Exploring the brain (part 1) Flashcards
What are two things we can investigate from neuropsychology?
- How does damage to a specific brain region affect function?
- Infer normal function from what is missing
What does hippocampal damage and global amnesia suggest?
Hippocampus involved in certain types of memory - episodic rather than procedural
What does PET imaging stand for?
Positron emission tomography
How does PET imaging work?
Inject r____ t____ and detect r____.
B____ of t____ molecules - quantify number of e____ p____ and their a____
radioactive tracer, radiation
Binding, tracer, endogenous proteins, activity
What does MRI stand for?
Magnetic resonance imaging
What are the three key qualities of MRI?
Structural
Functional
Diffusion
What is meant by fMRI being
1. Structural
2. Functional
- Gives structure
- Measures blood oxygenation changes - SURROGATE measure of neuronal activity
MRI scans detect brain regions involved in what?
Colour categorisation
Define ethology
The study of animal behaviour in the context of natural behaviour - focuses on evolution
What are the five types of experiments?
Ethology
Behaviourism
Physiology
Neuroanatomy
Neurophysiology
How can we study the processes underlying behaviour using mice/rats?
Exposure the mice or rats to certain associations and disect how the learn those associations
What does anatomy tell us?
About w____ there is and how c____ are c____
Can label different p____ that are specifically expressed in different cell t____ to see w____ they are and what s____ they are
what, cells, connected
proteins, types, where, shape
What is the main way we figure out anatomy?
By labelling tissue post-mortem
What is the scientific word for recording brain activity
Electrophysiology
What are the input, computation and the output in the peripheral nervous system?
Input - sensory neurons
Computation - central nervous system
Output - motor neurons
Fill in the gaps about grey matter and white matter in the spinal cord…
Grey - where cell ____ of the spinal cord circuitry are to control ____ and ____ ____
White - where the ____ travel - asecending (____ ____put) or descending (____ ____put)
Grey - bodies, reflexes, pain regulation
White - axons, (sensory input), (motor output)
What are the grey and white matter in the brain for?
Grey - p____ and c____ b____
White - c____
Grey - processes and cell bodies
White - connections
Define dermatomes
Strip of skin innervated by one nerve from one dorsal root ganglion
What are the different levels of the spinal chord?
C____
T____
L____
S____
Cervical
Thoracic
Lumbar
Sacral
Define myotomes
Group of muscles innervated by same motor nerve
Explain how the nervous system is split
Nervous system into central nervous system and peripheral nervous system
CNS into brain and spinal chord
PNS into somatic nervous system and autonomic nervous system
ANS into sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system
What are the spinal afferents that accompany the autonomic nerves responsible for?
I____ v____ s____, such as p____
Initiating visceral sensation, such as pain
Parasympathetic nerves travel along what?
V____ n____
Vagus nerve
Sympathetic nerves travel down what?
S____ c____ with c____ b____ in s____ g____
Spinal cord with cell bodies in sympathetic ganglia
(Sympathetic and parasympathetic systems have opposing actions)
What is the role of the sympathetic division?
Mediates f____ or f____ responses
Sympathetic m____ neurons originate in the s____ c____ or sympathetic c____ g____ just outside the spinal cord
They have effects such as p____ d____, a____ r____ and h____ r____ a____, stimulation of g____ release and secretion of a____, while inhibiting d____ and s____
fight or flight
motor, spinal cord, chain ganglia
pupil dilation, airway relaxation, heart rate acceleration, glucose, adrenaline, digestion, salivation
What is the role of the parasympathetic division?
Parasympathetic neurons mostly form the v____ n____
They stimulate d____ (e.g. d____ blood vessels in i____), c____ a____, s____ h____ and c____ p____
Parasympathetic neurons mostly form the vagus nerve (i.e. mostly don’t go down the spinal cord and leave CNS at level of the brainstem)
They stimulate digestion (e.g. dilating blood vessels in intestine), constrict airways, slow heartbeat and contract pupils
What are some examples of different neurotransmitters released at the target organ?
Acetylcholine / nitric oxide (NO)
Noradrenaline (norepinephrine)
Which environments are the somatic and autonomic nervous systems to do with?
Somatic - external
Autonomic - internal
Explain the information flow through the brain
I____ from s____, o____ to m____ or o____
In each r____ - inputs from u____ and d____ regions
What a brain ____ does depends on the n____ of the inputs, and output and how the information is i____ in that brain area
Overall - inputs from senses, outputs to muscles or organs
In each region: inputs from upstream and downstream regions
What a brain region does depends on the nature of the inputs, and outputs and how the information is integrated in that brain area
Fill in the gaps about the function of the brain stem…
1. Takes ____ and ____ from cranial nerves and ____ ____
2. White matter - ascending and descending ____
3. Large tracts carrying information to and from the ____
4. Bulked out compared to spinal cord because of more ____ connecting things and existence of ____ inside them
5. Point where lots of axons ____ (switch sides) as info from one side of the body is generalised processed on the ____ side of the brain
- inputs, outputs, spinal cord
- tracts (e.g. the pyramids - contain descending motor axons)
- cerebellum
- tracts, nuclei (cell bodies and connections)
- decussate, opposite
What happens in the superior colliculus?
I____ from r____, as well as information from other s____ and higher b____ r____
O____ to n____ controlling eye m____, s____ c____ and r____ formation - fast orienting r____ as well as control of eye t____.
Inputs from retina, as well as information from other senses and higher brain regions – outputs to nuclei controlling eye movement (oculomotor), spinal cord and reticular formation – fast orienting responses as well as control of eye tracking
What are cranial nerve nuclei?
Cell b____ with i____ and o____ to cranial nerves.
Can be s____ or m____.
Cell bodies with inputs and outputs to cranial nerves. Can be sensory or motor
(Other nuclei regulate autonomic functions)
Monoamines and acetylcholine project relatively diffusely across the brain, where they often m____ the f____ of other n____
Modulate the firing of other neurons
What are the inputs, computations and outputs in the cerebellum?
Inputs from c____ c____ and f____ c____, t____
Outputs = Cerebellar n____, from which b____, t____
Computations = modifies d____ (motor) commands to make them more a____ and a____: b____, p____ memory, m____ learning, c____ functions
cerebral cortex, final chord, thalamus
nuclei, brainstem, thalamus
descending, adaptive, accurate, balance, procedural, motor, cognitive
Cerebellum connections are involved in r____ s____ of m____
Refining sequences of movements (and thoughts) e.g. balance, procedural memory
What are two of the major structures in the diencephalon?
Thalamus
Hypothalamus
What is the role of the thalamus?
I____ h____ - relays a____ and d____ info from w____ brain areas
Information hub - relays ascending and descending info from widespread brain areas
What is the role of the hypothalamus?
Regulates several homeostatic processes such as feeding and drinking
Links brain the endocrine system
What are the four general functions of the hypothalamus?
- Appetite regulation
- Thirst regulation
- Temperature regulation
- Memory
Define descussate
The point where a____ swtich s____ as information from one side of the b____ is generally p____ on opposite side of the b____
The point where axons switch sides as information from one side of the body generally processed on opposite side of brain.
Where does the superior colliculus get inputs from?
Where does its outputs go to?
Inputs from the r____
Outputs to n____ controlling eye m____, s____ c____ and r____ formation
The retina (as well as information from other senses and higher brain regions)
Outputs to nuclei controlling eye movement (oculomotor), spinal cord and reticular formation – fast orienting responses as well as control of eye tracking (e.g. saccades)
