ch. 1 Flashcards
Neuroscience
the study of the nervous system
Behavioral Neuroscience
The study of neural mechanisms underlying behavior and mental processes.
5 viewpoints of behavioral neuroscience
1.) describing behavior
2.) Otogeny (development of behavior)
3.)Mechanisms of behavior
4.)Application of behavior
5.) evolution of behavior
Somatic Intervention
alterations to brain/body structure/function to see how behavior is changed/affected
ex.) administering hormone affects “strength in mating behavior”
behavioral intervention
alter behavior implemented to see how brain structure/function is changed/affected
- how does experience change the brain
ex.) change in hormone levels in a male due to presence of a female
correlation
extent to which a neural measure varies with a behavioral measure
-correlation is not causation
-suggests direct or indirect link
Neuroplasticity
the structure of the brain is changing with experience and the environment
-not just restricted to the developing brain
-occurs in response to stressors, damage, the environment, learning new hobbies
-ex.) aversive conditioning (prev. neutral stimulus is paired with an aversive outcome repeatedly and reliably)
Levels of Analyzing the Link of Brain and Behavior
social level>organ level>neural systems level>brain region level>circuit level>cellular level>synaptic level>molecular level
-reductionism= breaking down system into units to better understand it
Reductionism
breaking down system into units to better understand it
Behavior (simplification)
procedure to reduce complexity of experimental analysis
Behavior (generalization)
general conclusions based on many observations
Explanatory reductionism
process of studying components of system that’ll explain properties of the system as a whole
Physiological expl. of behavior
(proximate) relationship b/w behavior & activity of brain/other organs
Ontogenetic expl. of behavior
(proximate) development within individual (genes, nutrition, experience, etc.)
Functional expl. of behavior
(ultimate) purpose served by particular behavior (adaptation for survival)
Phylogenetic expl. of behavior
(ultimate) evolutionary organization of the capacity for particular behavior
Mentalism
philosophical position that an immaterial mind is responsible for behavior
(Aristotle)
Dualism
belief that body is physical but mind is not; mind & brain are separate but interacting
(Descartes)
unilateral neglect
damage to right parietal cortex; reported lack of awareness of left half of objects
- not blind or numb
Wilder Penfield
electrically stimulated brain sides during surgical ablations; occasionally evoked visual/auditory hallucinations ~ memories (esp. temporal lobes)
- repeated stimulation at same site evoked responses in same modality but diff. contexts
Describe the reasons why we use animals in research.
• Studying physiology and behaviors of animals contribute to health and well-being of humans and animals.
- Similar mechanisms of behavior, easier to understand
- Some processes are exaggerated
- Interest in animals for their own sake
• Study of animals can be a source of insight into evolution
- Natural selection is one of most important foundations of science
• Many questions cannot be answered by human experiments
- Animals have shorter reproductive growth cycles, which are critical for genetic and developmental experiments
- Ethical issues
• Animal research has led to development of conservation programs
(1) characterize normal physiological & psychological processes
(2) characterize abnormal functioning
(3) screen drugs for efficacy/toxicity
Describe the laws and guidelines that govern use of animals in research.
Federal:
- Animal Welfare Act
- Health Research Extension Act
- Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals
- Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AALAC)
- Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW)
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Funding agencies (grants):
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Private Foundations
University of Florida:
- Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
Professional societies (presentation and publication of findings):
- Society for Neuroscience (SFN)
- American Psychological Association (APA)
- all scientific journals, etc….
refinement (in animal research)
alternative technique or procedures to minimize potential pain, distress, or discomfort to animals being tested
Reduction (in animal research)
alternatives or methods to minimize number of animals used to obtain significant results
Replacement (in animal research)
alternative to the use of live animals in research
