Chapter 1 Flashcards
Genetic
Role of genetics in expression of mental health
Neuroanatomical
Specific neuroanatomical structures underlying mental functions
Neurochemical
Specific neurochemicals (neurotransmitters) underlying mental functions
Neurophysiological
Exact neural functioning accompanying mental functions (slowed action potentials in neurons)
Developmental
Specific critical windows of neuronal development and plasticity in contributing to mental functioning
Environmental
Environmental stimuli that may contribute to mental illness or mental health
Cultural
Cultural aspects that may contribute to the formation and perception of mental disorders
Evolutionary
Biological relevance of factors as they fit into the evolutionary context for particular behaviors related to mental health and mental illness
TBI
Injury to a person’s brain usually resulting from an accident
Neurogenesis
Creation of new neurons. It was once thought that developed brains no longer produce new neurons, but research has confirmed the production of new neurons across the life span. Little is known about the functional consequences of new neurons
Neurotrophic factors
Neurochemicals such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor that promote the growth and complexity of neurons
Computerized tomography (CT)
Neuroimaging technique that is equivalent of taking x-ray of the brain: Living Healthy/diseased Static Passive noninvasive No temporal/macro (brain) Diagnosis:stroke, tumor, herniated disk Less Expensive, common, radiation Image X-ray
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Technique the provides pictures of the brain by sending a magnetic field through a person's head so that scanners can absorb radiation from hydrogen ions and 3-d, high resolution picture of brain tissue is generated: Living Healthy/diseased Static Passive Noninvasive/ sometimes inject dyes No temporal/macro(brain) High quality visual image of brain Expensive, restrictive, contrast dyes Image Magnetic
Diffusion tensor imaging
Brain imaging technique utilizing radio frequency and magnetic field impulses to track water molecules to provide an image of fiber tracts in the living brain
EEG
Involved placing electrodes on an individual’s scalp and recording the activity of large populations of neurons. This technique has been valuable in diagnosing epilepsy and in delineating the various stages of sleep:
Living
Healthy/diseased
Functional
Active
Noninvasive
Temporal: minutes/hours &spatial: macro (brain)
Activity, response to particular events, temporal
Inexpensive, scalp-limited cortical, poor spatial
Electrical activity
Electrical impulses
PET
Functional neuroimaging technique that involves injecting the patient with radioactively tagged glucose and quantifying the patient's metabolization of the radioactive glucose when the patient is presented with the an experimental challenge (a cognitive task or a certain stimulus): Living Healthy/diseased Functional Active Invasive/ inject dyes Temporal: minutes/hours&spatial: macro (brain) Compare brain areas in different tasks Uncommon, exposure to radiation Glucose Radioactive glucose (radioisotope)
fMRI
MRI that provides info about activity of the brain by quantifying cerebral blood flow during a cognitive challenge:
Living
Healthy/diseased
Functional
Active
Noninvasive
Temporal: ms/min/hrs & spatial: Macro to meso
Does a brain area correlate with particular behavior, good spatial/temporal
Expensive, problems related to measuring blood flow, same as MRI
Blood flow
Magnetic
Phenotype
External expression of certain genetic influences. The phenotype for one genetic assortment may be long fingers, for another the phenotype may be brown hair
Concordance rate
Frequency with which two individuals express the same condition. For example, the rate at which identical twins both develop schizophrenia is the concordance rate for schizophrenia
Immediate early genes
Class of genes that exhibit rapid responses to certain extracellullar stimuli by producing proteins that prompt the release of such neurotransmitters as c-fos, which is involved in the stress response
Proteins
Complex organic chemicals that are the essential building materials of living cells
Proximate causation
Doctrine stating that the most direct cause of an event is the most important factor. In evolutionary theory, proximate questions are most often questions of mechanism and development of certain behaviors
Ultimate causation
Doctrine stating that the more long-term causes of a behavior are important for a thorough understanding of the behavior. In evolutionary theory, ultimate causation questions are related to how and why certain behaviors evolve
Sexual selection
Choosing a mate or competing for a mate
Culture-bound syndromes
Condition that appears to be culture-specific. Ex. Anorexia (us), Latah (Malaysia), koro (malaysia), brain fag (Nigeria).
Homeostasis
Internal balance and regulation of physiological systems in an organism
