BA SAQ´s Flashcards
1
Q
Describe the use of one imaging technology
A
- Imaging technologies are used to study the brain & behaviour
- One imaging technology is MRI which stands for magnetic resonance imaging.
- MRI is used by many doctors/psychatrists in diagnosis and to identify a vivid image of the brain as well as to identify different behaviours.
- MRI uses strong mangnetic fiels to portray a detailed image of the brain
- It works by strong magnetc that create a magnetic fields around the patients brain.
- Hydrogen ions align to the direction of the magnetic field, because of the abundance of water in the body.
- An electromagnetic field is turned on which hydrogen ions move to their original position, producing radio waves.
- This is detected by a scanner which depicts an image of the brain.
2
Q
Describe the study used to explain imaging technologies
A
- One study to explain the use of MRI is Maguire (2011)
- The aim of the study was to investigate if london taxi drivers would have a larger hippocampi than average.
- The study consisted in investigating taxi drivers for 4 years where they measured the growth of the hippocampus on an MRI.
- The participants involved in the study were 79 aspired taxi drivers and 31 non-aspired taxi drivers (control group)
- An initial MRI was performed in both aspired and non-aspired taxi drivers.
- After 4 years a second MRI was conducted
- The results showed that aspired taxi drivers after 4 years had a significantly larger hippocampus compared to non-aspired taxi drivers whose hippocampi had remained the same.
3
Q
Explain one study of localization of brain function:
Describe localization of brain function:
A
- Localization of brain function explains the idea that the brain has distinct structures that have particular functions on behaviour or cognitive processes.
- In order to identify the location of these particular structures imaign technologies such as MRI, fMRI and PET scan must be used
- Some of the locations in the brain include the amygdala, hypothalamus, and the hippocampus.
- The hippocampus is in charge in the consolidation of memory as well as converting STM–> LTM and spatial memory.
- This essay will explain Eleanor maguire study based on the hippocampus.
4
Q
Describe the study lo explain localization of brain function
A
- One study to explain the use of MRI is Maguire (2011)
- The aim of the study was to investigate if london taxi drivers would have a larger hippocampi than average.
- The study consisted in investigating taxi drivers for 4 years where they measured the growth of the hippocampus on an MRI.
- The participants involved in the study were 79 aspired taxi drivers and 31 non-aspired taxi drivers (control group)
- An initial MRI was performed in both aspired and non-aspired taxi drivers.
- After 4 years a second MRI was conducted
- The results showed that aspired taxi drivers after 4 years had a significantly larger hippocampus compared to non-aspired taxi drivers whose hippocampi had remained the same.
5
Q
Explain one study to explain neuroplasticity
Describe neuroplasticity
A
- Neuroplasticityy is the process in which the brain changes its structure and adapts in response to the enviorment.
- It is the brains ability to adapt by forminng new neural connections from experiences, learning etc.
- Dendritic branching involves the brain increasing the number of synapses available for behaviour, forming new neural networrks. While, neural pruning is. when neural networks that are not needed are removed to make space for information in the future.
- Furthermore, it also explains how the brain is able to compensate and rewrite itself when an injury occurs in order to function properly.
6
Q
Explain one study for neuroplasticity
A
One study to explain the use of MRI is Maguire (2011)
- The aim of the study was to investigate if london taxi drivers would have a larger hippocampi than average.
- The study consisted in investigating taxi drivers for 4 years where they measured the growth of the hippocampus on an MRI.
- The participants involved in the study were 79 aspired taxi drivers and 31 non-aspired taxi drivers (control group)
- An initial MRI was performed in both aspired and non-aspired taxi drivers.
- After 4 years a second MRI was conducted
- The results showed that aspired taxi drivers after 4 years had a significantly larger hippocampus compared to non-aspired taxi drivers whose hippocampi had remained the same.
7
Q
Link the neuroplasticity study with the theory
A
The study showed the different ways that London taxi drivers’ brains adapted to the inflow of information, in this sense aspired taxi drivers had a relatively bigger posterior hippocampus and gray matter than the control group. Therefore, portrating how the brain privatized and made more connections in these areas
8
Q
Describe neural pruning
A
- brains natural process of eliminating extra synapses, cthat result from removing dentritic branches.
