Neuropsychology Flashcards
Central Nervous System (CNS)
Brain → hindbrain, midbrain, forebrain
Spinal cord → 31 segments, 5 groups: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, coccygeal
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
Somatic nervous system → regulates sensory/voluntary motor activity by relaying info from senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch) to CNS + controls skeletal muscles
Autonomic nervous system → regulates activities that are involuntary, e.g., HR, breathing, blood pressure, skin temps; maintain balance/homeostasis
- Sympathetic nervous system – active during “flight-or-flight,” blood pressure, slow down HR, restorative functions (digestion/elimination)
- Parasympathetic nervous system – helps body relax/conserve energy, controls normal daily functioning, e.g., digestion
Sensory neurons (afferent)
Carry info to the CNS
Motor neurons (efferent)
Carry info away from CNS to muscles and glands
Conduction
Neural impulses transmitted w/ in neuron by electrochemical process; begins w/ dendrites, stimulated by adjacent cells
All-or-none law
Any charge that the cell fires above the threshold does not increase the magnitude of the action potential
Synaptic transmission
Transmission of neural impulses from 1 neuron to the next; occurs when action potential reaches axon’s terminal buttons, which causes release of neurotransmitter in synapse
Acetylcholine (ACh)
Neurotransmitter
Control of voluntary movement, memory/cognition
(depletion of ACh = memory loss w/ Alzheimer’s)
Think about ACE card flexing/contracting muscles
Dopamine
Neurotransmitter
Controls movement, learning, and reinforcing effects of stimulants, nicotine, and opiates (abnormal levels linked w/ depression, schizophrenia, Tourette’s, ADHD, Huntington’s, and Parkinson’s)
Think about small dwarf “dopey” is parking a car (low dopamine associated w/ Parkinson’s); tall dopey is skiing (high dopamine associated w/ schizophrenia)
Norepinephrine
Neurotransmitter
MOOD, pain, sleep
depression – low NE
mania – excesses NE
Serotonin (5HT)
Neurotransmitter
regulate anxiety, mood, memory, aggression, pain, sleep, appetite, sexuality
Deficiences in mood disorders (medications used to treat anxiety, depression)
Low S and low N = depression
Low S and high N = mania
Think about “Sir Rotten,” he’s always in a rotten mood (low levels of serotonin associated w/ depression)
GABA
Neurotransmitter
inhibitory control for motor control and regulates anxiety, CALMING EFFECT
Abnormal levels linked to insomnia, anxiety, Huntington’s, and Parkinson’s disease
Too little GABA → anxiety and seizure disorders
Benzodiazepine (Xanax, valium) = GABA antagonists
Glutamate
Neurotransmitter
excitatory neurotransmitters, role in learning and memory
Abnormal levels linked to Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s (high levels); implications → OCD, ASD, depression, schizophrenia (w/ high dopamine)
Endorphins (“endogenous morphine”)
“endogenous morphine”
neuromodulators that reduce feelings of pain/producing feelings of pleasure
runners high
Think of “runner’s high” → running door w/ fins looks happy
Thyroxine
Hormone
Released by thyroid, regulates metabolism
hyperthyroidism – oversecretion; speeds up metabolism and causes increased appetite, accelerated heart rate, nervous/agitation, impaired attention
*symptoms can mimic anxiety symptoms, manic episode
** most common type = Graves’ Disease
hypothyroidism –undersecretion; causes slows down metabolism and causes reduced appetite
*symptoms can mimic depression
Insulin
Harmone
Released by pancreas to help body use glucose and amino acids
Undersecretion causes diabetes mellitus, leads to high blood glucose level, which causes increased appetite w/ weight loss, frequent urination, thirst, infections, and eventually heat attacks, strokes, kidney failure
Oversecretion causes hypoglycemia,
which involves intense hunger, headaches, visual disturbances, anxiety, depression, confusion
Cortisol
Hormone
secreted by adrenal gland and helps regulate blood glucose levels
Undersecreton –> causes Addison’s Disease
