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VCE psychology 1/2 > 1.2 the role of the brain in mental processes and behaviour (c4) > Flashcards

1.2 the role of the brain in mental processes and behaviour (c4) Flashcards

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1
Q

brain vs heart debate

A

is our brain or heart the source of our thoughts, feelings and behaviours?

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2
Q

mind-body problem?

A

are our mind & body distinct? separate entities or are they one? is the mind part of the body or is the body part of the mind?

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3
Q

Descartes (French philosopher)- Dualism

A

Mind and body are 2 different things- mind is non physical, spiritual entity whereas soul whereas body is physical- PINEAL GLAND SEAT OF THE SOUL

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4
Q

what is phrenology?

A

a pseudoscience primarily focused on measurements of the human skull, based on the concept that the brain is the organ of the mind, and that certain brain areas have localised specific functions

Franz Gall in 1786, popular in 19th century

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5
Q

what are the 3 types of first brain experiments?

A
  1. Brain ablation experiments
  2. Electrical stimulation of brain (ESB)
  3. Split brain experiments
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6
Q

brain ablation experiments

A
  • involves disabling, destroying or removing selected brain tissue followed by an assessment of subsequent changes in behaviour
  • often done surgically with scalpel cuts
  • sometimes called lesioning
  • irreversible
  • unethical BUT may be used for brain tumour removal
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7
Q

who was pierre flourens?

A

a French psychologist (1794-1867)

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8
Q

what did pierre flourens do?

A

he worked mainly with rabbits and pigeons by damaging or removing small areas of brain tissue to observe the effects on behaviour

found injury to one part of brain stem caused animals to stop breathing so he assumed the brain stem was responsible for respiration

also found animals could eventually recover this function

FIRST EVIDENCE OF NEUROPLASTICITY

used this finding to argue a “holistic” view of brain function- cortex worked as a whole

believed that recovery from injury to cortical brain tissue was possible because the remaining cortex could do the same things that the missing cortex had done, so it could take over.

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9
Q

Karl Lashley- location of memory and learning

A

rats, monkeys and chimpanzees were taught various tasks and then bits of their cortical tissue were removed with the goal of producing amnesia

Lashley failed to produce amnesia and concluded that learning and memory were located throughout the brain rather than in a single place

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10
Q

how can electrical activity in the brain be stimulated/detected?

A

by using an electrode- a small, electrified fine wire (or disc) that can be inserted into or placed onto a specific area of the brain

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11
Q

it is assumed that if electrical stimulation of a specific brain area initiates a response…

A

then that area controls or is involved in the response

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12
Q

who is Gustav Fritsch and Edward Hitzig?

A

Germany physicians from the 1800s

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13
Q

what did Fritsch and Hitzig do

A

used recent improvements in the control of electricity to stimulate what is now called the motor cortex of a dog

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14
Q

what did Fritsch and Hitzig discover

A

found 5 sites that, when stimulated, triggered distinctive movements on the opposite site of the body

successful ESB, experiments demonstrated contralateral function of limb movement

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15
Q

what did Wilber Penfield do

A

used ESB to map the cerebral cortex with his epileptic patients as research participants

When cerebral cortex was e xposed, Penfield was able to stimulate different areas using an electrode and to ask his patients to report their experiences

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16
Q

who conducted the split brain experiments

A

American neuropsychologist Roger Sperry (1913-1994)

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17
Q

what did Sperry do

A

studied patients who had undergone splitbrain surgery and demonstrated that the brain’s two cerebral hemispheres specialise in different tasks

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18
Q

what is splitbrain surgery

A

cutting the corpus callosum

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19
Q

what are the 2 types of neuroimaging techniques

A

structural, functional

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20
Q

what is neuroimaging

A

a modern technique that captures a pic of the brain

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21
Q

what does CT stand for

A

computerised tomography

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22
Q

what does CAT stand for

A

computerised axial tomography

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23
Q

is CT same as CAT

A

yes

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24
Q

advantages of CT/CAT scans?

A

safe
cost effective
identifies precise locations

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25
Q

limitations of CT/CAT scans?

A

no info of brain activity during cognitive tasks

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26
Q

how do CT/CAT scans work?

