Neuropsychology Flashcards
The nervous system is divided into the _________ and _______________ nervous systems
Central Nervous System
Peripheral Nervous System
Abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles as the result of a genetic defect, tumor traumatic injury or other factors can cause ______________
Hydrocephalus
What are the symptoms exhibited by infants and young children with hydrocephalus?
Abnormal enlargement of the head
What are the symptoms exhibited by adults with hydrocephalus?
Headaches
Loss of Balance
Impaired cognitive skills
Bladder control problem
The brain is divided into three divisions. What are they?
Hindbrain
Midbrain
Forebrain
The spinal cord carries information between the brain and peripheral nervous system. It consists of 31 segments which are further divided into 5 groups. What are the names of the 5 groups?
Cervical Thoracic Lumbar Sacral Coccygeal
Damage at the cervical level results in ______________, which is also known as tetraplegia
Quadriplegia
Damage at the thoracic, lumbar, sacral results in _____________
Paraplegia
What is the difference between a complete and an incomplete injury?
Complete injury involves a total loss of sensation and voluntary movement (paralysis)
Incomplete injury may involve loss of sensation but no loss of movement or vice versa or a limited loss of sensation and/or movement
The peripheral nervous system contains afferent nerves and efferent nerves. What is the difference between them?
Afferent nerves (sensory or receptor nerves) carry information from the sense organs TO the Central Nervous System (CNS) Efferent nerves (motor or effector nerves) carry information from the CNS to the muscles and glands
The peripheral nervous system is divided into two subdivisions, what are they?
Somatic Nervous System
Autonomic Nervous System
What is the somatic nervous system responsible for?
Controls the actions of the skeletal muscles
Voluntary movement
Relays signals from the senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch
What is the autonomic nervous system responsible for?
The ANS contains nerve fibers that innervate the smooth muscles, cardiac muscle, and glands. It regulates activity that is primarily involuntary, such as digestive processes, respiration, and heartbeat and changes in level of autonomic arousal are associated with changes in emotionality.
The autonomic nervous system is divided into ____________________ and _________________
Sympathetic Nervous System
Parasympathetic Nervous System
What is the sympathetic nervous system?
Mobilizes the body’s resources and prepares the organism for “fight-or-flight” by causing increased heart rate, pupil dilation, increased blood flow to the extremities, inhibition of digestive processes and conversion of energy stores (fat and glycogen) to glucose
What is the parasympathetic nervous system?
Deactivates responses that the sympathetic nervous system activates and is active during states of relaxation. Responses include decreased heart rate, activation of digestive and elimination process, and conversion of glucose to glycogen and fat.
Every neuron contains three main parts. What are they and their corresponding functions?
Cell body (soma) - Contains the neuron's nucleus, mitochondria, and other specialized structures and is responsible for most of the cell's protein synthesis Dendrites - Short fibers that project outward from the cell body. Dendrites respond to stimulation from other neurons and carry this information toward the cell body Axon - Fiber, sometimes quite long that carries information away from the cell body.
Define Depolarization
Depolarization occurs when the cell receives sufficient stimulation from other cells and the electrical balance between the interior and exterior of the cell changes and the interior of the cell becomes less negative
What is the all-or-none principle
Whenever the stimulation received by a neuron from adjacent cells exceeds a minimum threshold, the resulting action potential is always of the same magnitude
The speed of conduction within a cell is affected by two factors. What are they?
- The larger the diameter of the axon, the greater the speed of the nerve impulse
- Some axons are covered with myelin (a fatty substance) and the thicker the myelin, the greater the speed.
