exam 5 Flashcards
how is post pit controlled
the paraventricular nucleus and synaptic nucleus synthe size hormones in the soma and transport it through axons = neural input
how is ant pit controlled
hypothalamus pituitary portal system
- vascular network
CNS hormone regulation
post pit and hypothalamus, and pinneal controlled by cerebral neurons
pulsatile release
ant pit regulaed by this causing fluctuations in hormone levels based on duration and time
What role does the medial preoptic area of the hypothalamus have in males
rat study showed that at birth medial preoptic area is the same in M and F but grows in M. Lesions cause a lack of sexual feeling. Electrical stimulation causes copulation behavior
What role does the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus have in females
lorodsis
- mediated by estredial receptors
what role does the amygdala have in sexual behaviour
identification of makes, erodic images increase activation in males
what role does the ventral striatum have in sexual behaviour
contains nucleus accumbus
how can drugs be administered
- oral
- injections: intravenous, intramuscular, subcutanous
- inhalation
- mucus membrane absorbtion
lipid solubility
CNS drug absorbtion from blood brain barrier
how are drugs metabolized
liver enzymes and elimination
what are the reasons for drug tolerance
metabolic tolerance and functional tolarence
Addiction theories
- physical dependence perspective
- positive incentive perspective
Mesotelencephalon dopamine system
- nigrostratal pathway: substantia nigra to dorsal striatum
-mesocorticlimbic pathway: ventrategmental to limbic and cerebral sites
mesocorticlimbic pathway
involves dopamine controlling intracranial self administeration
intracraniel self-administeration
apraxia
deficit in voluntary movement
ipilateral movement
hemisphere receive input from the same side, more lateralized
spatial ability lateralization
lateralized right
- split brain patiends given 3d shapes
- left hand go to right hem vice versa
- left hanf better performance
emotion lateralization
right hem
music lateralization
right hem
memory lateralization
- left hem: episodic/verbal
right hem: non verbal
What are the four psychiatric disorders covered in this lecture?
Depressive disorders, Bipolar disorders, Anxiety disorders, Tourette’s disorder
What defines Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)?
Persistent low mood and loss of interest for more than 2 weeks
What are the two types of depression?
Reactive (external cause) and Endogenous (biological/no clear cause)
What brain changes are commonly found in depression?
Reduced grey matter, reduced white matter, atypical activity and connectivity
What is the monoamine theory of depression?
Depression is caused by low levels of monoamines like serotonin and norepinephrine
What does the neuroplasticity theory of depression suggest?
Depression is caused by reduced neurogenesis and low levels of BDNF
What is BDNF and its role in depression?
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; supports neuroplasticity and is often reduced in depression
What characterizes bipolar disorder?
Episodes of depression alternating with mania or hypomania
What’s the difference between Bipolar I and Bipolar II?
Bipolar I includes full mania; Bipolar II includes hypomania and depression
What are brain differences seen in bipolar disorder?
Reduced grey matter and atypical activation patterns
What are potential theories explaining bipolar disorder?
Neurotransmitter dysregulation, BDNF pathway issues, circadian and mitochondrial disruptions
What are four major types of anxiety disorders?
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Specific Phobias, Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety (not all detailed in slides)
What brain areas are involved in anxiety?
Amygdala, Prefrontal Cortex, Hippocampus
What is commonly overactive in anxiety disorders?
The brain’s fear response system
What is Tourette’s disorder characterized by?
Motor and vocal tics
What part of the brain is implicated in Tourette’s?
Basal ganglia
What neurotransmitter is believed to be involved in Tourette’s?
Dopamine (dysregulation)
What is the main function of Broca’s area?
Speech production
What is Broca’s aphasia?
Difficulty producing speech; speech is slow and non-fluent, but comprehension is intact
What does Wernicke’s area do?
Language comprehension
What happens in Wernicke’s aphasia?
Fluent but meaningless speech and impaired comprehension
What is the role of the arcuate fasciculus?
Connects Wernicke’s area to Broca’s area; important for repeating spoken language
What does the angular gyrus do?
Converts visual input into auditory code (important for reading)
What is the pathway for hearing and repeating a word?
Auditory cortex → Wernicke’s area → Arcuate fasciculus → Broca’s area → Motor cortex
What is the pathway for reading a word aloud?
Visual cortex → Angular gyrus → Wernicke’s area → Broca’s area → Motor cortex
What area is used in silent reading comprehension?
Angular gyrus → Wernicke’s area (for internal meaning processing)
What is a key limitation of the Wernicke-Geschwind model?
Language processing is more distributed and not confined to specific regions
What type of aphasia results from damage to the arcuate fasciculus?
Conduction aphasia – intact comprehension and production, but impaired repetition
What are the 3 main assumptions of the cognitive neuroscience approach to language?
- Language has multiple specialized processes (phonological, grammatical, semantic)
- Language areas are not exclusive to language
- Processing is parallel, not sequential
What modern methods are used to study language in the brain?
Functional brain imaging (e.g., fMRI, PET scans)
