Neuropsychology Flashcards
Test test
What are the main categories of antidepressant?
TCAs, SSRIs, and MAOIs
What does TCA stand for?
“Tricyclic Antidepressants”
One of the three main categories of antidepressant, along with SSRIs and MAOIs
What class of antidepressants works by blocking the uptake of Serotonin and Norepinephrine?
TCAs
Fit with the catecholamine hypothesis
What hypothesis may explain the effects of TCAs?
The catecholamine hypothesis
What Hypothesis says that depression is caused specifically by low levels Norepinephrine?
The catecholamine hypothesis
What does the catecholamine hypothesis state?
That depression is caused specifically by low levels of norepinephrine
May explain the effectiveness of TCAs
In what two ways are TCAs generally less safe than SSRIs?
TCAs generally have
1) a higher toxicity (easier to overdose on), and
2) worse side effects
Why must TCAs be prescribed with caution for individuals who have heart disease or are suicidal?
They have potential cardiovascular side effects and are highly toxic in overdose
They generally have 1) a higher toxicity, and 2) worse side effects
How TCAs are generally less safe than SSRIs
Which two classes of antidepressant are used for mainstream depression cases?
TCAs and SSRIs
Which class of antidepressant is used for atypical depression cases?
MAOIs
What does MAOI stand for?
“Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors”
What three symptoms of depression are TCAs especially effective for?
Hopelessness Anhedonia Physical symptoms
What Hypothesis says that depression is caused by low levels of both Norepinephrine and Serotonin?
The permissive hypothesis
What does the Permissive Hypothesis state?
That depression is caused by low levels of both Norepinephrine and Serotonin
How does the Permissive Hypothesis differ from the Catecholamine Hypothesis?
Permissive: depression is caused by low levels of both Norepinephrine and Serotonin Catecholamine: depression is caused specifically by low levels of Norepinephrine
Which Neurotransmitter is associated with ADHD?
Dopamine
Why is the Catecholamine Hypothesis associated with TCAs?
Because TSAs uniquely target Norepinephrine It also targets Serotonin (which would support the Permissive Hypothesis), but SSRIs target Serotonin too
What Neurotransmitter is associated with Schizophrenia?
Dopamine i.e. the Dopamine hypothesis
What hypothesis is the basis of second-generation antipsychotics?
That schizophrenia is caused by an imbalance between dopamine and norepinephrine levels
As opposed to the Dopamine hypothesis, which focuses only on the former
What neurotransmitter is associated with both depression and chornic pain?
Norepinephrine
Who should TCA’S not be prescribed for?
People who have heart disease or people who are suicidal.
What drug is prescribed for enuresis?
Imipramine (TCA)
What specific drug is used to treat OCD?
Clomipramine (TCA)
Which of the three classes of antidepressants treats premature ejaculation?
SSRI’s
What type of antidepressant does not have anticholinergic effects?
SSRI’s
confusion and memory impairment in older adults is a side effect of which antidepressant?
TCA’S
Examples of Anticholinergic side effects
dry mouth
constipation
urinary retention
blurred vision
TCA drug names typically end in…
“amines”
“tryptalines”
Three TCA drugs
Imipramine
Clomipramine
Amitriptyline
SSRI’s uniquely treat these three disorders
Social Phobia
Binge eating
Premature Ejaculation
Within the antidepressant categories
TCA’s uniqely treats these three disorders…
Enuresis (imipramine)
Agoraphobia
Chronic Pain
conduction apashia is caused by…
damage to nerve fibers (arcuate fasciculus) that connect Wernicke’s area to Broca’s
Anomia is
inability to recall the names of familiar objects
(common with damage to Broca’s area or damage to the arcuate fasciculus)
A person with conduction aphasia can and cannot
can comprehend language and speak fluently
cannot repeat what they have heard and has anomia
Difficulties repeating what they have just heard is related to these areas of the brain…
Broca’s area and arcuate fasciculus (conduction aphasia)
Research has identified brain abnormalities for OCD, Tourettes, ASD in these two brain areas
frontal lobes and basal ganglia
Exposure and Response Prevention is treatment for these anxiety related behaviors…
Specific Phobia,
Social Phobia,
Panic Disorder,
Agoraphobia,
Social Anxiety,
OCD,
Agoraphobia vs. Specific Phobia
Fear of not being able to escape vs. fear of the thing or situation itself
Systematic desensitization is treatment for
young children with separation anxiety
CBT used for treatment of
seperation anxiety for older children
GAD
Panic Disorder (via panic control therapy)
polythetic criteria
What the DSM-5 uses; Means you can have many but not all properties of a disorder to meet criteria
OCD prevalence in children by gender
higher in males than female children
peak onset is age 6 to 15 in males
OCD higher in males or female children?
