Biological Basis of Behavior Flashcards
Peripheral nervous system subdivisions
Somatic
Autonomic
Somatic nervous system
Sends and receives sensory info that controls voluntary movements
Autonomic Nervous system
Controls automatic/involuntary functions (breathing, HR, digestion). 2 systems in this
Sympathetic NS
Mobilizing system. Fight or flight.
Parasympathetic NS
Rest and relax.
Central NS
Brain and Spinal Cord. Sensory neurons carry info into CNS (afferent), motor neurons carrying info away (efferent).
Quadriplegia
all 4 limb paralysis
Paraplegia
Leg paralysis
Paresis
Muscle weakness stemming from the severing of spinal cord.
Left Hemisphere
Controls right side. Dominant in 97% of ppl. Controls: language and motor control.
Left is for Language and Logic.
Right Hemisphere
Perceptual, visuospatial, artistic, musical, and intuitive activities.
Damage to this area can result in indifference and euphoria.
Frontal Lobes
Prefrontal – personality, emotions, inhibition (impulse control), planning, abstract thinking, judgement, language
Premotor – planning movements
Motor – Instigates motor movement
Parietal Lobes
Primary sensory area. Integration of sensations. Damage to it can result in left-right confusion and apraxia.
Gerstmann’s Syndrome
Lesions to the parietal left lobe resulting in agraphia (can’t write), acalculia, right-left disorientation, and difficulty with recognition.
Temporal Lobes
Involved in hearing/emotional behavior/memory. Damage to these lobes can result in aggression, decreased libido, and poor memory.
Occipital Lobes
Vision!
Corpus Callosum
Bundle of nerve fibers that bridge the gap between left and right hemispheres.
Limbic System
Set of structures that are involved in emotions, basic drives, learning, olfaction, and memory.
Thalamus
Sensory relay center. Receives input from everywhere and integrates and processes it before projecting it out.
Hypothalamus
Situated just below the thalamus. HOMEOSTASIS // the great regulator. Regulates temp, thirst, hnunger, sex, hormone secretion, aggression, and sleep-wake cycle. FIVE Fs.
SUPRACHIASMIC NUCLEUS in this bitch, and it does the circadian rhythm
Hippocampus
Memory.
Amygdala
Attaches emotional significance to sensory input. Associated with fear, aggression, and emotional memory. Controls fear response.
AMY is AGGRESSIVE.
Kluver-Bucy syndrome
Damage to the amygdala makes someone placid.
Septum
Moderates/decreases aggression.
Basal Ganglia
Regulation/coordination of motor movements. Usually inhibitory.
Dysfunction in the BG can result in unwanted movements (Huntington’s) or difficulty with intended movements (Parkinson’s).
Cerebellum
Excitatory inputs that are responsible for maintainng movements/coordinating activity. Also controls posture nad muscle tone.
Ataxia
Lack of coordination of voluntary movements due to damage to the cerebellum
Brain stem
Most primitive part of the brain. Contains pons, medulla, and reticular formation.
Pons and medulla
Regulate sleep, respiration, movement, and cardiovascular activity. Damage can lead to failure of bodily functions/death.
Reticular formation
Bunch of nuclei that are important for awareness, attention, and sleep.
Action potential
At rest, outside of cell is positive, inside is negative.
When a neuron is hit by a stimulus w/ sufficient charge, sodium rushes into the cell, creating an AP, and potassium moves out.
All or nothing
If sufficiently stimulated a neuron will fire to its fullest extent; if not sufficiently stimulated, then no dice bo vice.
Acetylcholine
Involved in voluntary movement, memory, and cognition.
Deficiencies in Achare observed in dementia and alzheimer’s.
Dopamine
Thought, movement, emotion, reward system.
Dopamine hypothesis
Schizophrenia’s psychotic symptoms occur as a result of ecess dopamine.
Norepinephrine
Involved in mood, pain perception, and sleep.
Serotonin
Involved in mood, sleep, appetite, aggression, sexual activity, and pain perception. Deficiencies in serotonin are implicated in mood disorders.
GABA & Glycine
Major inhibitory neurotransmitters in the CNS, have a calming effect. Anxiety and seizures are associated with insufficient GABA.