A

patients are given a contrast to highlight the brain’s blood vessels to find the location and size of a tumour, damage (caused by stroke or injury) or brain abnormalities in conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, alzheimers

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27
Q

how do CT/CAT scans work?

A

patients are given a contrast to highlight the brain’s blood vessels to find the location and size of a tumour, damage (caused by stroke or injury) or brain abnormalities in conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, alzheimers

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28
Q

what does MRI stand for

A

magnetic resonance imaging

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29
Q

advantages of MRI

A

detailed computer enhanced colour

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30
Q

limitations of MRI

A

expensive
cannot be used on people with internal metal devices like pace makers

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31
Q

why might MRI be better than CT

A

MRI is more sensitive, clearer and more detailed, full colour

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32
Q

how do MRI scans work

A

uses harmless magnetic fields to vibrate atoms in the brain’s neurones and generate a computer image of brain

taken with long, metal cylinder in which the participants must lay very still

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33
Q

are MRIs structural or functional

A

structural

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34
Q

are CTs structural or functional

A

structural

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35
Q

are PET scans structural or functional

A

functional

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36
Q

what does PET stand for

A

positron emission tomography

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37
Q

how do PET scans work

A

provides images of “working brain” by tracking a glucose solution containing a short-lived radioactive tracer

this is injected into the bloodstream before scanning

when it reaches the brain, the amount used during a given task is recorded

it is assumed that brain areas that require increased blood flow have increased neuronal activity

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38
Q

advantages of PET scans

A

provides info abt function and corresponding location of particular areas of brain

39
Q

limitations of PET scans

A

expensive to run

40
Q

what does fMRI stand for

A

functional magnetic resonance imaging

41
Q

are fMRI scans structural or functional

A

functional

42
Q

how do fMRI scans work

A

detects and records brain activity by measuring oxygen consumption across the brain

takes numerous pics of brain in rapid succession and can therefore detect brain changes as they occur from moment to moment

images of brain structures and activity are more highly detailed and more precise

43
Q

advantages of fMRI scans

A

high quality image of brain
allows researchers to view blood flow

44
Q

limitations of fMRI scans

A

very loud (earplugs required)
unable to detect which brain receptors are being activated by particular neurotransmitters

45
Q

3 main functions of nervous system?

A

receive info, process info, coordinate response to info

46
Q

2 parts of PNS?

A

autonomic, somatic

47
Q

function of autonomic nervous system

A

communicates w internal organs and glands

48
Q

function of somatic nervous system

A

communicates w sense organs and voluntary muscles

49
Q

2 parts of autonomic nervous system?

A

sympathetic, parasympathetic

50
Q

meaning of sympathetic?

A

arousing

51
Q

meaning of parasympathetic?

A

calming

52
Q

3 parts of brain?

A

forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain

53
Q

hindbrain consists of

A

pons, medulla, reticular formation, cerebellum

54
Q

cerebellum function?

A

coordinates fine muscle movements
regulates posture + balance

55
Q

what happens when the cerebellum is damaged?

A

makes it difficult to coordinate muscle control and causes problems w balance

56
Q

function of medulla?

A

controls vital bodily functions such as swallowing, breathing, heart rate

some parts involved in sensations like touch, pressure, vibration

57
Q

what happens when medulla is damaged

A

e.g. blow to back of head is often fatal

58
Q

what are pons

A

small bundle of neural tissue

59
Q

function of pons?

A

involved in sleep, dreaming, arousal from sleep (waking)
controls breathing and coordination of some muscle movements

bridge between the cerebral cortex and cerebellum and between medulla and midbrain

60
Q

what does RAS stand for

A

reticular activating system

61
Q

whats in midbrain?

A

reticular formation

62
Q

direction of pathways of RAS

A

both ascending and descending pathways

63
Q

function of reticular formation?

A

screens incoming info so as not to overload brain
alerts higher brain centres to important info
helps maintain consciousness
regulates arousal and muscle tone (tension)

64
Q

how does RAS regulate arousal

A

in response to feedback from upper and lower brain areas

65
Q

structures in forebrain?

A

hypothalamus, thalamus, cerebrum

66
Q

function of forebrain?