Males; they have an earlier onset (age 6-15)
For females peak onset of OCD is
age 20 to 29
OCD prevalence rate is ______ among adult males and females
equal
Percentage of women who experience baby blues after pregnancy?
50-80%
Percentage of women who experience post partum depression?
10-20%
Insulin is released by the
pancreas
Hypoinsulin causes
diabetes mellitus (excessive blood glucose)
Diabetus mellitus symptoms included
- increased appetite with weight loss
- confusion and mental dullness
- susceptibility to infection
Cushing’s disease symptoms include
- emotional lability
- memory loss
- depression
- obesity
Cushing’s disease is caused by…
secretion of too much cortisol
Hyperthyrodism can mimic these psychogenic symptoms
Hormones
mimic anxiety and hypomania
Hyperthyroidsim (grave’s disease) is characterized by…
- accelerated heart
- agitation and nervousness
- fatigue and insomnia
- elevated body temp and heat intolerance
- increased appetite with weight loss
Hypothyroidism is characterized by…
- Slowed heart rate
- depression, lethargy, decreased libido
- impaired concentration and memory
- reduced appetite and weight gain
- lowered body temp
Adolescent-onset is when a teen has no symptoms of CD before the age of _____?
10 years old
Schizophrenia brain abnormalities involve the…
increased volume lateral and third ventricles
smaller amgydala and hippocampus
hypofrontality
ADHD brain abnormalities involve the…
PFC
Cerebellum
Caudate nucleus
Putamen
ASD brain abnormalities involve the…
cerebellum
corpus collossum
amygdala
“Recent” memories vs. remote memories in retrograde amnesia
Remote memories are intact while recent memories of learned information are not
Anterograde amnesia is the ability to remember
newly learned information
Thiamine deficiency
Common in Korsakoff’s syndrome; cause anterograde retrograde (recently learned info) amnesia
syn. is Alcohol-Induced Neurocognitive Disorder
Damage to the temporal lobe causes…
severe anterograde amnesia,
auditory perception (not understanding what someone says),
changes in sexuality,
benzodiazepines end in …
“pam” (ex diazepam)
used to treat anxiety disorders
Medications considered most effective at treating OCD
TCA’s and SSRI’s
Treatment for Parkinson’s disease involves medication that does what to involved neurotransmitters?
block excess acetylcholine
increase levels of dopamine
Parkinson’s disease is caused by
loss of dopamine in the substantia nigra
Before symptoms are present, Huntingtons disease can be idenitified by
MRI; reduced basal ganglia volume
PET scan of reduced metabolic activity
Weber’s Law
Just noticeable difference is porportional to orginal stimulus
Fechner’s law
Logarithmic relationship between psychological sensation and magnitude of physical sensation
more accurate then Weber’s law for extreme intensities
Steven’s power law
There is a exponential relationship between psychological sensation and mag. of physical stimulus AND exponent varies based on different stimuli
Second line treatment for ADHD
imipramine (TCA)
apraxia
inability to execute purposeful movement
caused by damage to frontal or parietal lobes
akathesia
motor restlessness and inability to sit still
aphasia
deficit in using or understanding language
agnosia
???
anomia
inability to recall the names of familiar objects
ataxia
incoordination accompanied by slurred speech
Frontal lobe damage is characterized by…
deficits attention, concrete thinking, free recall,
perseveration and stereotypy,
personality changes,
issues with arithmetic
Partial seizures commonly occur in which part of the brain?
