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brain and neuropsychology Flashcards

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1
Q

function of nervous system

A

collects and responds to info
coordinates organs like brain

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2
Q

subdivisions of nervous system

A

CNS and PNS
PNS - ANS + SNS
ANS - sympathetic and parasympathetic

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3
Q

CNS

A

central nervous system
right hemisphere controls left

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4
Q

PNS

A

peripheral nervous system
info from outside world to CNS
info from CNS to muscles

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5
Q

ANS

A

autonomic nervous system
involuntarily
breathing heart rate digestion
has two divisions to it

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6
Q

SNS

A

somatic nervous system
voluntary movement of muscles
takes in info from sensory organs

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7
Q

homeostasis

A

maintains balanced internal state eg temp at 37 degrees
monitors activity of body organs

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8
Q

automatic system

A

no conscious control because functions are vital to life

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9
Q

sympathetic nervous system

A

physiological arousal
triggered when stressed
fight or flight

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10
Q

parasympathetic nervous system

A

opposite to sympathetic
produces rest and digest body response to return body to normal state

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11
Q

fight or flight

A

hypothalamus detects threat sympathetic of ans triggered
ans changes from
parasympathetic to aroused sympathetic
adrenaline released into bloodstream
physiological changes eg increases heart rate and decreased digestion
gets body to confront threat or energy to run
parasympathetic division of ans takes over after threat has passed

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12
Q

james lange theory of emotion

A

physiological arousal first then emotion
hypothalamus arouses sympathetic
adrenaline released
brain interprets physiological activity
causes emotion

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13
Q

example of james lange theory of emotion

A

meet bear in forest
hypothalamus arouses sympathetic in ans
triggers adrenaline
physiological arousal eg muscle tense, heart rate increase
interpreted as fear

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14
Q

strength of james lange theory

A

real live examples
phobias
emotional states seem to follow physiological arousal
eg person trips in public
emotion reaction eg embarrassment
leads to them avoiding public situations due to association between situation and emotion
emotion and avoidance occur as a result of physiological reaction

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15
Q

weakness of james lange

A

challenged by canon bard theory
experience emotions and physiological arousal simultaneously
eg embarrassment and blushing together at same time
draws attention to emotional situations that lange would struggle to explain

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16
Q

weakness of james lange

A

too simple
emotion more complex
two factor theory (singer et al 62)
social cues needed to correctly label emotion we are feeling
eg heart racing in dark valley - fear
heart racing when kissing - excitement
can be interpreted very differently depending on social cues

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17
Q

types of neuron

A

sensory
motor
relay

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18
Q

sensory neuron

A

pns to cns
long dendrite short axon

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19
Q

relay neuron

A

connect sensory to motor
short dendrite short axon

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20
Q

motor neuron

A

cns to muscles
short dendrite long axon

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21
Q

cell body

A

nucleus containing dna

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22
Q

axon

A

carries signals
covered in myelin sheath which helps and protects

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23
Q

myelin sheath

A

fatty covering of axon with nodes of ranvier
insulation and speeds signals

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24
Q

terminal button

A

end of axon
part of synapse

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25
Q

electrical transmission

A

how neurons fire
resting state= negative
when firing charge inside cell changes which created action potentials

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26
Q

synapse

A

where neurons communicate with each other
made up of synaptic cleft, presynaptic neuron and postsynaptic neuron

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27
Q

release of neurotransmitters

A

electrical signal causes vesicles in presynaptic terminal button to release neurotransmitter into synaptic cleft

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28
Q

reuptake of neurotransmitters

A

neurotransmitters in synaptic cleft attaches to post synaptic receptor sites
chemical message turns to electrical impulse
remaining neurotransmitters absorbed

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29
Q

excitation and inhibition

A

excitatory neurotransmitter increases postsynaptic neurons charge more likely to fire
inhibitory neurotransmitter increases negative charge less likely to fire

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30
Q

summation

A

more excitatory than inhibitory means neuron fires creating electrical impulse

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31
Q

hebbs theory

A

brain is plastic
synaptic connection become stronger more they are used
brain can change and develop

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32
Q

hebbs theory
brain adapting

A

brain changes in response to new experiences

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33
Q

hebbs theory
engram

A

learning leaves a trace called engram
can be made permanent if we rehearse learning

34
Q

hebbs theory
neuronal growth

A

when learning groups of neurons also called cell assemblies fire together
more this happens stronger synaptic connections between them become
cell assemblies more efficient
change physically and grow so they can manage new learning more effectively

35
Q

strength of hebbs theory

A

scientific basis for understanding behaviour
explained cognitive processes in terms of brain function
his work led to an increase focus on brain
shows it’s possible to study learning though brain processes

36
Q

strength of hebbs theory

A

applied to education
more stimulating and rich env more cell assemblies grow and learn
encourages learning

37
Q

weakness of hebbs study

A

learning reduced to neuronal level
learning involved no of diff levels of understanding
eg can also be explained as a cognitive activity that involves change to our thought processes
also a social activity we learn by observing others
reductionist
doesnt look at wider factors

