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A2 Psychology > Biopsychology > Flashcards

Biopsychology Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the nervous system?

A

Specialised network of cells/internal communication system.

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2
Q

What does the central nervous system (CNS) consist of?

A

Brain & Spinal Cord.

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3
Q

What is the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?

A

Send info from outside world back to CNS.

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4
Q

What is the somatic nervous system responsible for (SNS)?

A

Voluntary muscle movement, transmits info from sense organs back to CNS.

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5
Q

What is the Autonomic Nervous System?

A

Transmits info to and from internal bodily organs.

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6
Q

What are the two divisions of the autonomic nervous system?

A

Parasympathetic and Sympathetic nervous system

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7
Q

What is the endocrine system?

A

Network of glands that are instructed to secrete hormones direct to bloodstream

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8
Q

How do the endocrine and nervous system differ?

A

Endocrine chemical nervous system electrical

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9
Q

What is a gland?

A

An organ in the body that synthesises substances such as hormones

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10
Q

What are hormones?

A

Chemical substances that circulate in the bloodstream and only affect target organs.

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11
Q

Which system is faster, the nervous system or the endocrine?

A

NS- due to electrical

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12
Q

What are some examples of glands?

A

Testes, ovaries, pituitary gland, thyroid, adrenal gland.

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13
Q

Some examples of hormones?

A

Testosterone, oestrogen, oxytocin, thyroxine, adrenaline.

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14
Q

What is a neuron?

A

Nerve cells that process and transmit messages through electrical/chemical signals.

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15
Q

Name the three types of neurons.

A

Sensory, relay, motor neuron

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16
Q

Which is the only neuron likely to be found in the brain 95% of the time?

A

Relay (connects the other two).

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17
Q

What does a motor neuron do?

A

Connect CNS to muscles and glands. Short dendrites long acons.

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18
Q

What does a relay nueron do?

A

Connect sensory neuron to motor neuron. Short dendrites and axon

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19
Q

What do sensory neurons do?

A

Carry messages from PNS to CNS. Long dendrites short axons.

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20
Q

Name the different areas of a neuron?

A

Cell body, axon, dendrites, myelin sheath, nodes of ranvier, terminal buttons.

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21
Q

What is synaptic transmission?

A

Process for neighbouring neurons communicating with each other by sending chemical messages across the synpatic gap.

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22
Q

Write/speak the process of synaptic transmission.

A

1- When the nerve impulse travels down the axon it arrives at the pre-synaptic terminal
2- Vesicles release their neurotransmitters across the synapse
3-This chemical then locks into the special post synaptic receptor sites of the adjacent neuron (the chemical message is converted back into an electrical impulse)
4-Enzymes are released to break down the excess neurotransmitter. Or excess neurotransmitters are reabsorbed by the synaptic terminals from which it was released
5-Vesicles are replenished with new & reused neurotransmitters ready for the next impulse

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23
Q

What happens when a neurotransmitter is excitatory?

A

Increase the likelihood that the neuron will fire (e.g adrenaline)

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24
Q

What happens when a neurotransmitter is inhibitory?

A

Decrease the likelihood the neuron will fire (stop the message) e.g serotonin.

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25
Q

What is summation?

A

The excitatory and inhibitory influences are summed. If the total/net effect on the post synaptic neuron is inhibitory (i.e., negative in total) then the neuron is less likely to fire. If the total/net effect is excitatory (i.e. positive in total), the neuron will be more likely to fire.

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26
Q

Which branch of the NS kicks in when the body perceives a stressor (fight or flight)?

A

Sympathetic NS (section of the autonomic nervous system)

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27
Q

Name some bodily symptoms you may have during fight or flight.

A

Heart rate increases, increased breathing rate for lungs, pupils dilate, reduction of essential digestive functions.

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28
Q

What system returns the body back to normal after fight or flight (known as rest and digest)?

A

Parasympathetic.

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29
Q

What does FMRI stand for?

A

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

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30
Q

How does an FMRI work?

A

Detects changes in blood oxygenation that occurs due to neural activity in brain.

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31
Q

If you want to study areas of the brain active during tasks which scan would you use?

A

FMRI

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32
Q

Which technique is used to investigate the brain after death?

A

Post mortem

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33
Q

In what case would you use a post-mortem?

A

For cases where individuals have had serious/rare brain disorders during life etc.

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34
Q

What does EEG stand for?

A

Electroencephalogram.

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35
Q

What does an EEG do?

A

Measures electrical activity in the brain via electrodes.

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36
Q

Why might you use an EEG?

