Biopsychology Flashcards
Split Brain Research
A01
Sperry studies epileptic patients who had had a commissurotomy
* can describe pictures seen on the right side - lanuage in the left
* right hemisphere is better at matching faces
Split brain
Right hemisphere
A01
Visuo-spatial
Split brain
Left Hemisphere
A01
Verbal and analytical
Split Brain Research
A03
- Scientific, valid, reliable, standardised
- low population validity
- Overseer or two minds
- Pop-psychology
Neural Plasticity
A01
Ability of the brain to change and adapt it’s structure
Peaks at 2-3 years
* Functional recovery
* Axonal sprouting
* Reformation of blood vessels
* Recruitment of homologous systems
Neural Plasticity
A03
- Cats eyes (area of brain not idle)
- Black cab drivers (posterior hippocampus)
- Neurorehabilitation (physical therapy)
- Music (change for kids > adults)
EEG
A01
Electroencephalogram
Record of tiny electric impulses produced by the brain’s activity
Uses electrodes on the scalp
Pros of EEG
A03
- High temporal resolution
- Safe
- Useful for studying epilepsy and sleep as well as vegetative states
Cons of EEGs
A03
- Poor spatial resolution
- Impractical for moving around
- Cannot pinpoint source of activity
ERPs
A01
Event Related Potentials
EEGs that are averaged to remove all extraneous brain activity
Responses that directly respond to specific stimuli
Pros of ERPs
A03
- High temporal resolution
- Useful in investigating OCD and perception of speech
Cons of ERPs
A03
- Lack of standardisation
- Impractical
- Only useful for simple stimuli
- Poor spatial resolution
- Several EEGs needed
Post Mortems
A01
Analysis of the brain after death
Aims to link physical differences in thte brain with behavioural differences displayed in life
Pros of Post Mortems
A03
- Early understanding of brain structure and localisation of function
- Useful for Schizophrenia and locating language areas
Cons of Post Mortems
A03
- Abnormalities are not limited to one disorder
- Can’t draw accurate conclusions about localisation of function
- Correlation =/= causation
- Ethical issues
fMRI
A01
Detects changes in bloood oxygenation
Shows which areas of the brain are more active
Pros of fMRIs
A03
- Evidence of cause and effect
- Led to advances in brain surgeries
- Risk free
- High spatial resolution
Cons of fMRIs
A03
- Can’t move in one
- Low temporal resolution
Motor Cortex
A01
Back of the frontal lobe
Planning, control and carrying out voluntary movement
Somatosensory Cortex
A01
Front of the parietal lobes
Processes sensory information
Separated from motor area by cental sulcus
Occipital Lobes
A01
Back of brain
Recieves and processes visual information
* Vental “what” stream
* Dorsal “where” stream
Auditory Area
A01
In the temporal lobe
Analyses speech based informationand auditory stimuli
Contains Wernicke’s area
Wernicke’s Area
A01
Left temporal lobe
Responsible for language comprehension
Wernicke’s aphasia: language is fluent but meaningless
Broca’s Area
A01
Left frontal lobe
Area responsible for speech production
Broca’s aphasia: speech lacks fluency
Sleep Stages
A01
1) Falling asleep
* Alpha waves, hypnagogic state
2) Light sleep
* Theta waves, sleep spindles
3) Deeper sleep
* Delta waves
4) Deepest sleep
* SWS, delta waves, physiological activity
5) REM
* Paralyis, beta waves
Divisions of the Nervous System
A01
CNS and PNS
PNS (Autonomic and Somatic)
ANS ( Sympathetic and Parasympatheic)
Parts of the Nervous System
A01
Somatic - concious external actions of skin and muscles
Autonomic - unconscious internal activities of organs and glands
Sympatheic - fight or flight
Parasympathetic - rest and digest
Infradian Rythms
A01
A cycle lasting for more than 24 hours
For example the menstral cycle
* EPs: hypothalamus and pituitary
* Hormones: oestrogen and progesterone
* EZs: other women’s pheromones
Ultradian Rythms
A01
Occur more than once in 24 hours
For example the sleep cycle
Infradian Rythms
A03
- Sweat pheremones study
- Effect of light
Ultradian Rythms
A03
- EEGs pros and cons
- RWA - brain development occurs during REM
Exogenous Zeitgebers
A01
External time cues that regulate biological rythms through entrainment
Exogenous Zeitgebers
A03
- Free running studies
- Knees
- Blind man
- Reductionist
Endogenous Pacemakers
A01
Innate internal body clocks
Suprachiasmatic nucleas (SCN)
Enndogenous Pacemakers
A03
- Rats (chipmunks)
- Hamsters
- Animals in general
- Reductionism
Circadian Rythms
A01
A cycle lasting about a day
Biological clock entrained by external cues
Such as the sleep wake cycle
Circadian Rythm
A03
- Siffre
- Bunker
- Cave (fast time)
- Issues with free running
- RWA (school and shifts)
