Biopsychology Flashcards
What are the 2 language areas?
Broca’s Area and Wernicke’s Area
What is Broca’s area involved in?
Language production
What is Wernicke’s area involved in?
Processing language
What is plasticity?
The brain’s tendency to change and adapt as a result of experience and learning by growing new connections
What is synaptic pruning?
Where connections are lost due to lack of use
What is synaptic bridging?
Where new connections are created due to use and new stimulus
What is a weakness of plasticity?
Negative plasticity - May have negative consequences on later life
What is a strength of plasticity?
Age and plasticity - Brain plasticity may be a life-long ability
What is functional recovery?
The ability to redistribute or transfer functions usually preformed by a damaged area to an undamaged area after trauma
What are the 3 structural changes to the brain in functional recovery?
Axonal sprouting, denervation supersensitivity and recruitment of homologous areas
What is axonal sprouting in functional recovery?
The growth of new nerve endings which connect with other undamaged nerve cells to form new neuronal pathways
What is denervation supersensitivity in functional recovery?
When axons that do a similar job become aroused to a higher level to compensate for the ones that are lost
What is recruitment of homologous areas in functional recovery?
Similar areas on opposite sides of the brain take over
What is a strength of functional recovery?
Real-world application - Constraint induced movement therapy is used with stroke patients
What is a weakness of functional recovery?
Cognitive reserve - Level of education may influence recovery rates
What is hemispheric lateralisation?
The assumption that the 2 hemispheres of the brain function differently
What is a strength of lateralisation?
Lateralisation in the connected brain - when people with connected brains were asked to look at an image as a whole, the RH was more active and when looking at the details, the LH was more active
What is a weakness of lateralisation?
One brain - there is no dominant side to the brain
What does the visual centre do?
Process visual information
What does the auditory centre do?
Process audial information
What does the motor cortex do?
Controls conscious movement
What does the somatosensory cortex do?
Detects sensory events like touch
What is the nervous system?
Controls the CNS and the PNS through electrical signals
What is the CNS?
(Central nervous system) consists of the brain and the spinal cord, origin of all complex commands and decisions
What is the PNS?
(Peripheral nervous system) Sends information to the CNS from the outside world, transmits messages from the CNS to muscles and glands
What is the SNS?
(Somatic nervous system) Transmits information from receptor cells in the sense organs to the CNS, receives information from the CNS that directs muscles to act
What is the ANS?
(Autonomic nervous system) Transmits information to and form internal bodily organs, operates involuntarily, 2 main divisions : sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system
What is a neuron?
Nerve cells that process and transmit messages through electrical and chemical signals
What are sensory neurons?
Carry messages from the PNS to the CNS, have long dendrites and short axons
What are relay neurons?
Connect the sensory neurons to the motor or other relay neurons, short dendrites and short axons
What are motor neurons?
Connect the CNS to effectors such as muscles and glands, short dendrites and long axons
