Biological Bases of Behavior Flashcards
Medications for mood disorders
Buspar: anxiety disorders
Prozac: depression
Lithium carbonate: BP (also anticonvulsants Tegretol and valproic acid)
Haloperidol: schizophrenia and tic disorders
Reinforcement model
The reinforcement model is not a theory but a set of principles that predicts that people do more of things that have rewarding outcomes, avoid things that have punishing outcomes, and stop doing things that are neither rewarding nor punishing.
Expectancy theory
Vroom
asserts that people behave in ways that are based on their perceived expectancy that certain rewards will follow.
Two factor theory
Herzberg
predicts that increasing employees’ responsibility (a motivator) will result in increased satisfaction and performance.
Equity theory
looks at the ratio of self inputs/self outcomes versus others’ inputs/others’ outcomes, and is based on Social Comparison Theory.
Neurotransmitters
Acetylcholine is involved in voluntary movement (myasthenia gravis- muscle weakness). involved in sleep wake cycle specifically REM sleep. degeneration of ACh associated with Alzheimer’s hence cholinesterase inhibitors.
Dopamine is involuntary movement (think PD and tourettes). Dopamine hypothesis for schizophrenia. Role of dopamine in addiction
Serotonin is involved with mood disorders, sleep onset (think melatonin), sex, and aggression.
Norepinephrine is also involved with mood disorders, and (think SNRI and SSRI). Catecholamine hypothesis predicts that low levels of norepinephrine contributes to depression.
GABA is inhibitory nt. low levels of GABA is associated with anxiety. benzos increase the effects of GABA. low levels of GABA in basal ganglia associated with Huntington’s.
Glutamate is excitatory nt. Involved in learning and memory specifically long term potantiation. Excessive glutamate related to seizures and other neurodegenerative conditions like HD and AD.
Cerebral palsy most commonly results from
trauma at birth
Withdrawal symptoms
Withdrawal from ETOH and sedatives most likely to cause hallucinations
The substances whose withdrawal syndromes involve hallucinations are alcohol, and the category of sedatives, hypnotics, and anxiolytics. Withdrawal from these substances can potentially be fatal. Phenobarbital is a barbiturate, which is a type of hypnotic. Very commonly used in the 1950s, barbiturates are rarely prescribed as hypnotics now. They still have a prominent place in the treatment of seizures. There is no characteristic withdrawal syndrome for hallucinogens (Response 1). Withdrawal from amphetamines (Response 2) is characterized by dysphoria, fatigue, unpleasant dreams, increased appetite, and psychomotor agitation or retardation. Opioid withdrawal (Response 3) is known for flu-like symptoms.
EEG brain waves
Alpha: relaxed wakefulness Beta: alert wakefulness Theta: stage 1 sleep Delta: slow waves which occur in stage 3-4 REM
Development of CNS
- Proliferation (2.5 weeks) new cells in neural tube
- migration (8 weeks) immature neurons migrate to their final desitination in brain and aggregate to form new structures
- Differentiation: develop axons and dendrites
- myelination: most myelination by glial cells happens postnatally
- synaptogenesis: occurs post natally. based on genetic and experiential factors.
Hindbrain: Medulla
influences flow of information between spinal cord and brain. coordinates coughing, swallowing, sneezing as well as other vital life functions. damage is usually fatal.
Hindbrain: pons
connects the halves of the cerebellum and important for integration of left and right sided body movements.
Hindbrain: cerebellum
important for balance and posture as well as performance of coordinated motor movements.
-heavily affected by alcohol. damadge to cerebellum causes ataxia which mimics alcohol intoxication.
Midbrain
- superior colliculus: vision
- inferior colliculus: auditory
- substantia nigra: voluntary movement and reward (PD)
- reticular formation: including reticular actviating system which is important for arousal and consciousness. damage could lead to permanent coma.
Forebrain: subcortical - thalamus
- relay station- transmits sensory information for all sense but smell.
- motor activity, language, and memory
- Wernicke-Korsakoffs syndrome is due to thiamine deficiency which cuases atrophy to neurons in the thalamus.
Forbrain: subcortical - hypothalamus
involved in homeostatic functions (hunger, thirst, sex, sleep, body temp) and emotional reactions.
- influences autonomic nervous system, pituitary, and endocrine system to maintain homeostasis.
- Superchiasmatic nucleus in the hypothalamus which regulates sleep wake cycle
- contains mamillary bodies which contribute to learning and memory
Forebrain: subcortical - basal ganglia
caudate nucleas + putamen + globus pallidus (plus substantia nigra which is located in the midbrain).
- involed in organizing, planning and coordinating voluntary movement and regulating amplitude and direction of motor movement.. also plays a role in sensorimotr learning.
- damage here is implicated in HD, PD, Tourettes, OCD, and ADHD
Forebrain: subcortical - Limbic system - Amygdala
Integrates, coordinates, and directs motivational and emotional activities.
attaches emotions to memories.
-Kluver Bucy syndrome: bilateral damage to amygdala produces hyperorality, hypersexuality, reduces fear and aggression, and causes psychic blindness
Forbrain: subcortical - limbic system - hippocampus
specifically involved in learning and memory and consolidating short term to long term memory storage.
Contained within the medial temporal lobes.
damage leads to retrograde and anterograde amnesia.
Forebrain: subcortical - limbic system - cingulate cortex
Surrounds the corpus callosum (which is the main connective pathway between left and right side of brain).
Anterior cingulate cortex - responsible for transmitting pain signals and the subjective experience of pain.
brain lateralization (per EPPP)
Left
- vision: letters, words
- Hearing: language sounds
- Memory: verbal memory
- Language: speech, reading, writing
- No spatial processing
- Emotions: positive emotions
- Reasoning: analytical, logical
Right
- Vision: shapes, patterns, faces
- Hearing: music, non-verbal sounds
- Memory: nonverbal memory
- Language: emotional content
- All spatial processing
- Emotions: negative
- Reasoning: holistic, intuitive
Forebrain: cortex - frontal lobe
Primary Motor Area
- located on precentral gyrus.
- involved in execution of motor movements. damage results in flaccid hemiplegia.
Supplementary Motor Area
-planning and control of movement and motor learning.
Premotor Cortex
-control for movement in response to external stimuli
Brocas Area
- speech production.
- damage leads to difficulties speaking and writing
PFC
- Executive functioning
- DLPFC - dysexecutive
- OFPFC - disinhibited
- MFPFC - apathetic
Forebrain: cortex - parietal lobe
somatosensory cortex on postcentral gyrus
- damage leads to poor spatial orientation, apraxia (inability to perform skilled motor movements), and somatosensory agnosia (inability to recognize parts of one body, inability to recognize things by touch and anosognosia - loss of insight).
- Gerstmanns syndrome: finger agnosia, left-right confusion, agraphia, acalculia,
Webers law
related to just noticeable difference
- the more intense the stimulus the greater the increase in stimulus intensity required to increase to the point of JND
