Biopsychology Research

Question 1

What two pieces of research are you going to learn for localisation?

Answer 1

• Dougherty at al. (2002)
• Buckner and Petersen (1996)

Question 2

What was the Dougherty et al (2002) research?

Answer 2

This piece of research reported on 44 people with OCD who had undergone a cingulotomy (isolation of the cingulate gyrus). It found out that 30% of the patients met the requirements to say that the surgery was successful and 14% with a partial success

Question 3

Does the Dougherty et al. (2002) research show support for localisation?

Answer 3

This piece of research shows partial support for localisation due to the 30% of patients succeeding, but if the cingulate gyrus was the specifically localised area for OCD, this would be 100%

Question 4

What is the Buckner and Petersen (1996) research? And also the Petersen et al. (1988)?

Answer 4

This was a review of long term memory studies that revealed that semantic and episodic memories reside in different parts of the prefrontal cortex. Additional, Peterson et al. (1988) found that Wernickes area was active during a listening task and same for the Broca’s area during a reading task

Question 5

Does Buckner and Petersen (1996) and Petersen et al. (1988) show support for localisation?

Answer 5

Yes due to certain areas being active during certain tasks, showing that certain activities take place in certain areas of the brain

Question 6

Which study are you going to use for essays surrounding plasticity?

Answer 6

Maguire et al. (2000)

Question 7

What are the findings of Maguire’s study?

Answer 7

Found that in London Taxi Drivers, they have significantly more volume of grey matter in the posterior hippocampus than in a matched control group. The longer they had been in the job, the more pronounced the structural difference (a positive correlation)

Question 8

What pieces of research should you use for functional recovery?

Answer 8

• Danelli et al. (2013)
• Taijiri et al. (2013)

Question 9

What are the findings of Danelli et al. (2013)?

Answer 9

Found that patients recovering from left-hemisphere strokes can recruit right-hemisphere regions for language functions

Question 10

What are the findings of Taijiri et al (2013)?

Answer 10

Stem cells provided to rats after brain trauma led to neuron-like cell development in the injury site, suggesting brain damage can be repaired

Question 11

What pieces of research should you use for the impact of the sleep/wake circadian rhythm?

Answer 11

• Boivin et al. (1996)
• Knutsson (2003)

Question 12

What are the findings of Boivin et al?

Answer 12

Found that night workers that are engaged in shift work experience a period of reduced concentration around 6 in the morning (circadian trough)

Question 13

What are the findings of Knutsson (2003)?

Answer 13

It found that shift workers are three times more likely to develop heart disease than people who work more typical work patterns

Question 14

What piece of research should you use for teenage sleeping?

Answer 14

• Wolfson and Carskadon (1998)

Question 15

What other pieces of research should be used for showing changes in people’s sleep/wake cycle?

Answer 15

• Czeisler (1999)

Question 16

What are the findings of Czeisler (1999)?

Answer 16

Found individual differences in sleep/wake cycles varying from 13 to 65 hours compared to 24 hours

Question 17

What piece of research should you use for light as an exogenous zeitgeber?

Answer 17

Siffre

Question 18

What are the findings of Siffre?

Answer 18

Siffre is a self-styled caveman who spend several periods of time studying the effects on his own biological rhythms. His sleep schedule went slightly more than 24 hours

Question 19

What piece of research should you use for social cues as an exogenous zeitgeber?

Answer 19

• Laughton Miles et al. (1977)

Question 20

What are the findings of Laughton Miles et al. (1977)?

Answer 20

This is the study of a man who was blind from birth, who had an abnormal circadian rhythm of 24.9 hours. Despite being exposed to social cues, his sleep/wake cycle could not be adjusted

Question 21

What piece of research should you use as an exogenous zeitgeber for the menstrual cycle?

Answer 21

• Reinberg (1967)

Question 22

What are the findings of Reinberg’s study?

Answer 22

It examined a woman who spent three months in a cave with only a small lamp. It was seen that her menstrual cycle shortened from 28 to 25.7 days.

Question 23

What pieces of research should you use for the stages of sleep ultradian rhythm?

Answer 23

• Shapiro (1981)
• Haider (1970)

Question 24

What are the findings of Shapiro (1981)?

Answer 24

Ultramarathon runners showed longer sleep after intense physical activity. Also an increased proportion in slow wave sleep, suggesting N3 sleep is for physical recovery of the body

Question 25

What are the findings of Haider (1970)?

Answer 25

An EEG of 10 patients recovering from drug overdoes showed increased REM sleep, suggesting REM sleep is for mental recovery