History Of Neuropsychology Flashcards
Name the main 19th century researchers for Neuropsychology
Frank Gall
Pierre Flourens
William James
John Dewey
Paul Broca
Herman von Helmholtz
Sir Charles Sherrington
What was the contribution of Herman von Helmholtz to neuropsychology?
Was the first to measure the speed of nerve impulse
Did this via reaction time
Credited with transitioning psychology into natural sciences
What is the contribution to neuropsychology of Pierre Flourens?
First person to study the functions of the major sections of the brain
Did this by extirpation on rabbits and pigeons
Found that specific parts had specific functions and removal of one part weakens the whole brain
What is extirpation?
When various parts of the brain are removed and the behavioral consequences are observed
What is the contribution of Sir Charles Sherrington to neuropsychology?
He first inferred the existence of synapses. His inferences were correct except for synaptic transmission was an electrical process, but it is primarily a chemical process
What is a William James known as?
The father of American psychology
What was the contribution of William James to neuropsychology?
- Believed it was important to study how the mind functioned in adapting to the environment.
- this. Was one of the first theories to form functionalism , a system of psychology that studied how mental processes help individuals adapt to their environments
What was the contribution of John Dewey to neuropsychology?
His 1896 article is seen as the inception of functionalism.
His article criticized the reflex arc , which breaks the process of reacting to a stimulus into discrete parts .
Dewey believed an organism should be studied as a whole
Explain the doctrine of phrenology
If a particular trait was well developed then the area responsible for that trait in the brain would expand.
According to Franz Gall, the expansion would push the area of the skull outward, causing a bulge.
This would lead to certain attributes being measurable via the skull
What was the overall effect of phrenology on neuropsychology?
Phrenology was shown to be false, it generated serious research on the brain functions, and was fundamental to the work of psychologists through the remainder of the 19th century
What is neuropsychology?
The study of functions and behaviors associated with specific regions of the brain.
Applied in research settings to associate specific regions to behavior
Applied in clinical settings, when patients are treated for lesions
What is one problem with using lesions to to study human brains?
Brain lesions are hardly ever isolated to specific brain structures.
When several brain structures are damaged, it becomes difficult for researchers to attribute a specific functional impairment to any single brain region
What is the advantage of using lesions of lab animals in studying brain function?
A precisely defined lesions can be created in animals by extirpation
Or
Lesions can be produced by inserting tiny electrodes inside the brain, and selectively applying, heat, cold or electricity to specific regions
-electrodes my produce HD, 3 coordinate images of the brain
Aside from the use of lesions, describe another method to study brain functions?
Electrically stimulating and recording brain activity.
This causes individual neurons to fire, thereby activating the behavioral or perceptual processes associated with neurons.
How can neurosurgeons create cortical maps?
Stimulating parts of the brain electrically, with assistance from a wake patience.
No pain receptors in the brain, only local anesthesia required
How can individual neurons be studied?
By inserting ultrasensitive microelectrodes into individual brain cells recording their electrical activity.
What is electroencephalogram (EEG) used to record?
Electrical activity generated by larger groups of neurons
How do electroencephalograms work?
Places several electrodes on the scalp where it detects and records broad patterns of electrical activity
Why is EEG often used on humans?
It is noninvasive/ causes no damage
Research in sleep, seizures a and brain lesions rely heavily on_____________
EEG
What is another noninvasive mapping procedure for brain activity, aside from EEGs?
Regional Cerebral Blood Flow (rCBF)
What does a rCBF measure?
Detects broad patterns of neural activity based on increased blood flow on different parts of the brain.
What assumption does rCBF rely on?
Assumption: When a specific cognitive function activates certain regions of the brain, the blood flow to those region increases
How is rCBF performed?
To measure blood flow, the patient inhales a harmless radioactive gas; a special device that can detect radioactivity in the bloodstream can then correlate radioactivity levels with regional blood flow levels.
What can be used to create images from rCBF?
CT scans, PET scans or MRIs
What is the function of thalamus?
Structure if the forebrain, that serves as an important relay station for incoming all sensory information except for smell
What are the functions of the hypothalamus?
- Feeding
- Fighting
- Flighting
- (sexual) Functioning
What are the divisions of the hypothalamus ?
- Lateral hypothalamus
- Ventromedial hypothalamus
- Anterior hypothalamus
