Biopsychology (general) Flashcards
6 biological changes associated with the sympathetic state
Increased heart rate, increased breathing rate, dilated pupils, inhibited digestion, inhibited saliva production, contracted rectum
6 biological changes associated with the parasympathetic state
Decreased heart rate, decreased breathing rate, constricted pupils, stimulated digestion, stimulated saliva production, relaxed rectum
8 major endocrine glands
Hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, pancreas, ovaries, testes
Describe the fight or flight process (HPA)
When a stressor is perceived, the hypothalamus triggers activity in the sympathetic branch of the ANS, changing it to its physiologically aroused state. Adrenaline is released from the adrenal medulla into the bloodstream.
Describe the process of synaptic transmission
Action potential passes down the axon. The neurotransmitters collect in synaptic vesicles, which then defuse from the presynaptic nerve terminal, across the synapse, to the postsynaptic receptor sites on the dendrite
Describe the process of the firing of a neuron
The neuron is activated by a stimulus, making the inside of the cell positively charged for a split second, causing an action potential to occur
Describe the case study of Phineas Gage
Phineas Gage had a meter-long pole hurled through his skull in an accident, which removed most of his left frontal lobe. He survived, but the brain damage made him become quick-tempered and ‘no longer Gage’. This suggests that the frontal lobe is responsible for mood regulation.
Outline Peterson et al’s study supporting localisation of function
They used brain scans to demonstrate how Wernicke’s area was active during a listening task, and Broca’s area was active during a reading task, suggesting that these different areas have different functions.
Outline Lashley’s study supporting the holistic theory of the brain
He removed areas of the cortex in rats learning a maze. No area was proven to be more important than any other in terms of the rat’s ability to lean the maze. This suggests that learning is too complex to be localised, requiring every part of the cortex.
3 structural changes which take place in the brain during recovery
Axonal sprouting, reformation of blood vessels, recruitment of homologous areas on the opposite side of the brain to perform specific tasks
Outline Maguire et al’s research into plasticity
They studied the brains of London cabbies and found significantly more grey matter in the hippocampus, the part of the brain associated with spatial and navigational skills, than in a control group. This supports plasticity as the structure of the cabbies’ brains is shown to have adapted due to the nature of their work.
Describe a practical application of plasticity
Following injury physical therapy may be required to maintain improvement in functioning in the brain (neurorehabilitation). Understanding of plasticity has helped to develop techniques such as movement therapy and electrical stimulation.
Outline the procedure and findings of Sperry’s ‘describing what you see’ study variation
A picture was shown in either the right visual field or the left visual field of a split brain patient. When it was in the right side, the patient could easily describe what they could see, but when it was in the left, they could not. This suggests that language is processed in the left hemisphere.
Outline the procedure and findings of Sperry’s ‘recognition by touch’ study variation
A picture was shown in the left visual field of a split brain patient. Then the patient had to choose an object related to the picture from a bag using their left hand. Although they couldn’t describe the picture, they could choose the corresponding object. This suggests that spatial awareness is processed in the right hemisphere.
Outline the procedure and findings of Sperry’s ‘composite words’ study variation
Two words were presented simultaneously to the left and right visual fields. Sperry found that the split brain patient would write the word on the left and say the word on the right. This suggests that drawing skills are controlled by the right hemisphere.
Outline the procedure and findings of Sperry’s ‘matching faces’ study variation
The patient was asked to match a face from a series of other faces. The picture in the left visual field was constantly selected while the picture in the right visual field was ignored. This suggests that facial recognition is based in the right hemisphere.
State a strength of Sperry’s research
His split-brain experiments involved highly specialised and standardised procedures.
State a weakness of Sperry’s research
His research was conducted on 11 split brain patients with histories of epilepsy. This was a small, unusual sample, meaning that the results lack generalisability.
Outline how fMRIs work
They work by detecting changes in blood oxygenation and flow which occur as a result of brain activity.
Outline how EEGs work
Electrodes are attached to the scalp which produce a scan representing brainwave patterns that are generated from the action of millions of neurons
Outline how ERPs work
ERPs tease out and isolate specifically neural responses by filtering out extraneous brain activity from the EEG using a statistical averaging technique.
What are two strengths of fMRIs?
It does not rely on the use of radiation and is therefore virtually risk free and noninvasive. It also has high spatial resolution.
What are three weaknesses of fMRIs?
It is very expensive and has poor temporal resolution (there is a 5 second time lag). It also cannot home in on the activity of individual neurons.
What are two strengths of EEGs?
It has high temporal resolution and has application in the diagnosis of conditions such as epilepsy.
What is one weakness of EEGs?
The information it produces is general and is not able to pinpoint the exact source of the neural activity.
What are two strengths of ERPs?
They produce much more specific information than EEGs and have excellent temporal resolution.
