Biopsychology Flashcards
Nervous System:
Central: spinal cord, brain. Sensory information, physiological processes, involuntary movements.
Somatic: nerves.
Autonomic: involuntary action.
Sympathetic: increased heart rate, blood pressure.
Parasympathetic: antagonistic.
Neurons:
Sensory move from senses to CNS. Relay move between sensory and motor. Motor move to effectors.
Released neurotransmitters cross synaptic cleft to postsynaptic membrane, reuptake.
Excitatory: increases likelihood to fire. Inhibitory: less likely to fire.
Summation: net total of transmitters.
Endocrine System:
Produces and secretes hormones. Regulates activity of cells.
Pituitary gland: anterior releases ACTH stimulates production of LH and FSH. Posterior releases oxytocin.
Adrenal gland: cortex produces cortisol and aldosterone. Medulla releases adrenaline and noradrenaline.
Ovaries: oestrogen and progesteron.
Testes: testosterone.
Fight or Flight: AO1.
Amygdala and hypothalamus: senses stressors and stimulates sympathetic nervous system.
Acute stressors: SNS and adrenaline: heartbeat, blood pressure, opposed by PNS.
Chronic stressors: hypothalamus releases CRH, pituitary releases ACTH which stimulates adrenal glands, giving positive or negative effects, monitors and regulates.
Fight or Flight: AO3.
Taylor et al: females tend and befriend as primary caregivers.
Studies using rats suggest a physiological response of a release of oxytocin. Physical damage of fight or flight. Ignores freeze response as a possibility. Lee and Harley: SRY gene on the Y chromosome prepares males to respond in a certain way to stresses.
Localisation of Function: AO1.
Motor cortex: frontal lobe. Somatosensory cortex: touch, pressure, pain, temperature. Visual cortex: occipital lobe, retina, optic nerve. Auditory centre: temporal lobe, cochlea, brain stem.
Broca’s area: understands language, cannot speak or write (Tan). Posterior of left frontal lobe.
Wernicke’s are: speak, unable to understand. Posterior of left temporal lobe.
Localisation of Function: AO3.
Equipotentiality: motor and sensory localised, higher mental functions were not. Intact areas could take over injuries. Communication may be more important than localisation.
Expressive aphasia: impaired ability to produce language.
Receptive aphasia: impaired ability to understand language.
Bavelier et al: variation in patterns of activation.
Harasty et al: women have larger Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas.
Dronkers et al: other areas could’ve contributed to reduced speech abilities.
Lateralisation of Function: AO1.
Each hemisphere has functional specialisations.
Left: dominant for language and speech. Right: visual and motor tasks. Connected by corpus callosum.
Sperry and Gazzaniga: left goes to right, right goes to left.
Corpus callosum cut in split brain patients. Could notice images presented to the right visual field but not on the left.
Laterlisation of Function: AO3.
Increases neural processing.
Rogers et al: finding food, watching predators. Architects have superior right hemisphere skills, left handed, immune system problems. Individual differences, decreases with age.
JW developed capacity to speak from the right hemisphere.
Small sample group.
Plasticity and Functional Recovery: AO1.
Plasticity: frequent nerve pathways strengthened. Rarely used died. Natural decline in functioning with age. Kuhn et al: control group vs training group. Increase in grey matter.
Davidson et al: Tibetan monks with student volunteers. Increases gamma wave activity.
Functional recovery: neuronal unmasking: increasing synapse impulses reopens damaged and dormant neurons.
Stem cells can ‘rescue’ damaged neurons.
Plasticity and Functional Recovery: AO3.
Support from animal studies.
Maguire et al: London taxi drivers, larger posterior hippocampus.
Difficult to establish correlation/causation.
Tajiri et al: stem cell recovery in rats.
Age and educational differences in functional recovery.
Circadian Rhythms: AO1.
Controlled by suprachiasmatic nucleus. 24 hour cycle. Sleep-wake cycle. Core body temperature, hormone production and release (melatonin, sleep, in dark.)
Siffre: no external cues, in a cave, increased circadian rhythms increased over 24 hours.
Circadian Rhythms: AO3.
Hughes: antarctic station. Cortisol levels usually higher when awaking, higher at noon. Variation in cycle length and cycle onset. Difficult to research, hard to avoid artificial light.
Chemotherapeutics: timing affects drug treatment, release of drugs at needed times.
Temperatures may be more important than light in dictating circadian rhythms.
Ultradian and Infradian Rhythms: AO1.
Ultradian: less than 24 hours. Sleep stages, basic rest activity cycle.
Infradian: more than 24 hours.
Weekly - hormone levels, sexual activity.
Monthly - menstrual cycle.
Annual - seasons.
Ultradian and Infradian Rhythms: AO3.
Individual differences in sleep stages. Violinists prove importance of BRAC.
Russell et al: sweat samples, synchronised menstrual cycle, pheromones.
Influences mate choice.
Belief in lunar rhythms.