- It explains how the brain removes synapsoes/connections that are no longer needed in order to amke space for more complex information in the future.
- Therfore, it is very common amonst teenegers and early childhood as infromation is eliminated to make more space for complex information in upcoming years.
9
Q
Explain the study for neural pruning
A
- Performed by draganski
- Aim–> indentify if learning a new skill (juggling) would affect brain structure.
- partiicpants: jugglers and non-jugglers
- Initially placed on an MRI to measure their grey matter and brain structure.
- Randomlly allocated to two conditions (jugglers and non-jugglers)
- Jugglers were told to learn a jugglign routine.
- A second MRI was performed
- Then, they told jugglers to stop juggling and 3 months later another MRI was performed.
- Results showed thatin second MRI jugglers had a significantly larger grey matter than non-jugglers, but 3 months later the MRI showed that the grey mass had decreased.
10
Q
Explain how one hormone affects behaviour
A
- Hormones are chemicals secreated by glands in the endocrine system.
- Hormones are released directly to the bloodstream, which is why they take longer to cause changes.
- One hormone that affects behaviour is oxytocin.
- Oxytocin is produced by the hypothalamus and secreated by the adrenal glands.
- Plays a role in sexual reproduction, formation of social bonds, willingles to take social risks through interpersonal relationships.
11
Q
Explain the study of the effect of a hormone on human behavior
A
- performed by baumgartner et al
- aim: investigate role of oxytocin in breaches of trust.
- participants were first placed in an fMRI.
- exposed to 1)Oxytocin or a 2) placebo via a nasal spray.
- told to act as ´´investors´´in trust games with different trustees.
- they got feedback saying–> 50% of their deciisons led to poor investamnents and their truist was broken.
- ## Results: when informed that trust was broken—> individuals given the placebo decreased their levels of trust compared to those given oxytosin.(had a decreased response in amygdala)
12
Q
Discuss the effect of phereomnes on human behaviour
Describe pheromones
A
- chemical substance produced and released by an animal affecting the physiology/behaviour of other from its own species.
- it is still unclear if this is true for humans.
- Types of pheremones:
-1. primer pheremones: cause slow, long-term physilological changes such as hormonal effects.
2. Signaling pheremones: rapid behaviour (mating) - human phermeones: Adiostadione in male semen and estretanol in female urine.
- one effect in which pheremones has an effect on human behaviour is olfactoryy recognition of a newborn baby and its mother.
13
Q
Describe the study used to explain pheremones
A
- Performed by Doucet et al
- aim: role of secrition of aereoral glands in sucking b ehaviour of 3-year olf newborns.
- secreation was palced under the nose of babies.
- babies were exposed nasally to diffferent types of milk (milk, cow milk, formula milk, vanilla and breast milk)
- Results: baby only started sucking when secreation was palced under nose and breathing rate increased. —-> created an attachmeent with mother.
14
Q
Explain the study for genetics.
A
- performed by CASPI ET AL
- aim: role of the 5HTT gene in depression and genetic inheritance.
- Sample: new zealand participants
- measured the alleles of the participants and assigned them into groups (2 short alles, 2 long alleles, one short + 1 long allele.)
- did a questionaiire that measure their stresfull life events which could have triggered their MDD.
- results showed that partiicpants with 2 short alleves had a higher prevelance of developing mdd than those with two long alleles.
- When the 5HTT gene interacts with stressful life events individuals have a higher risk of developing depression.
14
Q
Explain genes
A
- genes are the basic physical and functional unit of heredity.
- genes are passed from one generation to another
- one behaviour caused by genetics is major depressive disorder (MDD)
- MDD is linked to the 5HTT gene–> it is a seratonin transporter, responisble for the uptake of seratonin in the synaptic cleft
- The 5HTT gene is a polymorphic gene that has three variations: two short alleles, two long alleles and one short and one long allele)–> 2 long alleles makes individuals more vulnerable to MDD.
- Explain MDD–> mental disroder that according to the DSM–> have to suffer from 5 of 8 possibñe symtoms (extended periods of sadness, lack of interest, sleep habit changes etc) for a period of 2 weeks to be diagnosed.
