Neurons and Networks (3) Flashcards
_______ ________ are cells that accumulate and transmit electrochemical activity in the nervous system
Communicative neurons
how is measuring cummunicative neruons useful
If we can measure electrical or chemical activity at this level, we can understand what’s going on in peoples heads
communicative neurons need ______ and ______ to survive
oxygen and glucose to survive
1000 bill neurons in the human brain are simultaneously active to _______ _______
process information
name the neural cell!
controls output of information
Purkinje cells
name the neural cell!
connects directly to a muscle which we use constantly to control movements
Motor neuron
name the neural cell!
densely packed networks in frontal cortex, with lots of inputs and outputs
Info in and out
Pyramidal cell
name the neural cell!
intakes information from outside world
sensory neurons
what neurons do which
muscle to brain -
brain to muscle -
muscle to brain - sensory
brain to muscle - motor
explain dendrite function
Receive info from terminal boutons of adjacent neurons
input side of neuron
explain dendrite appearance/parts
Branch-like processes extending from the cell soma
Contains cell body + nucleus
define axon
Long thin tube extending from soma
define myelin sheath and its purpose
outside insulating fatty layer around axon
helps conduct information
Provides the fixed paths by which neurons communicate with one another
Ball-like structures located at the ends of axon branches
name it
Terminal Bouton
Terminal Bouton contains _________
forms the ________ wiht other neurons
Contains neurotransmitters
Form the synapses with other neurons
define synapse
Near-contact gap separating the terminal bouton of one neuron and the dendrite (or soma) of the next neuron in the chain
_____________ _________ is what moves through the synapse
Electrochemical energy
what two things do we use to measure the metabolism of a cell
glucose and oxygen
explain how neurotransmitters cross from axon to dendrite
Vesicles!!!
vesicles filled with neurotransmitters cross from axon to dendrite through the synapse, meeting up with a receptor on the dendrite
how many neurptransmitters can a receptor on a dendrite pick up
TRICK QUESTION BITCH
Receptors only able to pick up their specific neurotransmitter
neurotransmitters are _____ that cross the synapse from the terminal bouton of one neuron to alter the ________ ______ of the membrane of the next neuron
neurotransmitters are chemicals that cross the synapse from the terminal bouton of one neuron to alter the electric potential of the membrane of the next neuron
what is the main function of a neurotransmitter
allow one neuron communicates with the other
a dysfunction in _______ neurons can lead to parkinsons
motor
All neural information processing takes place in terms of ______ and _________ effects
All neural information processing takes place in terms of excitatory and inhibitory effects
how does neural information processing takes place in terms of excitatory and inhibitory effects
Basically neurons send a yes (excitatory) or no (inhibatory) response to one another
define excitatory connection
define inhibatory effects
one neuron causes another neuron to fire
one neuron stops the other from firing
Individual neurons respond to specific _______ ________
stimuli features
Human cognition is achieved through large neural activity patterns
what are these patterns known as
neural networks
Biological Neuron vs Artificial network
Biological Neuron vs Artificial network
Biological Neuron vs Artificial network
Functional neuroimaging is possible because neurons generate an _______ ______ when they fire
and because they need ______ that’s delivered by the circulatory system
Functional neuroimaging is possible because neurons generate an electrical impulse when they fire
and because they need oxygen that’s delivered by the circulatory system
what is meant by “functional” in terms of
Functional Neuroimaging
looking at brain activity changes in response to cognitive tasks or mental processes
name that imaging technique!!!
Takes pic of the structure of the brain using x-ray
Non functional
Often done in conjunction with a functional test
CAT scan - Computed Axial Tomography
name that imaging technique!!!
P drinks something containing a radioactive isotope that decays - you then measure the radioactive decay in the brain
PET scan - Positron emission tomography
name that imaging technique!!!
Uses lasers to measure cerebral blood flow at the surface of the cortex
FNRI - Functional near-infrared spectroscopy
name that imaging technique!!!
