Neuropsychology Flashcards
What is the definition of psychology?
The scientific study of behaviour and the mind.
Explain the meaning of informed consent for research.
Participants must be made aware of the aim of the research and all procedures. No coercion is allowed, and they must know their rights to withdraw at any time without penalty.
In what way might someone with a mental disorder be vulnerable to giving informed consent?
They may not fully understand the aim or risks of being involved, so whilst they may give permission, the information about the research may not have been understood by them.
What is an ethical standard or guideline that helps protect research participants who may be vulnerable?
Do no harm – it is the researcher’s responsibility to ensure that no participant is harmed in any way, particularly those that are vulnerable.
What three parts of the body comprise the nervous system?
Brain, spinal cord, nerves.
What are the two parts of the nervous system.
- Peripheral nervous system
- central nervous system
What does the central nervous system comprise of
brain and spinal cord
What does the peripheral nervous system comprise of
Autonomic nervous system (communicates with internal organs and glands)
Somatic nervous system (communicates with sense organs and voluntary muscles)
made up of nerve fibers leading from the spinal cord to the rest of the body.
What does the somatic nervous system comprise of
sensory nervous system (sensory input)
motor nervous system (motor output)
What does the autonomic nervous system comprise of
Sympathetic division (arousing)- fight or flight responses
Parasympathetic division (calming)- returns the body back to normal after these experiences.
In what main way is the functioning of the autonomic nervous system different from other divisions of the nervous system?
It does not require conscious thought to function, and it communicates with internal organs and glands.
The brain sends and receives two kinds of messages. Describe what Motor messages are
Instructions from the brain to move muscles and limbs
Explain why the autonomous nervous system is referred to as ‘autonomous’.
Because it does not require conscious thought, the reactions by this system happen automatically as a result of sensory input.
The brain sends and receives two kinds of messages. Describe what Sensory messages helps the body do
Relay information from the 5 senses to the brain for interpreting
What is the role in the sympathetic nervous system in enhancing survival?
Heightens the body’s senses to assist in seeing, hearing , and feeling what is going on around us. This in turn helps us make quicker and more informed decisions in order to increase our chance of survival.
What is a Neuron?
A specific type of cell that makes up the Nervous System.
In what ways are the structure and function of dendrites different from axon terminals?
Dendrites are thinner and longer allowing for the action potential to be received from a previous neuron. Axon terminals are fewer and thicker, ready to pass an action potential (or message) on to the next neuron.
Explain the specific function of motor neurons, sensory neurons, and interneurons.
Motor – send messages to the muscles and limbs to move
Sensory – send messages from the sense organs to the brain
Interneurons – relay messages to the spinal cord and brain from other neurons.
Draw and label a diagram of a neuron, showing the key features.
top to bottom:
dendrite, nucleus, soma, Schwann cell, axon, node of Ranvier, myelin, axon terminals.
Identify the hemisphere that specializes in each of the following functions.
a. appreciating the beauty of a sunset
b. Judging whether a car will fit in a space
c. Kicking a football with the left foot
d. listening to someone speak
e. Applying logic in an argument
f. working out if you have enough money to take a holiday
g. daydreaming about being rich and famous
h. finding your way around a maze
i. speaking on the telephone
j. playing golf in a video game
k. playing scrabble
l. working out the meaning of the expression on someone’s face
m. arranging a bouquet of flowers
n. giving the correct change for a purchase
o. recognizing classmates from an old photo
p. working out what time to get up to make an appointment
q. raising your right hand to answer a question in class
a. R
b. R
c. R
d. L
e. L
f. L
g. R
h. L
i. L
j. R
k. L
l. R
m. R
n. L
o. R
p. L
q. L
What is the function of the cerebellum?
Control of coordination and balance in the body.
Following a head injury sustained in a car accident, Sofia is unable to feel any sensation of touch or temperature in the left side of her face between her cheeks and lower jaw. Fortunately, Sofia did not injure her spine in the accident.
a. Which cortex of the brain is likely to have been affected?
b. Explain your reason for this answer.
c. In which lobe is this area located?
a. sensory cortex
b. This cortex is responsible for those sensations, so being unable to feel them implies that it has been damaged.
c. Temporal Lobe
What is ‘myelination’ and when does it start and end?