A

Epilepsy, sleep disorders, tumours etc.

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37
Q

Difference between synchronised and de-synchronised patterns on EEG?

A

Synchronised pattern= alpha, beta, theta (pattern can be detected).
De-synchronised pattern (no pattern can be detected).

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38
Q

How has an EEG helped us?

A

Stages of sleep, disorders etc.

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39
Q

What is an issue with an EEG?

A

The brainwaves are too generalised (not specific).

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40
Q

What is an ERP?

A

Event Related Potential.

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41
Q

Why do we used Event Related Potential?

A

Uses statistical averaging technique to remove all other brain waves except for the specific one you want to look at.

42
Q

Which scanning techniques have good spatial resolution?

A

FMRI and Post Mortem

43
Q

Which scanning techniques have the best temporal resolution?

A

EEG, ERPs.

44
Q

What is the idea of localisation?

A

Particular parts of the brain are associated with particular functions and processes.

45
Q

What is the idea of the brain being holistic?

A

The idea there isn’t specific areas for functions, the whole brain is used at the same time.

46
Q

Name the four main lobes.

A

Parietal, frontal lobe, temporal lobe, occipital lobe.

47
Q

What is the occipital lobe responsible for?

A

Sight (visual cortex).

48
Q

What is the temporal lobe responsible for?

A

Sound (auditory cortex)

49
Q

What is the parietal lobe responsible for?

A

Sensory perception and integration.

50
Q

What is the frontal lobe responsible for?

A

Higher cognitive functions, memory, emotions, impulse.

51
Q

Where is the motor cortex?

A

Frontal lobe

52
Q

Where is the somatosensory area?

A

Parietal (senses)

53
Q

Where is the Broca’s area?

A

Left of frontal lobe.

54
Q

Where is the Wernicke’s area?

A

Left temporal lobe.

55
Q

What is Broca’s Aphasia?

A

Disorder characterised by problems producing speech with fluency.

56
Q

What is Wernicke’s Aphasia?

A

Disorder characterised by problems with language comprehension.

57
Q

What is the idea of lateralisation?

A

The two hemispheres (left and right) functions different in separate hemispheres.

58
Q

What is the belief about language?

A

Localised to left hemisphere.

59
Q

What research allowed us to understand lateralisation more?

A

Sperry- split brain participants.

60
Q

Explain procedure of Sperry.

A

11 Split Brain Participants (corpus callosum.
Had brain split due to seizures. Set up a screen where words flashed to RVF or LVF.

61
Q

What does it mean that the brain hemispheres are contralateral?

A

The right hemisphere controls the left side of the body and the left hemisphere controls the right side of the body.

62
Q

Why is vision different in regards to lateralisation?

A

Both contralateral and ipsilateral.
RVF goes to LH, LVF goes to RH. Unless binocular vision (both used).

63
Q

Describe the findings of Sperry’s research?

A

When word flashed to LVF (RH) could not say the word but could pick it up with left hand.
When word flashes to RVF (LH) could both say the word and pick up with right hand.

64
Q

What did Sperry tell us about lateralisation?

A

Language may be lateralised to the left hemisphere. Things like vision, motor ability etc in both.

65
Q

What is plasticity?

A

Ability of the brain to change and adapt its structures and processes as a result of experience and new learning

66
Q

What is functional recovery?

A

the way that certain abilities of the brain may be moved or redistributed rather than lost following brain damage or trauma.

67
Q

What period of time do we have a rapid growth of synaptic connections?

A

Infancy

68
Q

What do we call it when the brain severs connections that are not used after the explosion of learning in infancy?

A

Synaptic pruning.

69
Q

The growth of new nerve endings which connect with other undamaged nerve cells to form new neuronal pathways.

A

Axonal Sprouting.

70
Q

What are reformation of blood vessels?

A

Facilitates the growth of new neural pathways

71
Q

This occurs when axons that do a similar job become aroused to a higher level to compensate for the ones that are lost. However, it can have the negative consequence of oversensitivity to messages such as pain.

A

Denervation supersensitivity

72
Q

Recruitment of homologous (similar) areas

A

An example would be if Broca’s area was damaged on the left side of the brain, the right-sided equivalent would carry out its functions. After a period of time, functionality may then shift back to the left side

73
Q

What was the Maguire (2000) Taxi Driver study?

A

Found significantly more volume of grey matter in the posterior hippocampus than in a matched control group.

74
Q

What is a biological rhythm?

A

Distinct patterns of changes in the body activity that conform to cyclical time periods.