Uses MRI tech to take picture of the brain by using the BOLD function
FMRI - Functional magnetic resonance imaging
name that imaging technique!!!
uses changes in the magnetic field caused by electrical currents to localise activity in the brain
MEG - Magnetoencephalography
name that imaging technique!!!
Measures cerebral blood flow as kind of a heat map that glows (cause of radiation) and shows where the person’s brain has more activity
PET scan - Positron emission tomography
name that imaging technique!!!
uses electrodes to measure electrical activity (ERP)
Uses electrodes to measure electrical activity (ERP)
name that imaging technique!!!
Uses near infrared light to measure oxygenated and deoxygenated blood separately and then make the same inferences as a fMRI
FNRI - Functional near-infrared spectroscopy
Match key words to the imaging technique
picture
x-ray
non-functional
CAT scan
Match key words to the imaging technique
radioactive decay
cereberal blood flow
heat map
PET scan
Match key words to the imaging technique
BOLD function
cerebral blood flow
oxygenated haemoglobin levels
traction
Subtractive technique
FMRI
Match key words to the imaging technique
lasers
near infrared light
cerebral blood flow
oxygenated haemoglobin
FNRI
Match key words to the imaging technique
electrodes
ERP
EEG
Match key words to the imaging technique
magnetic field
electrical currents
MEG
the ____ _____ measures the difference in the magnetic properties of oxygenated and deoxygenated haemoglobin
BOLD Function
The BOLD Function:
The oxygenated haemoglobin has different ___________ properties than deoxygenated
The oxygenated haemoglobin has different electromagnetic properties than deoxygenated
how does the bold function measure magnetic properties of a thinking brain
The area of the brain being used uses more oxygenated blood, then leaves deoxygenated haemoglobin
We measure the difference in the electromagnetic field
FMRI:
Whole brain is always oxygenated but we only see the region of interest because this area has slightly _____ _______
more activation
_____________ - using a control not subject to task and comparing their level of activation to others to make sure
traction
_______ _______ - we subtract out any of the extra information
Subtractive technique
name the advantage and disadvantage of an EEG
Advantage - you can measure it almost immediately as it happens
Disadvantage - dont have the same spatial resolution
Experiment: FMRI and vegetative states
Dr.Owen discovered we can use fMRI to do what
connect with` people who are in a vegetative state (like a coma)
Experiment: FMRI and vegetative states
define brain dead
brain is still alive but they are not processing information (don’t receive auditory, visual, sensory information, etc)
Experiment: FMRI and vegetative states
Unable to tell if they are conscious, UNTIL MA BOI OWEN demonstrated ________ __________
Unable to tell if they are conscious, UNTIL MA BOI OWEN demonstrated willful consciousness
Experiment: FMRI and vegetative states
explain how Dr.Owen communicated with patients in the FMRI
P’s asked to imagine themselves playing tennis (motor cortex activation) or navigating to their house (hippocampus)
Asked them yes or no questions associated with those thoughts
Used FMRI to see what part of their brain activated
Experiment: Light patterns and FNRI
describe the tasks in this experiment
Participants had to learn a conjunctive rule/pattern in the light patterns and then record what the rule is
The other task was a rule that couldn’t be described with language
Experiment: Light patterns and FNRI
why did they place patches over the prefrontal and parietal cortex
When people learn a rule there should be more contribution in one than the other
Experiment: Light patterns and FNRI
results?
They found that when they made rule based responses there was more oxygenated haemoglobin in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (the front side of prefrontal cortex)
Experiment: Light patterns and FNRI
what were the variables
IndepVar = type of rule P’s asked to learn (conjunctive or cant be explained through language)
DepVar = oxygenated haemoglobin levels in prefrontal and parietal cortex
Experiment: Exceptions to the rule
explain what P’s did and what they tested
People learn a complex rule while classifying stimuli
Tested if there were neural differences when exceptions to the rule (randomly don’t follow the rule) were presented
Experiment: Exceptions to the rule
define late positive complex
indication of relabelling the exceptions to try to resolve a conflicting stimuli
Experiment: Exceptions to the rule
name the variables