- characterized by fatigue, decreased appetite/weight loss irritability, depression, darkening of skin pigmentation
Oversecretion –> causes Cushing’s disease, which involves obesity, hypertension, impaired memory, depression, decreased libido
Medulla
Hindbrain
Controls breathing, heart rate, digestion
Think of an Olympic athlete wearing medals around his/her heart and lungs
Pons
Hindbrain
Relay sensory and motor info + regulates states of arousal
add a D to the end of pon = ponds, think about ponds (and walking) being relaxing
Cerebellum
Hindbrain
balance, coordinates movement, controls posture
Reticular activity system (RAS)
Midbrain
screens incoming sensory info especially during sleep and arouses higher center of brain when it is important info should be paid attention to
reTICULar formation – if you were TICKLED while asleep your re-TICKLE-ular formation would ALERT you
Substania nigra
Midbrain
helps control movement (degeneration of dopamine-producing neurons contribute to PARKINSON’S); also plays a role in REWARD-seeking and addictive behaviors
*damage to substantial nigra in basal ganglia produces excessive motor activity
Hypothalamus
Forebrain – subcortical structures
maintaining body’s homeostasis, eating/drinking, sexual behaviors
Think of 5 F’s (fever, feeding, fight/flight, falling asleep, sex (F***)
Think of a hypo-the-llamas (picture a hypo spraying 2 thirsty lamas w/ water to quench their thirst and cool them down)
Cingulate gyrus
SATISFACTION CENTER – mediates the feelings of satisfaction that follow eating and sex
Mammillary bodies
Forebrain – subcortical structures; in the hippocampus
play a role in memory
Thalamus
Forebrain – subcortical structures
(“central relay station”) – relays incoming sensory info to (except for olfactory info) to cortex + involved in language, memory, and motor activity
Think about Hal and Amos (traffic cops) relaying information to different areas of brain for processing
Basal ganglia
Forebrain – subcortical structures
includes caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, and putamen – all involved in control of voluntary movement (muscle and fine motor movements)
inhibited movement (brake), EF, motor learning
Dysfunction:
Huntington’s – abnormalities in CAUDATE NUCLEUS and PUTAMEN in BASAL GANGLIA
Parkinson’s – degeneration of dopamine-producing cells in SUBSTANTIA NIGRA (part of BASAL GANGLIA)
Limbic system
Forebrain – subcortical structures
(“emotional brain”) – mediates emotional component of behavior + includes amygdala and hippocampus
Amygdala - (AGGRESSION) integrates/directs emotional reactions and attaches emotion to info receives from senses
Septum (SIMMER DOWN) – inhibits emotionality
Cingulate cortex – attention, emotion, perception, and subjective experience of pain
Hippocampus (MEMORY) – involved w/ memory than emotion + facilitates transfer of info from short to long-term memory
Contralateral representation
Forebrain – hemisphere of the cerebral cortex
Right hemisphere controls functions on the left side of body and vise versa
Left hemisphere of brain
Left (dominant) hemisphere → ( language + logic) verbal functions, written/spoken language, rational/analytical thinking, expression of positive emotions
Right hemisphere of brain
Right (nondominant) hemisphere → visual-spatial, holistic/creative thinking, expression of negative emotions
Frontal lobe (of cerebral cortex)
Frontal lobe – motor behavior, expressive language, high-order cognitive functions
1) Primary motor cortex
2) Broca’s area (production of written or spoken language)
- Damage produces expressive aphasia
3) Prefrontal cortex
- Damage cases cognitive impairment/personality change
Temporal lobe (of cerebral cortex)
Temporal lobe – auditory processing (including receptive language) and memory
1) Auditory context
- Damage can produce auditory agnosia or hallucinations
2) Wernicke’s area (comprehension of language)
- Damage produces receptive aphasia
Parietal lobe (of cerebral cortex)
Parietal lobe – contains the somatosensory cortex + involved in processing info related to touch-pressure, kinesthesia, pain, temperature
Damage might cause anosognosia, ideomotor apraxia, contralateral neglect, or Gerstmann’s syndrome