Multiple Sclerosis is due to:
Demyelination
Two processes terminate synaptic transmission by removing the neurotransmitter from the synapse. Describe the two processes
- Reuptake - Terminal buttons take up the excess neurotransmitter and store it for future use
- Enzymatic Degradation - Occurs when enzymes in and around the synapse break down the neurotransmitter into inactive metabolites that are ultimately removed as waste
What are neuromodulators
They increase or decrease the sensitivity of neurons to the effects of other neurotransmitters
Acetylcholine
Cholinergic neurons
Involved in the control of voluntary movement, learning and memory, sexual behavior, and sleep and acts as an excitatory or inhibitory neurotransmitter depending on the location
Defect in ACh transmission to muscle receptors impairs voluntary movement
In the brain, ACh plays an important role in learning and memory
Degeneration of ACh receptors in the hippocampus and certain areas of the cortex contribute to the memory loss associated with normal aging and Alzheimer’s Disease
Name the drug that produces paralysis by blocking ACh receptors
Curare
Dopamine
Found in several areas of the brain including basal ganglia, limbic system and frontal lobes of the cortex.
Dopamine is involved in movement, learning, mood, and the reinforcing effects of stimulants, opiates, and nicotine.
Abnormal levels have been linked to depression, Schizophrenia, Tourette’s Disorder, ADHD, Huntington’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease
Norepinephrine
Plays a role in mood, dreaming, learning and autonomic responses. Abnormal levels contribute to a number of disorders including depression, mania and panic disorder
Serotonin (5-HT)
Involved in the regulation of anxiety, mood, memory, aggression, pain, sleep, appetite and sexuality. Low levels of serotonin have been linked to depression, aggression, PTSD, OCD, and Bulimia. Higher than normal levels contribute to Schizophrenia, Autistic Disorder, and decreased appetite associated with Anorexia.
Gamma-Amino Butyric Acid (GABA)
Main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS and contributes to motor control and regulates anxiety. Abnormal level of GABA contribute to sleep, eating, anxiety, and seizure disorders, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease.
Anti-anxiety medications work by increasing GABA activity
Glutamate
A major excitatory neurotransmitter in the CNS and is involved in long-term potentiation (LTP) - which is essential for the formation of memories. Abnormal levels contribute to anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and Schizophrenia. Overactivity at glutamate synapses (“excitotoxicity”) has been linked to seizures, stroke, traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
Endorphins
Endogenous morphine act as neuromodulators and are involved in reducing feelings of pain and producing feelings of pleasure. Endorphins are believed to contribute to the “runner’s high” and the pain-relieving effects of acupuncture and placebos.
Hypothyroidism
Caused by the undersecretion of thyroxin (released by the thyroid gland). Undersecretion of the hormone slows metabolism and causes reduced appetite, weight gain, lowered heart rate, cold intolerance, decreased sex drive, fatigue, depression, and impaired memory.
Hyperthyroidism
Caused by the oversecretion of thyroxin.
Hyperthyroidism is also known as “Grave’s Disease”.
Hyperthyroidism speeds up metabolism and cause increased appetite, weight loss, accelerated heart rate, nervousness and agitation, heat intolerance, insomnia, and decreased attention span.
Insulin
Released by the pancreas. It stimulates the uptake of glucose and amino acids into cells.
Undersecretion of insulin can cause diabetes mellitus, which, if left untreated with injection of insulin, leads to high blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia) and causes increased appetite with weight loss, frequent urination increased thirst, frequent infections, fatigue, apathy, sexual dysfunction, and, eventually, kidney failure, strokes, and heart attacks.
Oversecretion of insulin causes hypoglycemia which involves intense hunger, weakness, headaches, visual disturbances, palpitations, anxiety, depression, and confusion.
Cortisol
Cortisol is secreted by the adrenal cortex (outer layer of the adrenal gland).
Helps regulate blood glucose levels.
Undersecretion leads to Addison’s disease - characterized by muscle weakness, fatigue, low blood pressure, decreased appetite and weight loss, irritability, depression, and darkening of skin pigmentation.
Oversecretion can cause Cushing’s disease - characterized by obesity, hypertension, impaired concentration and memory, depression, anxiety, and decreased libido.
Which system is most responsible for body’s fight-or-fight reaction?
Sympathetic
_____________ is known to be involved in the regulation of voluntary movements
Acetylcholine
___________ is the neurotransmitter known to play an important role in long-term potentiation (involved in the formation of memories)
Glutamate
Quadriplegia is most likely to be the result of damage to the spinal cord at the ___________ level
Cervical
Which two disorders are associated with the malfunctioning of the pancreas?