The process of myelin growing on neuron axons. It begins before birth (in utero) and ands at around 2 years of age.
How might damage to interneurons affect the spinal reflex arc?
If interneurons are damaged, it may mean that reflex messages (such as removing a hand from a flame) might be slowed down aa interneurons are the ones that relay the sensory signal to the motor neurons so the person would not move their hand
What is synaptic pruning? Why does it occur at around 2 to 4 years of age?
When pathways that are not being used are ‘pruned’ from the brain. Between 2 and 4 years of age, a child’s brain finds the best pathway to complete certain tasks (like running and holding cutlery) and that is strengthened whilst other pathways become unused and are pruned.
Distinguish the difference between a neuron and a nerve.
A neuron is a single cell, while a nerve is a bundle of similar neurons bundled together. (eg motor neurons together make a nerve in a muscle group).
State three ways in which the brain in protected from injury.
Skull, scalp/hair, and meninges (internal fluid layers)
Identify which of the following would be reflex reactions:
a. Coughing
b. sneezing
c. reading
d. cycling
e. writing
f. blinking
a. R
B. R
c. not a R
d. not an R
e. not an R
f. R
Define the difference between grey matter and white matter, and state which makes up the largest percentage of the brain’s mass.
Grey matter is composed of the dendrites and axon terminals of neurons in the brain, while the white matter is the myelinated axons or tails of each neuron.
What is the difference between a complete and an incomplete spinal injury?
A complete spinal injury means that no messages can get through to lower areas ,while an incomplete injury means that some messages (either motor or sensory) might get through.
List three ways a person could acquire a brain injury that is:
a. Non-traumatic
b. Traumatic
a. Infection, Stroke, Diabetic Coma
b. Falls, car accident, domestic violence
State the five sections of the spinal cord and the number of nerves or vertebrae in each.
Cervical (8), Thoracic (12), Lumbar (5), Sacral (5), Coccygeal (1)
If a person suffered a complete injury to the spinal cord at these vertebrae, determine whether the result would be (Q) Quadriplegia, (P) Paraplegia, or (N) no loss of limb function.
a. T-6
b. C-2
c. L-3
d. C-6
e. T-2
f. L-5
a. P
b. Q
c. N minimal use of legs
d. P minimal use of arms
e. P minimal use of arms
f. N affected use of legs
What are the four areas that may show symptoms in a person suffering a concussion?
Physical (nausea, dizziness, headaches)
Emotions (intense emotions, depression, anxiety)
Thinking and remembering (trouble concentrating, heavy fog)
Sleep (a lot more or less than usual)
Explain the two parts involved in classifying brain injuries.
Glasgow Coma Score – a score based on the best eye, verbal, and motor responses
The amount of time a person was unconscious.
What are the main structures and functions of the hind brain
a. Cerebellum
b. Brain stem
c. Pons
d. Medulla
a. Coordination, balance, and breathing
b. Vital life functions (including heartbeat and blood pressure)
c. Connects the cerebellum and cerebrum – messages
d. Involuntary life sustaining function – breathing, swallowing, heart rate, connects brain to spinal cord.
What are the main structures and functions of the midbrain
Thalamus
Hypothalamus
Amygdala
Hippocampus
Pituitary Gland
Relays visual and auditory information
Regulates body temperature, sleep and appetite
Processes senses, emotional memories
Forming memories and connecting emotions
Links nervous system to hormones in the body
What are the main structures and functions of the forebrain
Cerebrum
(lobes and cortexes)
Conscious brain functions, such as thoughts and actions
Name 10 parts of the brain
- Temporal Lobe
- Broca’s Area (Speech)
- Frontal Lobe
- Motor Cortex
- Sensory Cortex
- Parietal Lobe
- Occipital Lobe
- Visual Cortex
- Wernicke’s Area (Speech Comprehension)
- Auditory Cortex
what protects the brain
cranium (skull) hard protection
dura mater- tough mother
arachnoid mater- blood vessels are in this layer, softer, like a complex spider web.
