Explain, using one or more examples, the effects of neurotransmission on human behaviour

Question 1

What happens when a nerve impulse reaches the end of the neuron?

Answer 1

• the neuron fires and neurotransmitters are released into the synaptic gap where they travel to the neuron at the other side of the synaptic gap
• the neurotransmitter then binds to specific receptors at the other side

Question 2

What happens if the neurotransmitter is not absorbed?

Answer 2

• it can be re-uptaken , diffused out or destroyed

Question 3

What happens if the neurotransmitter is blocked? How could this happen? What could this change?

Answer 3

• the message changes
• because another chemical interferes
• physiological system, cognition, mood or behaviour

Question 4

Dopamine: What is dopamine? (1+4)

Answer 4

• a neurotransmitter involved in goal-directed behaviour (motivation) such as pleasure seeking, control of movement, emotional response, and addictive behaviour

Question 5

Dopamine: Where is it released?

Answer 5

• in the brain’s reward system

Question 6

Dopamine: Dopamine and addictive behaviour (3)

Answer 6

• addictive drugs or substances increase the amount of dopamine in the reward system
• dopamine can be released by environmental triggers (e.g. sight of cigarette packet) because they are associated with pleasure (reward)
• nicotine is the psychoactive ingredient in tobacco which increases the level of dopamine in the brain’s reward circuit causing feelings of pleasure and relaxation

Question 7

Dopamine: Name 2 studies about dopamine?

Answer 7

• Berridge and Kringelbach (2009) on dopamine in pleasure seeking
• Fisher (2004) on dopamine in “addiction to love”

Question 8

Dopamine: Berridge and Kringelbach (2009) on dopamine in pleasure seeking (5)

Answer 8

• fMRI scans used to study brain areas involved in subjective experience of pleasure
• found that orbitofrontal cortex was active when people reported feeling pleasure
• researchers concluded that: dopamine and nucleus accumbens is perhaps rather involved in pleasure seeking
• this explains addictive behaviour (e.g. nicotine addiction leads to craving)
• orbitofrontal cortex and natural opioids (endorphins) are perhaps linked to the subjective experience of pleasure

Question 9

Dopamine: Fisher (2004) on dopamine in “addiction to love” (4)

Answer 9

• evolutionary explanation of behaviour
• “being in love” similarities with “being addicted”
• dopamine increases desire and reward by triggering same emotional rush of pleasure when you see or think of the loved one = sim to if you were taking a drug like coke
• dopamine can explain the highs of romantic passion and the lows of rejection (diff levels of dopamine)

Question 10

Acetylcholine: Acetylcholine (ACh) on memory (2)

Answer 10

• ACh = neurotransmitter
• linked to synaptic plasticity in hippocampus
• seems to play important role in learning and STM via the cholinergic system
• cholinergic system is a system of nerve cells that uses acetylcholine in transmitting nerve signals
• memory processing and higher cognitive functioning are dependent on the cholinergic system

Question 11

Acetylcholine: Name 1 study about Acetylcholine

Answer 11

Martinez and Kesner (1991) Ach in memory formation

Question 12

Acetylcholine: AMFCE Martinez and Kesner (1991) Ach in memory formation (11)

Answer 12

Aim: to investigate the role of ACh in memory fromation

Method:

• experimental study using rats who were trained to run a maze
• divided into 3 groups
• G1 received injection with scopolamine (blocks of ACh receptor sites, reducing available ACh)
• G2 received injection with physostigmine (blocks of cholinesterase (enzyme) which cleans up ACh from the synapses) leading to more available ACh
• G3 control

Findings:

• G1 had problems finding their way through the maze and made more mistakes
• G2 ran quickly through the maze and made few mistakes
• G2 faster than G3

Conclusion:
- shows that ACh is important in memory since the rats showed different memory capacity depending on ACh level

Evaluation:
- controlled lab experiment, it can be concluded that the level of ACh is one factor that affects memory but the neurobiology of memory is very complex

Question 13

Explain, using one or more examples, the effects of neurotransmission on human behaviour (6)

Answer 13

• What happens
• Dopamine outline
• Dopamine 2 studies
• Acetylcholine outline
• Acetylcholine AMFCE study