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$ Brainscape - 1
BRAINSCAPE!
An Adventure in Neuroanatomy
W. Jeffrey Wilson & lynne ostergren
Department of Psychological Sciences
Indiana University - Purdue University at Fort Wayne
2101 Coliseum Boulevard East
Fort Wayne, IN 46805
Copyright 1985, Purdue Research Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
Unmodified copies of this documentation, or of the disk on which
is distributed, may be freely distributed.
Brainscape - 2
Introduction ____________
Welcome to Brainscape! You will have the unique opportunity
of learning neuroanatomy by wandering around inside of your
brain. There are 50 locations available for exploration,
including the ventricular system, limbic system, sensory and
motor systems, and cortical and brainstem regions. There are
also treasures to be found, problems to be overcome, and a few
denizens of the brain to be met.
Brainscape! takes the form of an adventure, in which you,
the hero, find yourself in unfamiliar territory armed only with
your wits. Those of you familiar with the genre of adventure
games might wish to skip over the rest of the Introduction,
proceeding to the section labelled Preparing the Game Disk. If
you have never played an adventure game, read the rest of this
Introduction to see what is in store for you.
The first adventure game, written by Don Woods and Will
Crowther, was called Adventure, and took place within a giant
cave, Colossal Cavern. The computer provided a window onto
another world, a world that existed wholly within the memory of
the computer, but which quickly became very real for the player.
The player told the computer what he or she wanted to do, and the
computer carried out the command and indicated the results of the
action. Most of the commands involved movement; the player typed
"Go West", and the computer revealed a description of the
location reached by this movement. Objects found throughout the
cave could be gotten ("Get gold"), put down ("Drop torch"), or
manipulated in various ways ("Eat food", or "Open door").
Communication with the computer was by means of two-word
commands, in the form of verb-object. The player was free to try
anything; the computer would respond by letting the player know
the result of the action. In essence, the player could explore
this computer-generated world in any way that he or she saw fit,
solving problems that arose by whatever means seemed appropriate.
Brainscape!, like all of the other adventure games that
followed Woods and Crowther's initial effort, is in many ways
similar to the original Adventure. A world exists in the memory
of the computer, based on the world that exists inside of your
head. When you play the game, you are free to try any command
that comes to mind. You will spend a lot of time exploring,
learning how to get from one part of the brain to another. You
will also come across numerous objects, some of which are
inherently valuable, some of which allow you to solve problems,
and some of which are totally useless. Try anything that you
feel like doing with these objects. If it is a reasonable
command the computer will act on it; if not, the computer will
indicate that the command is not to its liking. There is nothing
that you can type that will disrupt the program or break the
computer, although you can do things which jeopardize the success
of your journey through the brain. Have fun, be imaginative, and
learn a lot!
Brainscape - 3
Preparing the Game Disk _______________________
The disk you received from us is a Program Distribution
Disk; that is, it contains Brainscape!, but no operating system.
To use the program, you should copy it onto a disk that has been
formatted with your operating system on it. To do this, proceed
as follows:
1. Turn on your computer, with a system disk in Drive A and
a blank disk in Drive B.
2. Type "format b:/s", and obey the prompts which are then
displayed.
3. After the disk has been formatted, remove both disks and
put your system disk away.
4. Place the newly formatted disk in Drive A, and the
Program Distribution Disk in Drive B.
5. Type "copy b:*.* a:".
6. When the message "# file(s) copied" appears, you are
finished.
Put away the Program Distribution Disk for safe keeping.
The disk in Drive A is your Game Disk; label it "Brainscape!".
Use this disk whenever you play the game.
Starting the Game _________________
If the computer is turned off, insert the Game Disk in Drive
A and turn the computer on. The game will automatically be
loaded, and the title will be displayed.
If the computer is running, insert the Game Disk in Drive A
and press the Ctrl, Alt, and Del keys simultaneously. This will
cause the game to be loaded, and the title to appear.
From the title, you may press "I" to read the Introduction,
or "G" to play the game. We recommend that you read the
Introduction at least once before playing the game, as it
contains information concerning the goals of the game. Once you
are familiar with the Introduction. you can skip it by pressing
"G" from the title.
Keep the Game Disk in Drive A while you play the game.
Brainscape! is so large that part of the program must reside on
disk, so the game will fail if the Game Disk is not available.
The presence of the disk will also allow you to save and restore
games readily (see below).
