Biopsychology Flashcards
How is the nervous system divided?
It has 2 parts: Central NS and Peripheral NS.
Define Central NS and name its different parts.
It’s body’s control unit.
1. Spinal cord 2. Brain stem 3. Brain
Explain what is the spinal cord.
Column of nerves between the brain and peripheral NS. Responsible for reflex actions.
Explain what is the brain stem.
Connects the brain to the spinal cord.
Explain what is the brain.
Receives information from sensory receptors and sends messages to muscles and glands.
It’s divided into 3 major parts:
1. hindbrain (lower part) 2. midbrain 3. forebrain
Define Peripheral NS and name its different parts.
It’s the body’s link to the outside world. It transmits information to and from the CNS.
1. Autonomic NS 2. Somatic NS.
Explain what is the Autonomic NS.
It regulates involuntary bodily processes; operates automatically, unconsciously.
Divided in sympathetic and parasympathetic NS.
Define sympathetic and parasympathetic NS.
Sympathetic NS: prepares body for action and stress “fight or flight”.
Parasympathetic NS: calms body and helps it conserve energy.
Explain what is the Somatic NS.
Carries sensory information from sensory organs to the CNS and relays motor (movement) commands to muscles, consciously.
What is the nervous system?
Primary internal communication system, a specialised network of cells in our body.
Which are the 2 parts of the forebrain?
Diencephalon and the cerebral hemispheres.
What does the diencephalon contain?
Thalamus and Hypothalamus.
Describe the function of the hypothalamus.
Controls basic functions such as hunger, thirst, sexual behaviour; also controls the pituitary gland
Define Sensory neurones.
They convey information about sensory stimuli: vision, touch, etc. towards the brain.
Define Motor neurones.
They convey instructions for physical operations: e.g. muscle movement, digestion, etc.
Define Relay neurons.
They connect different parts of the CNS.
What are neurotransmitters?
They send information from one neuron to another. These diffuse across the synaptic gap and bind to specialised receptor sites on the post-synaptic neuron.
Explain what is the synaptic gap.
The gap between the pre and post-synaptic neurons.
What is the structure of a typical neuron?
Learn diagram + synapse
Dendrites → (It has a nucleus) → Cell body → Axon → Myelin Sheath ( Schwann’s cells) → Node of Ranvier → Axon Terminals.
Explain the excitatory action of NTT at synapses.
Makes a nerve impulse MORE likely to be triggered.
Explain the inhibitory action of NTT at synapses.
Makes a nerve impulse LESS likely to be triggered.
What is the Localisation of function in the brain?
Theory that different areas of the brain are responsible for different behaviours, processes or activities. It contrasts with the holistic theory of the brain.
If a certain area of the brain becomes damaged, the function associated with that area will also be affected.
Define brain localisation.
Link between brain structures and their functions.
How many hemispheres is the brain divided into?
2, left and right.
What is the motor area?
A region of the frontal lobe involved in regulating movement.
What is the visual area?
A part of the occipital lobe that receives and processes visual information.
What is the auditory area?
It is located in the temporal lobe and concerned with the analysis of speech-based information.
Evaluate localisation of function.
Strength
+ Evidence to support: Broca’s aphasia is an impaired ability to produce language; in most cases, this is caused by brain damage in Broca’s area.
Wernicke’s aphasia is an impairment of language perception, demonstrating the important role played by this brain region in the comprehension of language.
Evaluate localisation of function.
2 weaknesses
- Lashley proposed the equipotentiality theory, which suggests that the basic motor and sensory functions are localised, but that higher mental functions are not. He claimed that intact areas of the cortex could take over responsibility for specific cognitive functions following brain injury.
- Dronkers et al. (2007) conducted an MRI scan on Tan’s brain, to try to confirm Broca’s findings. Although there was a lesion found in Broca’s area, they also found evidence to suggest other areas may have contributed to the failure in speech production. These results suggest that the Broca’s area may not be the only region responsible for speech production and the deficits found in patients with Broca’s aphasia could be the result of damage to other neighbouring regions.
What is hemispheric lateralisation?
It suggests that the brain’s 2 hemispheres are not exactly alike and have different specialisms.
Explain the Split Brain Research. (Sperry, 1968)
Aim and procedure.
Aim: To assess the abilities of separated brain hemispheres.
Procedure: Participants sat in front of a board with a horizontal rows of lights and were asked to stare at the middle point. The lights then flashed across their right and left visual field. Participants reported lights had only flashed up on the right side of the board
Explain the Split Brain Research. (Sperry, 1968)
Findings.
Findings: When their right eye was covered and the lights were flashed to the left side of their visual field they claimed not to have seen any lights at all. However, when asked to point at which lights had lit up they could do.
What happened when a picture of an object was shown to a patient’s right visual field?
Patient could easily describe what was seen but couldn’t pick it out or draw it.
What happened when a picture of an object was shown to a patient’s left visual field?
The patient could not describe what was seen, and typically reported there was nothing there.
EVALUATION OF SPLIT BRAIN RESEARCH
The analyser and the synthesiser
Research suggests that the left hemisphere is the analyser whilst the right hemisphere is the synthesiser - a key contribution to our understanding of brain processes.
EVALUATION OF SPLIT BRAIN RESEARCH
Methodological strengths
The experiments involving split brain patient’s made use of highly specialised and standardised procedures.
EVALUATION OF SPLIT BRAIN RESEARCH
Theoretical basis
Sperry’s work prompted a debate about the degree of communication between the two hemispheres in everyday functioning.
What is plasticity?
Brains tendency to change and adapt (functionally and physically) as a result of experience and new learning.
Define synaptic pruning.
During infancy, the brain experiences a rapid growth in the number of synaptic connections. As we age, rarely used connections are deleted and frequently used connections are strengthened.
What is functional recovery?
Idea that following physical injury or other forms of trauma, unaffected areas of the brain can adapt to compensate for those that are damaged.
What is Broca’s area?
An area of the frontal lobe in the left hemisphere (of most people) responsible for speech production.
What is Wernicke’s area?
An area of the temporal lobe (encircling the auditory cortex) in the left hemisphere (in most people) responsible for language comprehension.