Glutamate
Major excitatory NT, most common NT. Abnormal glutamate is suspected in schizophrenia, OCD, autism, and depression.
Hyperthyroidism
Excessive secretion of thyroxin results in weight loss despite increased appetite, heat sensitivity, sweating, diarrhea, tremor, fatigue, depression, insomnia, impaired meory, and rarely hallucinations.
Hypothyroidism
Unexplained weight gain, sluggishness, fatigue, impaired memory//intellectual functioning.
Diabetes
Occurs when pancreas doesn’t produce insulin (Type 1), or when the body gains resistance to insulin (type 2).
Hyperglycemia vs Hypoglycemia
Excess blood sugar levels vs low blood sugar.
Hyper is the hallmark symptom of diabetes while hypo is a side effect of blood sugar medication.
Hypopituitarism
Undersecretion of pituitary growth hormone. Can cause dwarfism and pubertal delay in children; impotence and others in adults.
Hyperpituitarism
Oversecretion of pituitary growth. Gigantism.
Addison’s Disease
Undersecretion of corticosteroids resulting in apathy, weakness, irritability, depression, and GI disturbance.
Cushing’s Disease
Oversecretion of cortico steroids. Symptoms – depression, irritability, memory/concentration difficulties, suicide.
Broca’s Aphasia
Cause: lesions to frontal lobe.
Sx: Problems with speech production and articulation, speech is slow and diff.
“BROKen speech.”
Wernicke’s aphasia
Cause: lesions to temporal; lobe.
Sx: No language comprehension. Cant follow commands. Garbage salad speech as a result. Unaware of prob.
Conduction aphasia
Cause: lesion to the connecting pathway between expressive and receptive speech areas.
Sx: intact language comprehension, but can’t repeat verbal phrases. They make no sesnse, but they can execute verbal commands.
Global aphasia
Cause: widespread damage to the cortex.
Sx: most language functions are impaired.
Anomic aphasia
Cause:damage to parietal or temporal
Sx: problems recalling names/words; speak in aroundabout way to express a certain word they can’t remember.
Transcortical aphasia
Cause: damage outside the main language regions.
3 types: motor, sensory, mixed.
Sx: similar to broca’s and global, except the ability to repeat words, phrases, and sentences is intact.
Apraxia
Inability to carry out voluntary/purposeful motor movements. Person can understand and is willing to do it, but they simply can’t.
Cause: lkesion in the neural pathways that contain learned patterns of movement
Agnosia
Loss of ability to recognize something.
Prosopagnosia
Inability to recognize a familiar face.
Cause: damage to visual association cortex
Anosognosia
Lack of awareness of a dsiability, or lack of awareness of the nature of one’s illness.
Cause: Damage to frontal or parietal lobes.
Agraphia
Loss of ability to write.
Cause: stroke to dominant hemisphere.
Alexia
Word-blindness; loss of ability to read/comprehend the meaning of written words.
Cause: Stroke to dominant hemisphere.
Retrograde amnesia
Loss of pre-existing memories. Episodic memory is more severly affected than semantic (factual) memory.
Anterograde amnesia
Loss of ability to form new memories.
One-sided neglect
results from stroke in the right hemisphere.
Often failure to be aware of objects on the opposite side. Might only eat from one side of a plate, for ex.
Dementia
Impairment in memory and at least one of the following conditions: aphasia, apraxia, agnosia, or executive functioning difficulties.
Alzheimer’s disease
Most common form of dementia.
Sx: Memory problems, apathy, depression. Progresses to disorientation, confusion, judgment problems, behavior changes, motor problems.
Brain abnormalities: amyloid plaques (deposits of protein frgaments) and neurofibrillary tangles (twisted strands of protein tau). Acetylcholine implicated.
Vascular Dementia
Second most common dementia. Results from numerous small cerrebrovascular accidents or strokes.
Sx: impaired judgment/planning.
Death within 2-3 yrs.
Lewy Body Dementia
Clumps of the protein alpha-synuclein.
Sx: Similar to Alzheimer’s, but includes hallucinations, sleep disturbances, and muscle rigidity.
mixed dementia
alzheimer’s co-occurring with another dementia.
