Lecture 10 Flashcards
What does the Somatic Division of the PNS allow us to do?
Sense and respond to our environment via two kinds of nerves
What are the 2 nerves of the Somatic division?
Sensory Nerves
Motor Nerves
What does the Autonomic nervous system do?
Control the body’s internal environment. e.g. respiration, circulation, digestion, motivation, emotion, stress
What are the 2 subdivisions of the Autonomic Nervous System?
Parasympathetic and Sympathetic nervous system
What does the Parasympathetic nervous system do?
Inhibits/calms
What does the Sympathetic nervous system do?
Excites/activates
What can Neuropsychological tests be used to measure?
Verbal and non-verbal behaviours
What can Neurospychological tests allow for?
Inferences about things like cognition, brain function
What did Destruction and Stimulation allow for?
Can examine known areas of damage and can also stimulate areas with electricity/chemicals
What do Electroencephalograms do?
Records the electro activity of thousands of neurons
What do some EEG patters correspond to?
Particular states of consciousness
What do event-related potentials (ERP) measure?
Neural response to specific events
What is Computerized Tomography (CT)?
Using multiple x-rays taking of narrow slices of brain that are then put together to form a highly detailed anatomical image
What is Positron Emission Tomography (PET)?
A Person is injected with a harmless radioactive tracer, which can be used to provide a measure of blood flow.
What can changes in blood flow used to infer?
Changes in brain activity because blood flow increases to parts of the brain that become more active. It can also measure metabolism and neurotransmitter activity
What is Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) used to measure?
Biological structures by measuring response to magnetic pulses
What does Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging measure (fMRI)?
Neural activity by detection changes in the magnetic response of hemoglobin (which changes as oxygen is ‘taken up’ by active parts of the brain)
What is included in the Brain Stem?
Medulla Oblongata
Pons
Cerebellum
What does Medulla control?
Heart and respiration, thoroughfare for sensory/motor nerve tracts
What does the Pons do?
Regulate sleep, dreaming, and respiration
What does the Cerebellum control?
Muscular movement (particularly reflexive/autonomics/rapid) coordination, learning/memory
What is the Purpose of the Midbrain?
Sensory Relay Station, Consciousness
What is the Reticular Formation important for?
Consciousness and attention. It is also the relay centre for vision and audition (motor neurons that control eye movements)
What does the Ascending portion of the Reticular Formation do?
Sends input to higher regions
What does the Descending portion of the Reticular Formation do?
Admits of blocks signal
What does the Forebrain include?
Thalamus
Basal Ganglia
Hypothalamus
What does the Thalamus do?
Routes sensory information, acts like a ‘sensory switchboard’
What does the Basal Ganglia do?
Controls voluntary muscle movement, also plays a role in learning/reward
What is the Hypothalamus important for?
Important for controlling biological drives: eating drinking, sexual behaviour, temperature regulation, aggression
How does the Hypothalamus affect hormones?
Via its connection with pituitary gland
What can destruction/stimulation of various part of the Hypothalamus do?
Modulate motivated behaviours
What does the Limbic System include?
The Hippocampus
Amygdala
Nucleus Accumbent
What is the Hippocampus important for?
Forming/retrieving memories and navigation
What does the Amygdala do?
Organizes emotional response patters (particularly aggression/fear)
What is the Nucleus Accumbent important for?
Behaviours associated with reward/motivation (involved with dopamine release)
What are the 4 Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex?
Frontal
Occipital
Parietal
Temporal
What is the is Frontal lobe important for?
Execution function (planning, attention, reasoning, judgement, problem solving etc.), self-awareness, speech, skeletal motor function, emotional regulation
What is the Parietal lobe important for?
Body sensations, integration of sensory information (touch, pain, pressure, temperature)
What is the Temporal responsible for?
Contains the primary auditory cortex, complex visual processing, memory, language
What does the Occipital lobe do?
Contains the primary visual cortex (basic visual processing)
What does the Primary motor cortex do?
Controls voluntary movement of over 600 muscles
Where is the Primary Motor Cortex located?
Located at the rear of the frontal lobe
What is the function of the Somatic Sensory Cortex?
Receive sensory input from various regions of the body e.g. Touch, heat, cold, balance
Where is the Somatic Sensory Cortex found?
In the parietal lobe
What do both the Somatic sensory and motor cortex receive?
Receive contralateral input and have an amount of cortex devoted to each body part that is proportionate to sensitivity
What is Contralateral Input?
Signals sent to/received from on side of the body are processed in the opposite hemisphere
