Neuropsychology Flashcards
What is the role of the Autonomic Nervous System? (3)
- It coordinates functions such as breathing, heart rate, and digestion
- It’s divided into the sympathetic and parasympathetic division
- We have no control over it
What is the CNS made up of?
- Brain
2. Spinal cord
What is the role of the Peripheral Nervous System?
- Receives and sends messages to the CNS
- Divided into ANS and SNS
What is the role of the Somatic Nervous System?
- It controls movement
2. We have control over this system (other than reflexes)
How does the fight/flight response work?
- Brain detects threat
- Adrenaline released (ANS changes from parasympathetic to sympathetic)
- Fight of flight response (Physiological changes occur)
- Threat passes (sympathetic changes back to parasympathetic)
Sympathetic nervous system:
When the body is in a state of physiological arousal, preparing for fight/flight
Parasympathetic nervous system:
The body is in a state of rest. There is no threat.
What does the James-Lange theory argue?
Physiological changes occur FIRST, which then causes emotion.
Describe the James-Lange theory:
- Event
- Arousal
- Interpretation
- Emotion
Evaluate the James-Lange theory of emotion: (3)
+ Real-life examples
- Cannon-Bard theory: We experience some emotions (e.g. embarrassment) at the same time as physiological arousal and not one after the other.
- We need arousal plus social cues to correctly label the emotion we are feeling. Therefore the James–Lange theory does not explain how a person ‘decides’ what emotion they are experiencing
Name the different structures of a neuron: (7)
- Soma: carries nucleus
- Axon: carries message through neuron
- Nucleus: contains DNA
- Dendrites: carry electrical signals to nearby neurons
- Myelin sheath: protects axon and speeds up electrical signal
- Node of Ranvier: speeds up electrical signal
- Terminal buttons: communicates to nearby neurons
What is the role of sensory neurons?
Carries messages from receptors to CNS
What is the role of relay neurons?
Carries messages from sensory neurons to motor neurons
What is the role of motor neurons?
Carries messages from CNS to effectors (muscles/glands)
Describe synaptic transmission
- Electrical signal reaches the end of the presynaptic neuron
- Vesicles open and release chemicals into the synapse
- Chemicals are released from the synaptic knobs
- Chemicals are picked up at the receptor sites of the postsynaptic neuron