Neuropsych Flashcards
What are the two parts of the nervous system?
Central (brain & spinal cord) and peripheral (sensory + motor nerves throughout) nervous systems
What are the parts of the peripheral nervous system?
Somatic (external and voluntary) & autonomic (internal and involuntary)
What are the parts of the autonomic nervous system?
Sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest & digest)
How is the endocrine system connected to the CNS and PNS?
By the hypothalamus, via pituitary gland
Adrenal gland
Activated by sympathetic (adrenaline and cortisol)
Pituitary gland
Master gland, oxytocin
Thyroid gland
Energy, metabolism
Parathyroid gland
Regulates calcium ion levels in bones/ blood
Pineal gland
Sleep
What 3 parts with beginning development?
Forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain
Frontal lobe
Complex though, planning, emotional control, movement control/ map of muscles
Parietal lobe
Touch, spatial awareness, map of skin surface, integration centre, directs attention
Temporal lobe
Sound processing, object memory, language, facial recognition
Occipital lobe
Vision, identifying objects
Insular lobe
Taste, awareness of internal organs
Limbic system
Connects cortex to lower region, regulates fear and emotions
Hippocampus
Memory (time and place, emotional significance), navigating environment, hopes/ desires
Amygdala
Emotion: Registers emotional significance. Helps hippocampus enhance memory
Basal ganglia
Planning & executing. Signal muscles to start and stop. Learning and motivation (will)
Thalamus
Signals from sensory systems (except smell), shut down sensory for sleep
Hypothalamus
Integrates internal body signals with associated feelings/ behaviours (specialized nuclei). Connects with endocrine system and pituitary gland. Helps with vision
Brainstem
Oxygen supply, regulates breathing/ heart rate. Sensory nerves connect here. Emotion-related changes
Tegmentum
Sudden head/ eye movements
Ventral tegmental area
Motivation and reward system
Substantia nigra
Regulates movement
Pons
Breathing rate, relays sensations
Medulla oblongata
Heart rate, BP, coughing/ swallowing
Reticular formation
Arousal and attention. High alert in danger. Sleep/ wakefulness.
Cerebellum
coordination, precision, balance, accurate timing, adjusts head/ eye movements
Corpus callosum
Relays neural info between hemispheres, supports contralateral communication
Dendrites
Receive chemical messages from other neurons
Cell body/ stoma
Collects impulses, nucleus, life-sustaining
Axon
Transports electrical impulses to other neurons via terminal branches
Terminal branches
Convert impulses to chemical messages
Myelin sheath
Fatty tissue on axon, increases speed (glial cells)
Glial cells
Insulate, support, nourish, reduce debris, contribute to info processing and brain development, guide axon growth
Action potential
Electrical impulse fired by a neuron with enough energy
Depolarization
Ion channels open and allow Na+ to enter which creates a chain reaction and voltage surges
Repolarization
After flood reverses (back to resting potential)
Refractory period
Neurons recharging after firing
Excitatory vs inhibitory
-move neuron voltage closer to threshold
- move neuron voltage further from threshold
Synapse
Gap between axon terminals and dendrites of receiving neuron
Neurotransmission
Receptors bind with specific neurotransmitters to have excitatory or inhibitory response
How are neurotransmitters deactivated after generating a signal?
Diffusion, degradation, reuptake
Classes of neurotransmitters?
Amino acids, monoamines, acetylcholine
What is Broca’s aphasia?
Unable to generate fluent speech despite knowing what you want to say (expressive aphasia)
What is Wernicke’s aphasia?
Unable to understand speech (receptive)
What happened to HM when his hippocampus was removed?
Unable to form new memories but could recall facts from before lesion
How did Phineas Gage’s frontal lobe damage affect him?
Personality change: easygoing to difficult
TMS
Measures electrical activity after producing temporary lesion or activation
EEG
Records electrical activity measured through the scalp (detect different states like arousal vs sleepy)
ERP
Event related potentials from averaging EEG signals. Brain response to a particular stimulus
MRI
Gives detailed picture by affecting H arms with magnetic field
fMRI
Measures blood flow, giving real time picture. BOLD signal
What are the four executive processes?
Organizing, prioritizing, planning, focusing