Diabetes mellitus and hypoglycemia
The brain is divided into three areas, what are they?
Hindbrain
Midbrain
Forebrain
The hindbrain and midbrain are referred to as _______________
Brainstem
The hindbrain contains:
Medulla Oblongata
Pons
Cerebellum
Describe the function of medulla oblongata
Contains vital centers that control breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion and stimulate coughing, swallowing, salivating, and other reflexive actions
What is the function of pons
Pons connects the two halves of the cerebellum. It is involved in relaying sensory and motor information and plays an important role in arousal, sleep, and respiration
What does the cerebellum control?
Cerebellum maintains balance, coordinates movements, and controls posture. Damage can produce ataxia - a condition that involves slurred speech, severe tremors, and loss of balance.
Reticular Activating System (RAS)
RAS is part of the reticular formation, which is a diffuse network of interconnected neurons that extends from the spinal cord to the midbrain.
The RAS regulates the sleep-wake transition and screens incoming sensory information, especially during sleep, and arouses higher centers in the brain when important information should be paid attention to.
Ex. When my puppy vomits, I will wake up to the gagging sound but otherwise, I will be asleep
Substantia Nigra
Substantia nigra helps control movement, and degeneration of dopamine-producing neurons in this structure contributes to Parkinson’s disease.
The substantia nigra also plays a role in reward-seeking and addictive behaviors.
Name the subcortical structures of the Forebrain
Hypothalamus
Thalamus
Basal Ganglia
Limbic System
Hypothalamus
Hypothalamus exerts control over the autonomic nervous system and endocrine system via its influence on the pituitary gland.
a) Maintains the body’s homeostasis by monitoring the body’s internal states and controlling temperature, metabolism, and other functions.
b) Plays a role in the control of many motivated behaviors such as drinking, feeding, sex, aggression, and maternal behavior
c) Involved in the physical expression of strong emotions, especially rage, fear, and excitement
d) Contains the suprachiasmatic nucleus and the mammillary bodies
Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN)
SCN regulates the body’s circadian rhythms (biological processes that approximate a 24-hour cycle) primarily through its sensitivity to light and dark.
Mammillary Bodies
Mammillary bodies play a role in memory; damage to the mammillary bodies and certain areas of the thalamus (often as a result of thiamine deficiency caused by chronic alcoholism) causes Korsakoff’s Syndrome - characterized by anterograde amnesia, retrograde amnesia, and confabulation (filling in memory gaps with false information while being unaware of doing so).
What is the function of “Thalamus”?
Thalamus acts as a central relay station by relaying incoming sensory information to the cortex for all of the senses except olfaction.
Thalamus processes information sent between different cortical regions and between the cortex and subcortical regions.
It is also involved in language, memory and motor activity
The basal ganglia include the ____________, __________ and the ___________
Caudate Nucleus
Globus Pallidus
Putamen
What is the function of Basal Ganglia?
The Basal Ganglia process and relay information necessary for the control of voluntary movement, the motor (outward) expression of emotion, and sensorimotor learning.
Abnormalities in the basal ganglia have been linked to: Tourette’s Disorder, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Schizophrenia, mood disorders, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and ADHD
What are the subcomponents of the Limbic system?
Amygdala
Septum
Cingulate Cortex
Hippocampus
Describe the function of “Amygdala”
The amygdala integrates and directs emotional reactions, attaches emotion to information it receives from the senses, and mediates defensive/aggressive behaviors.
In humans, damage may cause a lack of emotional response (especially fear) to environmental stimuli and an inability to recognize facial and vocal expressions of emotion.
In monkeys, bilateral lesions in the amygdala and anterior temporal lobe produce __________________
Kluver-Bucy Syndrome
What are the characteristics of mammals with Kluver-Bucy syndrome?
Reduced fear and aggression Increased docility Altered dietary habits Psychic blindness - inability to recognize the significance of objects or situations Hypersexuality