Parkinson’s
Movement disorder marked by tremor, rigidity, slowed initiation of movement, and shuffling gait.
Cause: degeneration in cells that produce dopamine in the brain. specifically in the basal ganglia and substantia nigra.
Huntington’s
Cause: autosomal-dominant gene. Gradually becomes more apparent later in life.
Early Sx: changes in personality/mood. then progressively deteriorating dementia and psychological symptoms.
Frontotemporal Dementia
Degeneration of frontotemporal lobes.
Sx: change in personality/behaviors,language difficulties.
HIV-caused dementia
Sx: Cognitive (attn, language), motor (weakness), behavioral changes (apathy, withdrawal, lack of motivation, personality changes).
Creutzfeldt-jakob disease
Very rare. Degenerative, fatal braindisorder.
Cause: Infectious misfolded protein that triggers other proteins throughout hte brain to misfold and malfunction.
Rapidly progressive demntia, affects muscular coordiation, personality changes, impaired orientation, memory, judgement, and thinking.
Hydrocephalus
Cause: Pathological accumulation of CSF in the ventricles causing intracranial pressure.
Sx: urinary incontinence, dementia.
Dementia due to head trauma
Nature and extent of impairment depends on the location and extent of brain injury. Occurs as a result o closed or open head injuries.
Closed-head injuries
Skull isn’t pierced or cracked. Two subtypes: concussions and contusions.
Concussions
Result from a blow to the head, hard enough to cause neural dysfunction but no enough to cause cerebral bruising.
Can cause STM loss and both types of amnesia
Contusions
Cerebral bruises. More serious than concussions. Usually hits frontal/temporal lobes.
Frontal: lack of foresight, exec functioning diff, irresponsibility, losso f insight.
Temporal: irritability/hostility.
Open head injuries
Penetration of the skull. No LoC, but often are highly specific.
Pseudodementia
Older ppl who are depressed and exhibit cognitive impairments resembling a dementia.
Delirium
Disturbance of consciousness w/ reduced ability to focus, sustain, or sfhift attn. Also cog changes (memory, language, and disorientation) or perceptual disturbance.
Only diagnosed when there is evidence of a physiological cause (infection, withdrawal).
Korsakoff’s syndrome
Amnestic disorder resulting from vitamin B1 deficiency associated with longstanding alcohol abuse.
Sx: anterograde amnesia and/or retrograde amnesia. Confabulation also is common.
Gate control theory
Pain is mediated by neural gates in the spine that allow pain signals to get to the brain.
Pressure tends to close the gates, which is why rubbing a hurt area relieves pain.
Centralization of pain theory
Sensitization to pain occurs when the brain is exposed to repeated pain signals/nerve stimulation.
Basic idea: brain learns to detect pain and repsond to it the more it happens, so less intense pain sensations yield bigger responses over time.
Beta waves
Brain waves that characterize alertness/attention.
Alpha waves
Relaxation brain waves.
Seizures
Sudden disruption of brain electrical activity.
Tonic clonic seizures
AKA Grand mal
Start with L.O.C. and stiffening (tonic) followed by clonic activity (jerking). Afterwards: headaches, confusion, amnesia for the seizure.
Absence seizures
AKA Petit mal
Occur most frequently in children before 5 y.o. 1-30 sec, brief change in consciousness level. Posture is retained, no bad after effects.
Simple partial seizures
Electrical abnormalities in focal area of brain, which could include any lobe. Most likely to involve half the body.
Sx: dependent on location. Could affect motor, autonomic, sensory, or psychological functions.
Ex: Jacksonian seizures
Complex partial seizure
Involve impairment of awarness/consciousness. Autmatisms: involuntary, purposeless behaviors, like lip smacking, nonsense phrases, fidgeting.
EEG
Electrodes used to measure electrical activity in the cortex. Shows changes in activity to help in the diagnosis of brain conditions. Best way to localize seizure source.
PET
Positron emission topography. Nuclear imaging techniques to demonstrating functioning/activity of the brain/other organs. Good for seeing plaques/tangles with AD.
MRI/fMRI
Uses magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed images of the structure of the brain. MRI assesses damage/structure, fMRI assesses function/activity.