Temporal lobe
Petit mal (absence seizures) occur in which part of the brain?
Thalamus (relay center for the brain)
Damage to the Broca’s area results in…
expressing language
repeating what was said
Conduction aphasia
cannot repeat what one has heard
Wernicke’s, Broca, and conduction aphasia all involve issues with…
repeating what is said
Wernicke’s aphasia is characterized by
impaired comprehension of language
fluent aphasia (clear speech that does not make sense)
dysnomia (inability to name objects)
alternative medication to antipsychotics for treating Tourette’s?
antihypertensive
clonidine and guanfacine
basal ganglia
controls voluntary movement
part of extrapyramidal system
Broca’s area is located
Left frontal lobe
Explicit (Declarative) Memory
Long term memory that requires conscious thought
Implicit memory
long term memory that does not require conscious thought
learned by repetition (ex tying your shoes)
Two types of explicit memory
Episodic (autobiographical/movie of our life)
Semantic (textbook learning)
Two types of implicit memory
procedural
priming
Prospective memory
remembering to do something in the future
ERT (estrogen replacement therapy) can help with …
vaginal dryness
mood
risk for osteoporosis, Alzheimers, and heart disease
High levels of serotonin are associated with
anxiety and appetite supression
starving gives low levels of serotonin which creates a sense of calm and control
Low levels of serotonin are associated with…
Depression and Binge eating
An effective treatment for panic attacks is…
antidepressants
Damage to the left frontal lobe means
reduced speech
depression
apathy
Damage to the right frontal lobe means..
disinhibition
happy indifference
jocularity
The three-part division of the brain that is based on how the brain develops from different brain vesicles in an embryo
The hindbrain, midbrain, and forebrain scheme
What three-part division of the brain is based on how the brain develops from different brain vesicles in an embryo?
The hindbrain, midbrain, and forebrain scheme
The brain regions that make up the forebrain
Cerebrum, Thalamus, Hypothalamus
These form from the telencephalon and the diencephalon, respectively
What brain regions make up the forebrain?
The Cerebrum, Thalamus, and Hypothalamus
These form from the telencephalon and the diencephalon, respectively
The midbrain
- Forms from the mesencephalon*
- Make up of the tectum and tegmentum*
What brain regions make up the hindbrain?
The brain regions that make up the hindbrain
- The medulla, pons, and cerebellum*
- Form from the myelencephalon and the metencephalon, respectively*
What brain regions make up the hindbrain?
The medulla, pons, and cerebellum
Form from the myelencephalon and the metencephalon, respectively
The two regions that make up the midbrain
- The tegmentum and the tectum*
- The middle of the three developmental regions that the brain forms from in vertibrates*
- a.k.a. mesencephalon, from Greek “mesos” (middle) + “enkephalos” (brain)*
What two regions make up the midbrain?
The tegmentum and the tectum
- The middle of the three developmental regions that the brain forms from in vertibrates*
- a.k.a. mesencephalon, from Greek “mesos” (middle) + “enkephalos” (brain)*
“Mesencephalon”
Another term for the midbrain
From Greek “mesos” (middle) + “enkephalos” (brain). The middle of the three developmental regions that the brain forms from in vertibrates
Made up of the tegmentum and the tectum
What is another term for the midbrain?
“Mesencephalon”
- From Greek “mesos” (middle) + “enkephalos” (brain). The middle of the three developmental regions that the brain forms from in vertibrates*
- Made up of the tegmentum and the tectum*
What broader brain region is the substantia nigra located in?
The midbrain
- From Latin: black substance*
- Helps control movement. Involved in reward-seeking and addictive behavior*
- Degeneration of dopamine-producing neurons leads to Parkinsons disease*
Dopamine is uniquely associated with which disorder?
ADHD
Norephinephrine is uniquely associated with which disorders?
Mania
Panic Disorder
Serotonin is uniquely associated with which four disorders?
Bulimia
Anorexia Nervosa
ASD
OCD
Which neurotransmitter is MOST OFTEN used to treat physical anxiety symptoms?
