Key areas Flashcards
Disorders of prefrontal cortex
anxiety, depression, adhd
malfunctions of prefrontal cortex
impaired decision making, difficulty regulating emotions, problems w/ attn
s/s prefrontal cortex malfunctioning
persistent sadness, lack of motivation, difficulty concentrating
disorders of the amygdala
anxiety disorders, ptsd, depression
malfunctions of the amygdala
overactivity can lead to heightened fear and anxiety responses
s/s amygdala malfunctioning
intense fear, hypervigilance, emotional dysregulation
disorders of hippocampus
depression, ptsd, alzheimer’s disease
malfunctions of hippocampus
reduced neurogenesis and atrophy can affect memory formation and retrieval
s/s hippocampus malfunctioning
memory issues, difficulty recalling past events, flashbacks
disorders of basal ganglia
OCD, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s Disease
malfunctions of basal ganglia
disrupted reward processing and motor control
s/s basal ganglia malfunctioning
compulsive bx, impaired motivation, abnormal motor functions
cortex
outer layer of the brain; divided into 4 regions: frontal lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, occipital lobe
frontal lobe
personality, emotions, higher thinking skills, problem solving, and controlling movement.
temporal lobe
processes hearing and other senses, helps with language
parietal lobe
involved with senses, attention, language
occipital lobe
vision, recognition of shapes and colors
thalamus
in the center of the brain, relays sensory and motor info to the cortex and helps w/ consciousness, sleep, alertness
cerebellum
key role in motor control, coordination, spatial navigation
brainstem
connects to spinal cord, includes pons, medulla oblongata
pons
controls breathing
medulla oblongata
regulates heart & other reflexes like vomit, coughing, sneezing, swallowing
limbic system
under the cortex; processes emotions and drives; contains reward circuitry which releases dopamine
parts of the limbic system
amygdala, hippocampus (of the temporal lobe)
amygdala action:
processes emotions
hippocampus function
(in temporal lobe) acts as memory indexer
hypothalamus
responsible for secreting hormones; gets adrenaline flowing, wakes up in the AM
pituitary gland
controls growth, body temperature, pregnancy, child birth
pineal gland
controls sleep and circadian rhythms
disorders assoc. w/ thalamus
schizophrenia, ADHD
malfunctions of thalamus
disrupted sensory processing and attn regulation
s/s thalamus malfunction
sensory overload, distractibility, distorted perceptions
phenotype
observable characteristics or traits like physical attributes, bx traits, physiological properties. Influenced by genotype and environmental factors
epigenetics
study of changes in gene expression or cellular phenotype that do not involve alterations to the underlying DNA sequence. Changes can be caused by various factors like environmental influences, lifestyle, and developmental stages. Can be reversible.
key differences b/t phenotype and epigenetics
phenotype is the actual traits and characteristics visible and can be product of genes and environment; epigenetics focuses on molecular and cellular mechanisms that change phenotype without changing the DNA sequence
chemical transmission
neurotransmission is fundamentally chemical, but does have anatomical infrastructure. It is the process of chemical signals being coded, decoded, transduced, and sent. Neurons are the cells of chemical communication.
types of chemical transmission
classic, retrograde, volume
classic chemical transmission
presynaptic terminal to a second postsynaptic terminal (one direction)
retrograde neurotransmission
postsynaptic neurons communicate with presynaptic neurons (bottom to top)
volume neurotransmission
occurs without a synapse (spill over)
signal transduction
cell signaling; chemical signal is transmitted through a cell as a series of molecular events: protein phosphorylation, message sent, received, transduced, and response occurs
importance of signal transduction
signals must be transmitted effectively into the cell to ensure an appropriate cellular response
signal transduction cascades
g-protein-linked systems, ion-channel-linked systems, hormone-linked systems, neurotrophin-linked systems
action potential
rapid and temporary electrical signal that travels along the membrane of a neuron or muscle cell; essential for neurotransmission
Ligand-gated ion channels
open in response to binding of specific molecule (ligand) such as neurotransmitter or hormone. Commonly found in postsynaptic membranes of neurons, muscle cells. Allow ions like Na, K, Ca, or Cl to flow into or out of the cell when the ligand binds, leading to changes in membrane potential and cellular activity. Respond rapidly to ligand binding but may close quickly after activation.
examples of ligand-gated ion channels
nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (open in response to acetylcholine binding) and GABA receptors (open in response to GABA binding, allowing Cl influx)
voltage-sensitive ion channels
open or close in response to changes in membrane potential (voltage) across the cell membrane. Found in membranes of excitable cells like neurons and muscle cells. Allow ions to flow based on electrical state of membrane, contributing to action potentials and other electrical signaling processes. Often have more complex gated mechanisms and may remain open for a longer duration depending on voltage changes
differences in ligand and voltage-sensitive channels: activation
ligand-gated respond to chemical signals; voltage-sensitive respond to electrical changes
differences in ligand and voltage-sensitive channels: location
ligand-gated channels found at synapses; voltage-sensitive channels found in excitable tissues
differences in ligand and voltage-sensitive channels: function
ligand-gated channels mediate rapid responses to signaling molecules; voltage-sensitive channels are crucial for generating and propagating action potentials
