perceptions, how are bodily functions controlled by the nervous system. Questions that most closely affect education include: how does the nervous system affect what and how people learn and how does the nervous system affect memories and human memory?
 A little background research shows that the oldest written record, where the word brain was used, is attributed to ancient Egyptians in what is called the Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus (1700 BC which is based on texts dating back to 3000 BC). The Egyptians also receive credit for creating the first written account of the brain’s anatomy which includes the meninges or outer covering and the cerebrospinal fluid.
Below are a few other neuroscience events occurring throughout history. This is absolutely not an exhaustive list but a sampling to demonstrate how long the human race has been interested in the workings of the brain. If you are interested in reading a more thorough chronology, refer to http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/hist.html.
- 460-379 B.C. - Hippocrates declares the brain is involved with sensation and is the seat of intelligence
- 500 B.C. - Alcmaion of Crotona dissects sensory nerves
- 900 - Rhazes describes seven cranial nerves and 31 spinal nerves in Kitab al-Hawi Fi Al Tibb
- 1504 - Leonardo da Vinci produces wax cast of human ventricles
- 1664 - Thomas Willis publishes Cerebri anatome (in Latin)
- 1736 - Jean Astruc coins the term reflex
- 1859 - Charles Darwin publishes The Origin of Species
- 1903 - Ivan Pavlov coins the term conditioned reflex
- 2000 - Arvid Carlsson, Paul Greengard and Eric Kandel share the Nobel Prize for their discoveries concerning signal transduction in the nervous system
Not only has the field of neuroscience been of interest to physicians and medical researchers for centuries, in the past few years the field of education has been awakened to the value and need to collaborate with neuroscientists to advance the practice of teaching. The field of neuroscience is of interest to educators not only because of the role the nervous system and brain play in how we learn but also important is understanding how various diseases of the nervous system affect learning such as; learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, head injury, depression epilepsy, anxiety disorders and many others.
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The past few decades has seen an explosion in the development of technologies that allow neuroscientists to look into the brain without intrusive procedures. These technologies include brain imaging techniques including Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) which allow scientists to know which brain systems are responsible for memory, attention, emotions and more.
Learning from the information provided by these new technologies can help educators better understand how to teach a student who has a learning disability, head injury, tumour etc. When educators know that the part of the brain that organizes a particular part of learning has been damaged or had been faulty from conception, they can think about how to capitalize on the plasticity of the brain or neuroplasticity, which is the facility of the brain to change with learning.
Neuroscientific research has revealed there are critical periods or what are called windows of opportunity when the nervous system must experience certain critical experiences in order to develop appropriately. These experiences include sensory, movement and or emotional stimulation. If this stimulation does not occur during these critical windows of time, connections in the brain reduce in numbers and become more difficult to change. This line of neuroscience research indicates that the brain development of children, reared in environments rich with stimulation of all kinds, can be strengthened.
There are many areas of specialty in the field of neuroscience but although there are specialists of various kinds, neuroscience requires a multi-disciplinary approach because the specialties have to be integrated for the whole to be recognized. Areas of neuroscience which are being studied today include:
| Neuroanatomists |
Structure of the nervous system. |
| Neurobiologists |
Biology of the nervous system. |
| Neurochemists |
Chemistry of the nervous system. |
| Neurosurgeons |
Surgical procedures on the nervous system. |
| Neuropathologists |
Diseases of the nervous system |
| Neuropharmacologists |
Drugs and medications that affect the nervous system |
| Neurophysiologists |
The function of cells, tissues, and organisms |
| Neuropsychologist |
Brain and behavior relationships |
| Developmental neuroscientists |
Brain growth and changes |
| Behavioral and cognitive neuroscientists |
Functions such as perception, learning, and memory in animals |
Clinical neuroscientists are psychiatrists, neurologists and others who apply basic research findings to prevent and treat neurological disorders.
As educators and neuroscientists develop their agenda for joint scientific collaboration through the International Mind Brain Education Society (IMBES) a win-win-win situation is created. Children will be taught with methodologies based on how the brain learns and grows. Families will understand how they can support the educational development of their children and society will reap the benefits of citizens who know how to participate fully and competently.
 Seymour Benzer, a groundbreaking US biologist
whose work linking behaviour and genes laid the
foundation for modern neuroscience
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