Learning, Memory Behaviour Flashcards
What are the 5 levels of consciousness?
Bright alert responsive Dull, fall asleep (obtruded) Sleepy (stuparous) comatose Brain dead - no cortical electrical activity.
What do hypothalamic lesions cause?
Polydypsia
Issues with temp regulation
Pica
Hemi neglect
What is senility?
Cognitive dysfunction due to age
What is memory?
Storage of information in the CNS
What is learning?
Changes in behaviour based on previous experience
What is cognition?
Act of knowing/learning
What is consolidation?
Reinforcement fo memory due to frequent retrieval
What is plasticity?
Capability of brain to change structurally/functionally
What are the features of short term memory?
Limited capacity
Lost or transferred to long term memory (takes place in hippocampus)
Based on electrical neuronal activity
What are the features of long term memory?
Unlimited capacity
Changes in cells
Procedural (how something is done) or declarative (what something is)
What is working memory?
LTM used to make decisions and solve problems
What are 2 types of simple learning forms?
Habituation - natural response to stimuli suppressed e.g. bomb dogs
Sensitilisation - natural response to stimuli enhanced
What is classical conditioning?
Unconditioned - dog salivates at food
Conditioning - ring bell at feeding
Conditioned - dog salivates at bell
What is operant conditioning?
Trial and error
How obedience training works
What is the limbic system??
Interconnected brain system which controls behaviour/emotion, motivation and homeostasis
What are some of the parts of the brain included in the limbic system?
Hippocampus Amygdaloid Thalamus Hypothalamus Olfactory lobe
What does the fore brain control?
Planning
Decision making
Personality
What are rabies?
Virus transferred in saliva to CNS to hippocampus
Causes aggression
What is a frontal lobotomy?
Inserting sharp tool through eye socket, alleviate aggression violence
No anaesthesia as no nociceptors in frontal lobe
Injury in the amygdala can cause what?
Change in aggression
What is epilepsy?
Spontaneous activity in hippocampus neurons. Causes seizures - saliva, muscle convulsions, rolling eyes. Caused by genetics/trauma/infections. Treated with sedatives/tranquilizers
What it is the reticular formation?
Part of brain stem, responsible for regulating life functions
(Lesion = death)
What is the ascending reticular activating system? What is the clinical signifcance?
Part of reticular formation, determines sleep/wake
Target for general anaesthesia