A

regulates complex cognitive processes such as thinking, learning, memory and perception, emotion, personality

67
Q

function of hypothalamus

A

maintains body’s internal environment- homeostasis
regulates release of hormones from various glands in body associated w basic biological needs such as hunger, thirst, sleep

68
Q

function of thalamus

A

almost all sensory and moto info going to and from the cerebral cortex is processed through the thalamus

69
Q

function of cerebrum

A

responsible for almost everything we consciously think, feel and do

70
Q

what is the cerebral cortex

A

outer layer of brain

71
Q

are cerebral hemispheres alike

A

yes they look similar and have many of the same functions BUT they are specialised

72
Q

where does information from the right side of the body go to

A

the left hemisphere

73
Q

where does information from the left side of the body go to

A

the right hemisphere

74
Q

function of frontal lobe

A

regulation of emotions and expression of emotional reactions and aspects of personality such as initiating appropriate and inhibiting inappropriate behaviour

plans and initiates voluntary bodily movements

plans required motor sequence then sends the instructions to the premotor cortex towards the back of the frontal lobe

75
Q

function of prefrontal cortex

A

sophisticated mental abilities such as reasoning, problem solving, decision making, symbolic thinking

76
Q

function of primary motor cortex

A

initiates and controls voluntary movements through its control of skeletal muscles

77
Q

function of Brocas area

A

production of articulate speech (clear and fluent)

78
Q

how did lobotomies affect patients

A

decreases patients’ emotional responsiveness
many became emotionally docile, extremely and consistently calm

easier to manage in psychiatric hospitals
left patients disconnected from social surroundings and affected the rest of their cognitive functions

79
Q

function of parietal lobe

A

receives and processes bodily (somatosensory) info (including touch, temp - skin-, info abt muscle movement and the body’s position from muscles tendons and joints)

80
Q

function of primary somatosensory c ortex

A

receives and processes sensory info from skin and body + other parts (e.g. lips)

81
Q

function of occipital lobe

A

vision

82
Q

what happens when occipital lobe is damaged

A

can produce serious visual impairments even if eyes and other neural connections r normal

83
Q

function of primary visual cortex

A

major destination of visual info from eyes
info comes to primary visual cortex from visual sensory recpetors located on the retina at the back of each eye

84
Q

function of temporal lobe

A

involved w auditory perception and also plays an important role in

  • memory
  • our ability to identify objects and recognise faces
  • emotional responses to sensory info and memories

diff areas specialised to register and respond to diff features of sound

85
Q

function of wernicke’s area

A

involved in speech production but has a crucial role in the comprehension of speech

more specifically in interpreting the sounds of human speech

86
Q

what happens when you hear a word

A

the primary auditory cortex of left temporal lobe processes the auditory info, but u cannot understand the word until the information has been processed by Wernicke’s area

87
Q

what are the two principles lashley established

A

mass action and equipotentiality

88
Q

what is mass action

A

the idea that the large areas of the brain function as a whole in complex functions and that if a part is destroyed then loss of function will depend on the amount of cortex that is destroyed

89
Q

what is equipotentiality

A

the idea that any healthy part of the cortex can take over the function of an injured part

90
Q

In many American states, a police officer may ask a driver to walk a straight line as a simple and quick measure of a potential drink-driving offence. An intoxicated driver will usually be unable to consistently remain on the line or walk precisely, smoothly and steadily. Considering the driver’s impairment, which brain structure is likely to be most affected by the alcohol?

A

cerebellum

91
Q

Why is the thalamus described as a ‘relay station’?

A

Filters incoming sensory input (except sounds) then directs to relevant sensory cortical areas; receives messages from cortical areas and directs to lower brain structures.

92
Q

What other brain structure consistently relays information?

A

reticular formation (incl. the RAS)

93
Q

In terms of structure and function, how does the cerebrum in humans differ from that of other animals?

A

structure: has hemispheres and more cortex than in all other animals

function: more sophisticated/higher order functions in humans, i.e. cerebral cortex that covers the cerebrum

94
Q

List three key functions that the cerebral hemispheres have in common.

A

motor functions involving initiation of voluntary movements for the opposite side of the body

sensory functions involving reception and processing sensory information from the opposite side of the body

integration (‘association’) of information from different hemispheres and other areas to perform more complex functions dependent on information from different areas e.g. planning, problem-solving, decision making

VCE psychology 1/2 (15 decks)

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