CT
computerized tomography. Test of brain structure. Combines multiple x-rays from different angles. Good to examine people for bleeding/clots.
Tension headache
most common headache.
Sx: band-like tightness, ache, pressure. Bilateral pain, dull/steady.
Migraines
2nd most commmon.
Sx: unilateral pain, moderate-severe intensity. Nausea, sensitivity to light, aura.
Cluster headaches
Headaches that occur in cycles over a period of days. Appear suddenly, severe/debilitating pain on one side, watery eye, nasal congestion.
Stages of General Adaptation Syndrome
- ALARM. activation of sympathetic nervous system, releasing cortisol and adrenaline.
- RESISTANCE. alarm reaction subsides and body adapts to stressor.
- EXHAUSTION. Occurs in response to chronic, unremitting stress, the body’s resources are exhausted and immunity is greatly lowered.
Loss of health/immunity.
Health belief model
in addition to psychosocial factors, other constructs predict health.
Schizophrenia
Positive Sx: Hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking
Negative Sx: Affective flattening, lack of motivation, poverty of speech.
Cognitive Sx: Poor executive functioning, focusing, and working memory.
Antipsychotics mechanism
Dopamine antagonists, meaning they lower the levels of dopamine by blocking receptors.
Disorders antipsychotics are used for:
Schizophrenia, other psychotic disorders, bipolar, delirium, tourettes.
Common antipsychotic side effects
Sedation, drowsiness, hypotension, weight gain, sexual dysfunction.
Anticholinergic effects of antipsychotics
Dry mouth, constipation, urinary hesitancy, blurred vision, dry eyes, photophobia, confusion, decreased memory.
Extrapyramidal symptoms
Dystonia (painful muscle spasms), parkinsonism (shuffling, gait, drooling), and akathisia (unpleasant feeling in legs)
Tardive dyskinesia
Abnormal movements of lips, tongue, jaw.
SSRIs
Antidepressants. blocks reuptake of serotonin and/or norepinephrine, increasing levels of them.
Benzos
Facilitate GABA’s ability to bind to its receptor site, enhancing the effects of GABA. GABA inhibits, so it reduces arousal, anxiety, and increases sedation/relaxation.
Lithium (mood stabilizer)`
Treats mania. Largely unknown mechanism.
Stimulants
Increase release of dopamine/NE and by blocking their reputake.
Valium withdrawal
Fatal complications
Beta-blockers side FX
Nightmares, tiredness, impotence
REM Cycle
Restorative. Greatest during infancy.
Wernicke’s encephalopathy
Due to detruction of brain cells following long-term alcohol abuse.
L-Dopa
Amino acid used to treat movement disorders like Parkinson’s
Medication effect that involves a sense of restlessness accompanied by excessive movements is called?
Medication-induced acute akathisia
Tricyclic antidepressants should be sparsely prescribed to people with what disorder?
Bipolar disorder
A person’s sleep is repeatedly interrupted at the onset of dream activity. This will result in:
Increase in dream activity on subsequent nights.
Neuroleptics treat
Bizarre delusions
Substance most implicated in major depressive disorder with seasonal pattern
Melatonin
What type of seizure is a Jacksonian seizure?
Simple partial
Side effects of ritalin
Headaches and decreased appetite
Cerebrovascular damage is most likely to lead to:
Depression
Withdrawal symptoms of valium
Hallucinations and seizures
What structure secretes sex hormones
Hypothalamus
MAO inhibitors are risky because they pose risk for
hypertensive crisis
What can happen during NREM sleep?
Night terrors
Grave’s disease
immune system disorder that results in the overproduction of thyroid hormones (hyperthyroidism). Trembling, sweating, weightloss, nausea, restlessness, dizziness.
Cri du chat
are genetic condition that is caused by the deletion (a missing piece) of genetic material on the small arm (the p arm) of chromosome 5. The cause of this rare chromosomal deletion is unknown.
pet scan of a schizophrenic individual would show
Decreased metabolic rate of the frontal lobes.
Where do complex partial seizures USUALLY originate
Temporal lobe
Radiation treatment for children with tumors in the cerebellum results in what?
Learning problems
X-linked disease
More common in men than women