Brainscape - 4
Display _______
Brainscape! employs two different formats for video display.
When you are travelling toward the brain, and after you have
left the brain, a single, large window appears, in which the
events befalling you will be displayed. In this display mode,
your only option is to press the space bar when you are ready to
proceed.
For most of your playing time, the screen will be divided
into three windows: a large one across the top of the display,
and two smaller ones at the bottom.
The top window is the Location window. Brainscape! will
describe your present location in this window. Be sure to read
this information, as it will include the directions in which you
can proceed. The description will also contain information about
the known behavioral functions of the location.
The smaller of the two lower windows, on the right side of
the screen, is the Object window. This window will contain a
list of the objects that you come across in each location. Some
are treasures, some allow you to solve problems, and some are of
no use at all. If you pick up an object, it will disappear from
this window; if you drop an object, it will appear here. Keep an
eye on this window. If you move rapidly through the brain
without watching it, you might miss something important.
The final window, occupying the lower left region of the
screen, is the Command window, where you communicate with
Brainscape! Most of the time, this window will display the
prompt, "What do you want to do?", followed by a flashing cursor.
You respond to this prompt by typing a one- or two-word command,
as described below. If the program understands the command, it
will act upon it, and might display a message to you in the
Command window. If it does not understand, it will also display
a message in the Command window. Any messages displayed here
will remain until you enter your next command.
Occasionally a message will be displayed that has no direct
bearing on your last command, but instead is determined by things
going on around and within you, over which you have little or no
control. These messages will also stay on the screen until you
enter your next command. On rare occasions, one of these latter
messages might overwrite the comment made in response to a
command. This is to be expected, as the events described are
usually intrusive, demanding your immediate attention. In most
cases, simply repeating your previous command will cause the
overwritten comment to be rewritten.
At times, you will have to answer questions, either to
clarify the meaning of your command, or to progress in the game
(see below). When this occurs, the questions will appear in the
Command window, and your response will be typed there as well.
Brainscape - 5
Communicating with Brainscape! ______________________________
In response to "What do you want to do?", you are free to
type any one- or two-word command that you like. Brainscape! has
a limited vocabulary, but will understand most commands that have
some relevance to the game, or that might seem to make sense
under the circumstances. Don't be afraid to try something; at
worst, Brainscape! will let you know that it does not understand.
Always press the Enter or Carriage Return key after
completing your command. If you make a mistake while typing the
command, the Back Arrow key ( <-- ) will allow you to correct the
mistake. Correct spelling is important; Brainscape! cannot
properly interpret misspelled words and typographical errors.
Some of the commands that you might employ are described below.
Movement ________
To explore the brain you must tell Brainscape! that you wish
to move. The direction of movement must be specified in standard
anatomical terms. "Rostral" indicates toward the front of the
head, "caudal" toward the rear of the head, or tail. "Dorsal"
means toward the top of the head, "ventral" toward the bottom of
the head. "Lateral" means toward the side of the head, and
"medial" means toward the midline. The movement command takes
the form "Go rostrally", "Walk dorsally", or "Run medially", or
simply "v" as a shorthand way of indicating "Go ventrally". In
almost all cases the directions in which movement is possible are
indicated in the description of your current location. If you
should try to move in a direction in which movement is impossible
you will be informed of your error.
In all but a few special circumstances you can retrace your
steps without difficulty. That is, if you move from A to B, you
can usually return from B to A, although not always by going back
in the direction opposite to that which brought you to B. For
example, if you move medially to go from A to B, you can usually
return to A by moving laterally. In some cases you might have to
move rostrally to return to A, having moved medially to arrive at
B. This was a necessary concession to the twisting nature of
connections within the brain, and eliminates the need for
directions like dorsomedial or rostroventral. We have tried to
be consistent, if not always apparently logical.
Movement is not always under your control. There are some
locations from which you might be moved when you do not intend to
move. When you find your way out of the brain, your movement
will once again be out of your control; you will be at the mercy
of your venous system at this point.
Brainscape - 6
Treasures, Tools, and Trash ___________________________
Scattered throughout the brain are treasures that will
increase your score, whenever they are in your possession. These
include neurotransmitters and various types of cells. You will
also come across various "tools" that will allow you to solve the
problems that you encounter. A small number of useless items can
also be found; these do not increase your score or help you with
problems.