subarachnoid space- contains cerebral spinal fluid (CSF)
pia mater- innermost meninges layers, closest to brain tissue, also contains blood vessels.
what is cerebral spinal fluid
a clear watery substance produced in the ventricles that surrounds the brain and spinal cord to be a cushion and prevent injury.
what is the medical condition where there is a buildup of CSF in the ventricles
hydrocephalus
what is the spinal cord
a long fragile tubelike structure that begins at the end of the brain stem and continues down almost to the bottom of the spine. it consists of nerves that carry incoming and outgoing messages between the brain and rest of the body.
what are the 5 parts of the spinal cord
- cervical cord
- thoracic cord
- lumbar cord
- sacral cord
- coccygeal
what is the developing fetal brain composed of
forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain
what are the 6 parts of the brain
frontal lobe
parietal lobe
occipital lobe
temporal lobe
brain stem
what are the functions of the frontal lobe
thinking, speaking, memory, movement
what are functions of the parietal lobe
language, touch, taste, smell
what are functions of the occipital lobe
vision, colour, letters, left/right
what are the functions of the cerebellum
balance, coordination
what are the functions of the brain stem
breathing, heart rate, temperature, blood pressure
what is the cortex
the outer layer of the cerebrum composed of folded grey matter and playing an important role in consciousness.
what happens in the Wernicke’s area
comprehension of speech and written language
what happens in Broca’s area
production of speech and written language
what is the brain stem responsible for
basic life functions that support life- breathing, heart rate, blood pressure. damage to this area can cause brain death as the heart and or lungs are no longer able to work on their own.
what does the cerebellum control
sub-conscious movements of the skeletal muscles that maintain balance and posture. contains cardiac, respiratory and vasomotor control centers. comprising of about 10% of the brain volume and 50% of the brain’s neurons.
what is in the diencephalon
thalamus and hypothalamus.
what does the thalamus do
relays sensory information except smell to the cerebral cortex. it interprets pain, temperature, light, touch and pressure.
what does the hypothalamus do
main function is homeostasis or maintaining equilibrium. monitors water levels, hormone concentrations, blood temperature, regulation of food intake and assists in staying awake or asleep.
what and where is the limbic system
located on the medial surface of the temporal lobe, it controls our emotions. olfactory cortex- sense of smell. amygdala- feelings of fear. hippocampus- declarative memory. also controls appetite, sleep patterns and plays a role in motivation.
what is the hypothalamus and pituitary gland
if a problem is detected by the hypothalamus, it can do one of two things. send a neural message to the autonomic nervous system. send a chemical signal via the blood stream, to the pituitary gland.
the pituitary gland secretes hormones into the blood stream, so the hypothalamus can control every endocrine gland in the body.
what are some pituitary hormones
oxytocin, growth, adrenocorticotropic, melanocyte-stimulating, thyroid-stimulating, prolactin, LH and FSH, antidiuretic.
how many neurons is the brain composed of
approx. 100 billion
how are neurons different from other cells in the body
they are not replaced once they die
function of dendrites
receive signals from other cells
function of nucleus
controls the entire neuron
function of cell body (soma)
organizes and keeps the cell functional
function of axon
transfers signals to other cells and organs
function myelin sheath
increases the speed of the signal
axon terminal
forms junctions with other cells
Schwann cell function
produces the myelin sheath
node of Ranvier function
allow diffusion of ions
function of axon hillock
generates impulse in the neuron
function of cell membrane
protects the cell
what is white matter
is made of the bundles of axons that connect the areas of grey matter
what is grey matter
is made of the dendrites and cell bodies where the interactions occur.
what is myelin
a fatty substance that surrounds nerve cell axons to insulate them and increase the rate at which electric impulses called action potentials are passed along the axon.
what is myelination
the process of developing this insulation beginning before birth and continuing into adulthood.