GABA
Thyroxine is released by the…
Thyroid gland
Thyroxine regulates
metabolism
Hypothyroidism symptoms include
- Slow metabolism (low appetite and weight gain)
- Low heart rate
- Low sex drive
- Depressiona and memory challenges
Hyperthyroidism symptoms include
- High metabolism (high appetite and weight loss)
- High heart rate
- Agitation, nervousness, anxiety
- Low attention span
Insulin is released by which body organ?
Pancreas
Low levels of insulin means high levels of ?
Glucose
Diabetes mellitus is characterized by
undersecretion of insuline–> high levels of glucose
Symptoms of diabetes mellitus include…
- high glucose
- increased appetite with weight loss
- frequent urination and thirst
Symptoms of hypoglycemia include…
- intense hunger
- headaches and confusion
- anxiety and depression
Cortisol is secreted by which gland?
Adrenal gland
Cortisol helps regulate…
blood glucose levels
Undersecretion of cortisol leads to…
- Fatigue
- Low appetite and weight loss
- irritability and depression
- dark pigmentation
Addison’s disease
Oversecretion of cortisol leads to…
- Obesity **
- Hypertension***
- Decreased memory
- Decreased libido
Cushing’s disease
What structures are in the hindbrain?
Medulla oblongata
Pons
Cerrebellum
What structures are in the midbrain?
Recticular Activating System
Substantia Nigra
What structures are in the subcortical forebrain?
Hypothalamus
Thalamus
Basal Ganglia
Limbic System
What structures are in the forebrain?
Cerebral Cortex
Frontal Lobe
Temporal Lobe
Parietal Lobe
Occipital Lobe
Medulla oblongata
“vital centers”
(breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, coughing/swallowing, reflexive actions)
Pons
- arousal, sleep, respiration
- connects to cerebellum
- relays sensory and motor information
cerebellum
balance, coordination, movement, posture
Damage to the cerebellum results in…
ataxia
slurred speech, loss of blance, tremors
RAS
regulates sleep-wake transition
screens incoming sensory information
Substantia Nigra
helps control movement
degeneration of dopamine producing neuron’s in the substantia nigra causes which disorder?
Parkinsons
This brain area is involved in reward seeking and addictive behavior
substantia nigra
(due to dopamine nuerons)
Hypothalmus is involved in…
- homeostasis and temperature
- motivated behaviors (drinking, sex, aggress)
- physical expression of emotions
What two structures are part of the hypothalamus?
suprachiasmatic nuclues
mamillary bodies
Suprachiasmatic nucleus
regulates circadian rhythms
signals pineal gland
Mamillary bodies involved in
memory
damage to mamillary bodies and thalamus due to thiamine deficiency cases Korsakoff’s syndrome (anterograde, retrograde amnesia and confabulation)
Hypothalamus controls which nervous systems?
autonomic NS and endocrine system
via the pituatary gland
Nervous system
Central
(Brain——-Spinal Cord)
Peripheral NS
(Somatic ——-Autonomic–para and sympt)
Thalamus
central relay system
relays incoming sensory information to cortex (except olfactory)
Basal ganglia includes what structures?
Caudate nucleus
globus pallidus
Putamen
Basal ganglia is involved in…
voluntary movement
expression of emotion
sensorimotor learning
Abnormalities in the basal ganglia linked to…
Tourette’s
Huntington’s and Parkinson’s
Schizophrenia and OCD
ADHD
Limbic system is called the…
“emotional brain”
Structures in the limbic system include
amygdala
septum
cingulate cortex
hippocampus
Amygdala
- integrates and directs emotional rxns
- attaches emotions to sensory info
Damage to the amygdaly causes
a lack of fear
Kluver-Bucy syndrome
Septum
Inhibits emotionality
Damage to the septum causes…
“septal rage syndrome”
Cingulate cortex
regulates emotional responses and pain perception
hippocampus
memory and learning
degeneration of Ach neurons causes Alzheimers
Left Hemisphere dominates in
written and spoken language
logical/analyticals
positive emotions
Right hemishpere dominates in
spatial relationships
creative and holistic thinking
negative emotions
Imipramine is drug of choice for
nocturnal enuresis
also alternative stimulant to treat ADHD
People with OCD tend to have overactivity in this brain area
caudate nuclues
Overactivity in the RAS is associated with
attention and arousal
Split brain patients are able to reach for objects
on the opposite side of where the information is processed.
