Exam 1 Flashcards
Neuropsychology
- scientific study of the relations btwn (changes of) brain function and behavior
- intervention and treatment
What 2 early doctrines emerged to explain brain functioning?
- vitalism
- materialism
Vitalism
- suggests many behaviors are partly controlled by mechanical or logical forces
- also partially self determined
- spiritual and mechanical
Who was a major proponent of vitalism?
Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalyses
Materialism
favors a mechanistic view of the brain (as a machine)
Who was a major proponent of materialism?
Walter Freeman and his lobotomies
Hippocrates
- founder of modern medicine
- believed the brain controlled all senses and movement
- recognized that if r side of brain was damaged, the L side of body was affected and vice versa
Plato
- believed the soul had 3 parts - appetite, reason (located in brain) and temper
Aristotle
- believed the heart to be the source of all mental processes
Cell Doctrine
- ventricular cavities w/n the brain control mental abilities and movement
- Alexandrian period
Phrenology
- beginning of localization theory
- brain consists of number of separate organs, each responsible for a basic psychological trait
- size of the organ = more skill in that area
Who proposed phrenology?
Franz Gall
Who were the two individuals that proposed evidence for localization?
Paul Broca and Carl Wernicke
Paul Broca
- motor speech was localized in the post., inf. region of the L frontal lobe
- case study of “Tan” - could understand but not produce speech
- Broca’s area
Carl Wernicke
- understanding of speech was localize in the sup., post., temporal lobe
- case study of pt who could produce speech but not understand it
- Wernicke’s area
Pierre Florens
- developed ablation experiments, did them on birds at first
- found that more extensive damage = more complications
- found that other tissues can take over function
- equipotentiality theory
Equipotentiality
- mental abilities depend on the brain functioning as a whole
- found that other tissues can take over function
- intro to idea of neuroplasticity
Computed Transaxial Tomography
- 3D perspective of the brain w/ acceptable diff. of brain structures
Angiography
- Technique that uses dye to visualize blood vessels
Electrophysiologic Procedures (EEG)
- recording of the electrical activity of nerve cells
- helps w/ diagnosis of: seizure and sleep disorders, level of coma presence of brain death
Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
- tracks blood flow associated w/ brain activity
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- can provide detailed images of brain structures
- more detailed than PET scan
- can diff. white and gray matter
fMRI
- functional MRI
- provide image of oxygen usage in the brain (active neurons use O2)
What are the four common features of neurons? What is the function?
- cell body
- dendrites
- axon
- terminal synaptic buttons