how do nerve impulses work
they begin with receptors at the dendrite and travels through the cell body to the axon terminal. at the axon terminal, dendrites from neighboring neurons are close. the nerve impulse causes the release of a neurotransmitter that travels across the synapse to the next dendrite and the nerve impulse continues.
what is a synapse
the junction between two neurons is called a synapse. it forms a physical gap between the pre-synaptic and post-synaptic neurons. an action potential cannot cross the synaptic gap, so it triggers a release of neurotransmitters to continue the signal.
what are neurotransmitters
chemicals which are passed from the axon terminals of one neuron to the receptor sites of the dendrites of the next neuron through a synapse. they play a role in the way we behave, learn, feel and mental illnesses.
what are gross motor skills
they involve the use of large muscles for activities like rolling over, crawling, sitting, standing, and walking. these actions typically progress in a predictable sequence, with each milestone building on the previous one.
what are fine motor skills
they involve the use of small muscles for tasks such as grasping objects, manipulating toys, and eventually writing. babies start grasping objects reflexively and progress to more deliberate and controlled hand movements as hand-eye coordination improves. This development is essential for activities like reaching, grabbing, and eventually self-feeding.
what do motor neurons control
activity of skeletal muscles, smooth muscles and gland. they send information out of the nervous system into the muscles and glands
what do sensory neurons do
these extend from the body to the nervous system. they relay information from the sense organs
what do inter-neurons do
they provide connections between other types of neurons. they lie within both the brain and spinal cord
what are principal neurons
found in the brain. they send messages to other areas of the brain
what is the sleep neurotransmitter
serotonin
what do endorphins do
involved in pain relief and feelings of contentless
what is the love neurontransmitter
oxytocin
what is the mnemonic device for the spine
breakfast food is CEReal
big chested super-hero THORacic
after dinner you sLUMBAR
bowel talk is SACred
what is the definition of brain damage
injury or harm, congenital or acquired to the tissues of the brain resulting from inadequate oxygen supply, trauma, or other cause.
what is a primary TBI
damage is immediate and directly related to the cause of the incident. e.g bleeding in the brain caused by a strike to the head.
what is a secondary TBI
damage may not appear or become apparent until hours, days or weeks later because it is due to reactive processes arising from the brain trauma e.g. damage due to swelling or a pressure build up.
what is a penetrating or open TBI
penetrating injuries or skull fractures.
what is a non-penetrating TBI
injury results from the movement of the brain within the skull in response to an internal force. internal pressure or shearing.
what are the traumatic brain injury classifications
mild- concussion, loss of consciousness for 15 minutes or less, feeling dazed
moderate- loss of consciousness for 15 minutes to a few hours, days or weeks of confusions.
severe- loss of consciousness for 6 hours or longer, may be in a coma
what are incomplete and complete spinal injuries
incomplete: allow some messages to get through but these vary in each case.
complete: no sensory or motor function below the level of injury.
what four descriptions do doctors use to explain the severity of a spinal cord injury
location of the injury
amount of damage to the spinal cord
extent of paralysis
ASIA scale score.
what is quadriplegia
loss of normal function in all four limbs
C1- C8
What is paraplegia
loss of normal function in the legs; full control and feeling in the arms and hands
T1-12
L1-5
what are psychoactive drugs
drugs that affect a person’s mental state, whether prescribed or taken for recreational purposes.
what are the three main groups of psychoactive drugs
depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens
what is the nucleus accumbens and where is it located
is found in an area of the brain called the basal forebrain
plays a role in the reward circuit of the brain.
what does the motor cortex do and where is it located
it sends a message that directs the muscles in your arm and hand to reach out towards something. it is located at the top in the parietal lobe Infront of the sensory cortex
what does the sensory cortex do and where is it located
it assesses the information delivered through your touch, like judging it temperature. It is located at the top in the parietal lobe behind of the motor cortex
what does the visual cortex do
allows you to receive, process and interpret what you are seeing/ visual information to make sense of what we are seeing
what does the auditory cortex do
processes auditory information
what does the olfactory cortex do
Vital for the processing and perception of odor
what does the gustatory cortex do
perceiving and distinguishing different tastes