38
Q

structure of brain

A

two hemispheres 4 lobes + cerebellum

39
Q

4 lobes

A

frontal
parietal
occipital
temporal

40
Q

frontal lobe

A

motor area
front
controls thinking planning and movement

41
Q

parietal lobe

A

somatosensory area
behind frontal
sensation processed

42
Q

occipital

A

visual area
back of brain
vision

43
Q

temporal

A

auditory/language area
behind frontal and below parietal
speech and learning

44
Q

cerebellum

A

recieves info from spinal and brain
movement and balance
attention and lang too

45
Q

motor area

A

movement on opposite side of body

46
Q

somatosensory

A

sensitive body parts take up most space
damage would mean less ability to feel pain

47
Q

visual

A

damage to left hemisphere would affect right visual field

48
Q

auditory area

A

damage can lead to deafness

49
Q

language area

A

left hemisphere only
broca’s area
wernickes area

50
Q

broca’s area

A

damage leads to difficulty remembering and forming words

51
Q

wernickes area

A

damage leads to difficulty understanding and producing meaningful speech

52
Q

penfields aim

A

to describe psychological responses patients have when parts of brain were electrically stimulated to determine localisation of function

53
Q

penfields method

A

epileptic
conscious
local anaesthetic used
montreal procedure use to stimulate diff areas
1000 cases

54
Q

penfields results

A

visual area stimulated
colours and shadows

somatosensory
tingling sensation of a false sense of movement

temporal
two diff response
reliving past experiences
emotions or feelings related to experience
strong sense of deja vu

55
Q

penfields conclusion

A

temporal lobe must have role in storing memories of past events
stored in two diff ways
facts of experience and meaning of the facts for individual
interpretive cortex - area that stores info on feelings

56
Q

strength of penfields study

A

very precise method
detailed investigations
could stimulate exact same area
enables map of brain to be made helping neuroscience

57
Q

weakness of penfields study

A

unusual sample
severe epilepsy
epilepsy perhaps changed structure of brain
not same in non epileptic brain

58
Q

weakness of penfields study

A

later research didn’t support original findings
40/520 later said they could recall past experiences when interpretive cortex stimulated
interpretive cortex does not respond in same way
lacks validity

59
Q

cognitive neuroscience aim

A

aims to create detailed map of localised functions

60
Q

structure and function of brain relating to behaviour

A

front and motor: movement
temporal and amygdala: emotion and aggression

61
Q

structure and function of brain relating to cognition

A

diff types of memory on diff areas of brain

62
Q

cognitive neuroscience and mental illness

A

low serotonin affects thinking eg suicidal thoughts and behaviour eg low mood

63
Q

cognition

A

mental processes of mind
eg memory and perception

64
Q

importance of localisation

A

damage to areas of brain affect certain areas/ behaviour

65
Q

effects of stroke

A

brain deprived of oxygen
areas of brain die
affecting behaviour
unless other parts take over localisation of function

66
Q

effects of neurological damage on motor ability

A

problems with fine and complex movements
damage to left hemisphere affects righ vice versa

67
Q

effects of neurological damage on behaviour

A

broca’s aphasia
problems producing speech

wernickes aphasia
problams understanding speech

68
Q

scanning techniques

A

ct
pet
fmri

69
Q

CT scans

A

large doughnut shaped scanner that rotates
lots of x rays that are combined to give detailed pic

70
Q

PET scans

A

patient injected with radioactive glucose
activity shown on computer

71
Q

fMRI

A

measures change in blood oxygen levels
3d computer image

72
Q

evaluation of ct scan

A

strength
quality higher than regular x ray

weakness
high levels of radiation
still images

73
Q

evaluation of pet scan

A

strength
shows brain in action
localisation of function

weakness
expensive
may be unethical due to radiation

74
Q

evaluation of fmri scan

A

strength
clear images without use of radiation

weakness
expensive
have to stay very still

75
Q

tulvings aim

A

if episodic memories produced blood flow in diff parts of the brain than semantic memories

76
Q

tulvings method

A

6 volunteers including him and wife
injected with radioactive holds
active areas shown on pet scan using gamma rays
8 trials
4 episodic 4 semantic random order
repeated measure design
episodic personal experience
semantic historical facts

77
Q

tulvings result

A

clear difference in blood flow patterns for 3/6 participants
semantic memories greater conc of blood flow to posterior cortex (back)
episodic anterior cortex (front)

78
Q

tulvings conclusion

A

episodic and semantic are seperate forms of ltm
located in diff parts of brain
supports idea of memeory having biological basis
diff types of memory localised diff places

79
Q

strength of tulvings study

A

objective scientific evidence
lab tests participants may change behaviour and influence results
difficult for participants to do here
impossible to fake brain scan
unbiased evidence

80
Q

weakness of tulvings

A

sample restricted
only 6
differences in blood flow seen in only 3
inconclusive stat
so few showed same pattern of blood flow
hard to generalise

81
Q

weakness of tulvings

A

episodic and semantic very similar
no clear divide between two types of memory
explains inconclusive results

82
Q

incidence of mental health problems

A

depression = 2.6/100
anxiety = 4.7/100
ed = 1.6/100
1/2 mental health problems

psychology (7 decks)

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