Chapter 2 part 2 Flashcards
neuropsychology and brain imaging
the brain is part of which nervous system
central nervous system
what are the major divisions of the brain?
hindbrain, midbrain, and forebrain
what parts of the brain are in the hindbrain?
medulla, cerebellum, and pons
what happens if you damage your hindbrain?
you will die or be in a coma for the rest of your life
where is the hindbrain located?
at the stem of the brain / underside of the brain (think of the stem of the flower)
what does the medulla control?
critical bodily functions, like heartbeat, gag reflex, and swallowing
where is the medulla located
in the hindbrain, it is the first part of the hindbrain, where the brain emerges from the spinal cord, where the brain begins
what inhibits the medulla?
alcohol and opiates
where is the cerebellum located?
in the hindbrain, looks like a cauliflower or a mini-brain, loosely connected to brain
what does the cerebellum control?
walking an balance, anything we do over and over again for a long time, like driving
how does the cerebellum work?
after doing a task over and over again, the cerebellum will take that task over to free up space in the brain (walking while chewing gum), when the task feels like 2nd nature, the cerebellum has taken it over
where is the midbrain located?
on top of the hindbrain (the yellow center that sits on top of the stem of the flower)
what parts of the brain are in the midbrain?
tectum, tegmentum, and reticular formation
what is the midbrain’s main focus?
has a lot to do with vision, you need it for your eyes to work properly
what are the tectum and tegmentum in charge of?
visual reflexes, eyes focusing, constricting and enlarging pupils, regulating light, and orienting you toward something that moved in the corner of your vision
what happens if your pupils don’t constrict when you shine a bright light into them?
you have midbrain damage
where is the reticular formation located?
it runs from the pons to the midbrain
what is the reticular formation responsible for?
arousal (for being awake)
what happens if you inhibit the reticular formation enough?
you will go into a coma
what parts of the brain make up the brain stem?
the medulla, pons, and reticular formation
what parts of the brain are in the forebrain?
the limbic system, thalamus, basal ganglia, and cerebral cortex
what is the limbic system?
a system of structures connected in charge of emotions and behavioral association with them, it can activate the sympathetic nervous system
what is the limbic system nicknamed?
your emotional brain, because it is in charge of emotions and has its own cortex
what is the basal ganglia in charge of?
movement
what smaller parts of the brain is the limbic system made out of?
amygdala, hippocampus, and hypothalamus
what does the amygdala do?
controls fear and anxiety, when it is stimulated, you feel anxious, when it is inhibited, you feel calm and relaxed
what drugs inhibit the amygdala?
abusive drugs like alcohol and xanex
what is the hippocampus connected to?
the amygdala
what does the hippocampus do?
it controls learning and memory, it only remembers things that are emotionally meaningful
what does the hypothalamus do?
it is in charge of anything that needs to be regulated (body temp), sweating when hot, shivering when cold, when the pancreas releases insulin, monitors how long you’ve been awake and asleep
is the thalamus part of the limbic system?
no
how many hippocampuses does a human brain have?
two, one in each hemisphere of the brain
what goes to the thalamus?
all sensory information
what does the thalamus do?
categorizes the sensory information and sends it to the cerebral cortex, like a train station, all trains (sensory info) must stop at the thalamus
what does the cerebral cortex do?
it makes you the person that you are (without it you are in a vegetative state) and constructs your reality
how big is the cerebral cortex?
it is massive, about 75% of the nerves in your brain are here
what happens in the right hemisphere of the cerebral cortex?
it processes and compares information simultaneously, spatial location (can figure out where you are in space), has an area that specializes in faces, good at art and music, creativity, and comes up with new & creative connections
what happens in the left hemisphere of the cerebral cortex?
it is in charge of intelligence, logic and math, language and verbal skills, and conscious awareness
what does the frontal lobe of the cerebral cortex do?
controls voluntary movement (motor cortex)
what does the prefrontal cortex do?
turns you into a mature person, important for attention and focus, thinking ahead, and self control
what does the temporal lobe do?
it is an auditory cortex, thalamus sends information to the temporal lobe, and then we become aware of it
what does the parietal lobe do?
in charge of proprioception (telling you where you are in space), and has the somatosensory cortex
what does the somatosensory cortex do?
thalamus sends information here, then we become aware of touching and some of our taste
what does the occipital lobe do?
it is a visual cortex in the back of the brain
what is contralateral organization?
information that comes in on one side of the body is processed by the opposite side of the brain (being touched on right side = processed on left side)
what is the corpus callosum?
how the two hemispheres of the cerebral cortex communicate, we need this communication to be able to fully understand things
what happens when people lose their corpus callosum later in life?
they can’t read the word because the right hemisphere has no language skills, but they can draw an image of the word. they can also draw two complex pictures simultaneously with each of their hands and the same time