The presence of an item will be indicated in the Object
window, in the lower right corner of the screen. To pick up an
object, type "Get dopamine", or "Get cell". The command
"Inventory" (or "I") will reveal what you are carrying. To put
down an object, type "Drop dopamine", or "Leave cell". If you
want to get everything that appears at a given location, type
"Get all"; to put down everything that you are carrying, type
"Drop all".
Problems ________
Your exploration of the brain will be hindered by a number
of difficulties that must be overcome.
In certain locations you might be moved against your will.
The reason for this should become clear. This movement can in
fact be used to your advantage.
Some areas of the brain cannot be entered if you are empty-
handed.
You cannot leave some areas without answering a question.
You can get lost in one region of your cortex. Random
wandering will allow you to escape.
You might encounter two other inhabitants of the brain. One
is harmless; the other will make your life difficult. There is a
logical solution to the problem posed by the latter.
You can carry only a limited number of objects at a time.
You must find growth hormone in order to return to your
original size.
If you enter the blood supply unprotected, you will be
attacked and eaten by white blood cells.
Brainscape - 7
Score _____
Your score is determined by a number of things. For each
location of the brain that you discover and enter, you are
awarded 10 points. There are a total of 50 locations to explore.
Every neurotransmitter or cell that you carry with you adds
50 points to your score. Putting down the object deducts those
50 points, until the object is picked up again. There are 8 such
treasures.
Solving certain problems adds to your score. Carrying the
growth hormone adds 50 points to your score. Swallowing it (at
the appropriate time) adds an additional 50 points. Entering the
venous supply protected from the immune system adds 50 points.
Dealing effectively with the rambunctious resident of the brain
adds 100 points to your score.
The total score possible is 1150 points.
When you leave the game, either on purpose or inadvertently,
your score will be displayed. At any point you can type "Score"
in response to the prompt "What do you want to do?" to find out
your current score.
Saving or Restoring a Game __________________________
You can save the game in progress by typing "Save". After
your response to the prompt indicates that this is in fact your
intention, Brainscape! will save on disk an "image" of the game.
This will overwrite and thus destroy any previously saved game on
that disk.
To resume a game that was previously saved to disk, type
"Restore" or "Resume" in response to the prompt. This will
replace the game in progress with the game last saved on the
disk.
Leaving the Game ________________
You can leave the game in one of four ways.
If you type "Quit", Brainscape! will tell you your score,
and ask whether or not you are serious about quitting. If you
indicate that you are, the game will end.
At five different locations, you must answer a question in
order to proceed. The question will be selected randomly from a
pool of questions available at that site. If you answer
incorrectly twice in a row, the game will end, and you will be
urged to study a bit harder.
You can make one fatal error in judgement that will result
in a rapid end to the game. We hope that you don't find out what
this error is.
When you find your way out of the brain, the game will end.
Descartes will meet you and let you know how well (or poorly) you
did. This way of leaving the game is the only one that will
allow you to achieve a perfect score.
Brainscape - 8
A Final Comment _______________
We have worked hard to make Brainscape! free of errors in
spelling, typography, anatomy, and logic. To the best of our
knowledge, there is nothing you can type that will cause the
program to "bomb", that is, to stop running. However, you might
find that the program does not understand a command that you
type. This will occur from time to time because you have used a
word that Brainscape! does not know. If you get the same
response (or lack of response) after trying several synonyms, it
probably means that what you are trying to do is not possible.
This would indicate that what you are attempting, despite being
highly creative, probably is of no value in the game.
We wrote Brainscape! to educate, but also to entertain. We
hope you find that your understanding of neuroanatomy improves as
a result of your wanderings through the brain. We also hope that
you are not too frustrated by the problems that must be overcome
in the course of the game. If you have any comments, criticisms,
praise, pleas for help, or suggestions for improvements, please
send them to:
W. Jeffrey Wilson, Ph.D.
Department of Psychological Sciences
Indiana University - Purdue University at Fort Wayne
2101 Coliseum Boulevard East
Fort Wayne, IN 46805.
References __________
For further information about the anatomy of the brain, and
about the functions of brain structures, refer to the following
texts.
Carlson. N. R. (1986). The physiology of behavior, third __________________________
edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Carpenter, M. B. (1985). Core text of neuroanatomy, third _________________________
edition. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins.
Diamond, M. C., Scheibel, A. B., & Elson, L. M. (1985). The human _________
brain coloring book. New York: Barnes & Noble. ___________________
$
