Ch. 1 Flashcards
What is Neuropsychology?
The scientific study of the relationship between brain function & behavior -> focus on brain damage & resulting behavioral effects
Compare the brain theory vs. the neuron theory
Brain theory: The brain is the source of all behavior vs. Neuron theory: The unit of brain structure & function is the neuron
What are “gyri” and “sulci”?
Gyri -> bumps in brain’s folded surface; Sulci -> cracks in brain’s folded surface
The brain is divided into which four lobes?
Frontal, Temporal, Parietal, Occipital
What is the cerebral cortex?
The brain’s thin outer layer -> 90% of which is considered the “neocortex”
What is the general function of the forebrain?
To mediate higher/complex brain functions (ex. executive control, cognition)
What is the general function of the brainstem?
To mediate regulatory functions (ex. digestion, breathing, movement)
What is the “neural tube”?
A structure in the early stages of brain development from which the brain & spinal cord develop
What fluid fills the brain’s ventricles?
Cerebrospinal fluid
What is the order of anatomical/evolutionary development of the CNS?
Spinal cord -> SC + brainstem -> SC + brainstem + forebrain
What do “CNS” and “PNS” stand for?
Central nervous system; peripheral nervous system
The PNS is divided into two parts:
Somatic nervous system (SNS) & Autonomic nervous system (ANS)
What is the role of the somatic nervous system (SNS)?
Voluntary control of body movements -> responds to external stimuli
What is the role of the autonomic nervous system (ANS)?
Regulates automatic, involuntary processes -> ex. breathing, circulation, digestion
The SNS & ANS are each further divided into the ____ and ____ divisions.
Sensory (collects sensory information) & Motor (facilitates body to respond to stimuli) divisions
What are the three classic theories on the brain & behavior?
Mentalism, Dualism, Materialism
Mentalism is associated with which philosopher?
Aristotle - Greek
Dualism is associated with which philosopher?
Descartes - French
Materialism is associated with which figure?
Darwin - English
What is Mentalism?
The philosophical idea that a nonmaterial “psyche” is the root of all human behavior
What is Dualism?
The position that the mind & body are qualitatively separate, but can influence one another - the mind (nonmaterial) acts through the brain (physical) for higher cognitive function, but the brain itself controls all “lower” functions
What is Materialism?
All behavior can be explained as a function of the nervous system/of brain function -> no inclusion of a “nonmaterial” mind
What is the mind-body problem?
How can a nonmaterial mind influence a material body?
What is phrenology?
The study of bumps on the skull & their correlation with personality traits
Which two figures proposed the localization theory of brain function?
Franz Josef Gall & Johann Gaspar Spurzheim
What is Broca’s Aphasia?
Inability to produce speech, but retain full speech comprehension skills
What is Wernicke’s Aphasia?
Ability to produce fluent (but nonsensical) speech, but unable to comprehend it
What is Conduction Aphasia?
Inability to repeat words that are spoken to them due to a loss of communication between Broca’s & Wernicke’s areas (but the areas themselves stay intact)
What is Alexia?
Inability to read due to disconnection between brain’s visual area & Wernicke’s area
What is Apraxia?
Inability to make sequences of movements when asked, in absence of paralysis or motor/sensory/cognitive impairment; Due to disconnection of motor & sensory areas
What did Flourens & Goltz study?
Experiments on dogs; selectively removing/damaging brain tissue; dogs made almost complete recovery due to neuroplasticity -> challenged localization theory
What is the binding problem?
How does the brain assimilate memories if they’re stored/represented all over the brain?
What is visual-form agnosia?
Inability to recognize objects based on their shape
What is visual ataxia?
Inability to make correct reaching/grasping motions to objects, despite no visual deficit in object recognition
What’s one basic way to differentiate the Ventral & Dorsal streams?
Ventral -> object recognition, the “what” pathway; Dorsal -> guides movement in response to visual/sensory stimuli, the “where” pathway
The CNS is made up of which two cell types?
Neurons & Glia
Describe the basic functions of Neurons & Glial cells:
Neurons -> produce behavior & mediate brain’s plasticity; Glia -> support cells for neurons as well as binding agents
What were Golgi & Cajal’s opposing views on neurons?
Golgi -> neurons are interconnected & form a net (i.e., the brain theory); Cajal -> neurons are autonomous, independent structures (i.e., the neuron theory)
What did Fritsch & Hitzig demonstrate?
Stimulating the cortex electrically produces movement; Cortex is selectively excitable
Sherrington examined how nerves connect to muscles - what did they find?
The extra time needed for electrical impulses to travel in a living organism is accounted for by the synapse - a junction between nerves
What theory did Donald Hebb propose, and what does it entail?
The “Theory of Consciousness”; When individual cells are activated at the same time, they build/strengthen synapses & become “cell assemblies”; Activity travels between these cell assemblies, creating a consciousness
What is Trephination?
Neurosurgery -> cutting a circular hole in the skull, often to relieve cranial pressure
What is Francis Galton resposible for?
Conducted the first systematic study of individual differences (intelligence testing)
What is Alfred Binet responsible for?
Devised tests to identify children/adults with learning disabilities -> later turned into the first IQ test
What are 3 principle methods of brain imaging?
CT, PET, MRI
What does a CT (computed tomography) scan do?
Passes X-rays through the head -> X-ray is absorbed less by fluid than neurons -> Dead cells contain more water, therefore produce darker image on the scan
What does a PET (positron emission tomography) scan do?
Inject radioactive substance into bloodstream -> as substance decays, gives off photons which activates detectors around head -> depending on what substance is administered, can identify more/less active brain areas
What does an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan do?
Calculates location of moving hydrogen protons by detecting their electrical charges -> can use regional differences to reveal brain images
What does an fMRI (functional MRI) scan do?
Determines concentrations of oxygen -> can be used to determine regional differences in blood flow associated w/ brain activity