- left visual field info–pick up with left hand*
- right visual field info–pick up with left hand*
split brain patients are able to verbally identify objects
only when seeing it on their right visual field (left brain processed)
Parkinson’s disease is caused by neural degeneration in what brain area?
substantia nigra
- results in loss of dopamine and deficits in movement control*
- leads to dopamine deficits in the basal ganglia–>inhibits comm. to the thalamus and as such to the motor cortex–>*
Which neurotransmitters are catecholamines?
dopamime
norepinephrine
epinephrine
which neurotransmitter is an indolamine?
serotonin
What percentage of the population is left-handed.
90%
What percentage of the population is right handed?
10%
____% of right handers are left brain dominant (language processing)
95%
___% of right handers are left-brain language dominant
60-70%
What structures are included in the mesencephalon (tegmuntum and tectum)
substantia nigra
inferior collicus
superior collicus
What medications are used to treat Depression?
TCA’s
SSRI’s
MAOI’s
What medications are used to treat Anxiety?
benzodiazepines
SSRI’s
barbituates
Azaspirones
What medications are used to treat Bipolar disorder?
Lithium
Antiseizure medication
What medications are used to treat Tourette’s
comorbid with ADHD: Antihypertensives
w/o ADHD: Antipsychotics
What medications are used to treat Schizophrenia?
First generation antipsychotics
Second generation antipsychotics
the APOE4 gene on chromosome 19 is associated with which disease?
Alzheimer’s
Central vision is processed…
in the posterior occipital lobe
Peripheral Vision is processed…
in the anterior peripheral lobe
NDRI are prescribed for
depression
distractibility
ex. Welbutrin (bupoprion)
NRI’s are prescribed for…
ADHD (non-stimulant)
ex. Strattera
Drug name for Aricept
donepezil hydrochloride
drug name for Cognex
Tacrine hydrochloride
Examples of antagonist drugs
binds to site and blocks neurotransmitter action
naltrexone, beta-blocker, naloxone
Examples of agonists
opiates, cannabis, nicotine
Symptoms of NMS (neuroleptic malignancy system)
hyperthermia, altered consciousness, tachycardia, muscle rigidity, autonomic dysfunction
occurs with antipsychotics/neurolepticsl withdrawal from parkinson medication
Extrapyramidal effects are common with what drug types?
What are the symptoms?
common with antipsychotic use; includes parkinsomnism
muscle stifness, shuffling gait, slurred speech, akathesia (restlessness), and dystonia (muscle spasms)
Striatum holds the
caudate nuclues
putamen
part of the basal ganglia
Striatum and cerebellum is involved in…
motor activity
What part of the brain is the satisfaction center?
cingulate gyrus
which brain part inhibits emotionaliity?
septum
beta waves occur
when person is awake
delta waves occur
when someone is asleep
alpha waves occur
when a person is in a state of relaxed wakefulness
theta waves occur
between a state of wakefulness and sleep
Patient’s with wernicke’s aphasia are
aware/unaware
of their deficits?
unaware
In terms of production of language, Wernicke’s apahasia is associated with
normal prosody, but speech is nonsense
Precentral gyrus–located in the parietal lobe is associated with
motor function
postcentral gyrus, in the parietal lobe is associated with…
numbness, contralateral neglect
mild tremor, diarrhea, weight loss
are/are not
anticholinergic effects
are not
confusion, impaired concentration,memory deficits,
are/are not
anticholinergic effects
are
dry mouth, constipation, blurry vision, increased heart rate, decreased sweating
are/are not
anticholinergic effects
are
Kluver Bucy syndrome is characterized by…
decreased fear and aggresion, increased acquiesance, hypersexuality
Kluver Bucy syndrome is caused by…
damage to the amygdala