75
Q

What is a circadian rhythm?

A

A biological rhythm that is subject to a 24 hour cycle which regulate a number of bodily processes.

76
Q

Can you give an example of two circadian rhythms?

A

Core body temperature and the sleep wake cycle.

77
Q

What might affect a biological rhythm such as a circadian rhythm?

A

Internal bodily clocks (endogenous pacemakers) and external changes in environment (exogenous zeitgerbers)

78
Q

What are some examples of research into circadian rhythms?

A

Folkard, Siffree

79
Q

What did Siffree find when spending time in a cave?

A

His biological clock settled down to 25 hours- just outside the normal 24 hours.

80
Q

What did Folkard find in his research?

A

After trying to speed up a clock in a cave to represent a 22 hour cycle, the 11/12 of the participants struggled to adjust. Suggesting naturally have a 24 hour cycle.

81
Q

Name some exogenous zeitgerbers that might influence our sleep wake cycle

A

Light, social cues, eating etc

82
Q

How does the endogenous pacemaker work?

A

The body picks up on light through the optic chiasm, the suprachiasmatic nucleus refers the information of dark and light to the pineal gland which subsequently releases melatonin in the body at these times for sleep and wakefulness.

83
Q

What is a strength of circadian rhythms?

A

Been used to improve medical treatments e.g chronotheraputics.
E.G taking aspirin late at night for blood pressure as that is when it is at its lowest.

84
Q

What is a limitation of circadian rhythms?

A

Most research is based on small samples and therefore might not be generalisable.

85
Q

Why is there arguments that changing the school day wouldn’t benefit students?

A

They may stay up even later which would mean the same situation of sleep debt etc.

86
Q

What is an infradian rhythm?

A

A type of biological rhythm with a frequency of less than one cycle in 24 hours (occurs over a longer period)

87
Q

What is a ultradian rhythm?

A

A type of biological rhythm with a frequency of more than one cycle in 24 hours (occurs more than once in 24 hours).

88
Q

Name an example of an infradian rhythm?

A

Menstrual Cycle/Seasonal Affective Disorder.

89
Q

Name an example of an ultradian rhythm?

A

Stages of sleep.

90
Q

Why is the menstrual cycle an example of an infradian rhythm?

A

Governed by monthly changes in hormone levels which regulate ovulation.
Cycle refers to time between first day of woman’s period, when womb lining is shed and the day before her next period.

91
Q

How long is a typical menstrual cycle?

A

28 days (can vary 24-35 though).

92
Q

How do endogenous factors and exogenous factors affect the menstrual cycle?

A

Endogenous = oestrogen/progesterone.
Exogenous= female pheromones, diet, stress, exercise.

93
Q

What did Kathleen Stern and Martha McClintock (1998) study show?

A

Demonstrated how menstrual cycles may synchronise as a result of the influence of female pheromones.
29 women, history of irregular periods. Cotton pad under armpit 8 hours - frozen treated with alcohol.
68% women experienced changes to cycle.

94
Q

What is SAD?

A

A depressive disorder which has a seasonal pattern of onset and is described as a mental disorder in DSM 5.

95
Q

What are the symptoms of SAD?

A

Persistent low mood, general lack of activity and interest in life.

96
Q

How is SAD linked to biological rhythms?

A

Circannual rhythm (yearly) but also circadian (affects sleep wake cycle).
Hormone melatonin implicated in cause of sad- lack of light means secretion process continues for longer. Thought to have knock on effect on production of serotonin.

97
Q

What is an effective treatment for SAD?

A

Light therapy. (Sanassi, 2014) studies have shown light boxes may reduce symptoms of SAD in 80% of people.

98
Q

Explain how the sleep stages work (ultradian).

A

Stage 1/2 light sleep (alpha waves) - sleep spindles.

Stage 3 and 4 (deep sleep/slow wave sleep) delta waves.

Stage 5 (REM SLEEP) theta waves, dreams occur etc.

99
Q

Why is it good to look at the stages of sleep in lab settings?

A

Control for extraneous variables.

100
Q

Why has research into the sleep stages and ultradian rhythms had practical applications?

A

Allowed us to understand how sleep changes as you age and how this implicates things such as growth hormones.

101
Q

What is an issue with looking at the sleep wake sample on small samples of people?

A

Sleep cycles may vary.

102
Q

When looking at female pheromones on the menstrual cycle- what could be a methodological problem?

A

Other factors may have changed their menstrual cycle including diet, stress, exercise.

A2 Psychology (10 decks)

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