new shit Flashcards
parts of the vestibular system?
2 Movement Receptors in the inner ear
- Otolith organs
- Semicircular canals
Otolith organs
Provide information about the head relative to the ground and our linear acceleration
Semicircular canals
3 loops at right angles from one another
Respond to rotational movements of the head
slow adapting receptors
takes a while to respond, but then responds continuously
fast adapting receptors
responds rapidly, but quickly stops responding
why does a homunculus have such distorted proportions?
body parts developed in proportion to the surface area of the cortical region dedicated to the control of specific functions
what is code for the somatosensory cortex
S1
examples of plasticity in the somatosensory cortex
- If you lose a finger, neighboring cortical tissue will take over the cortex that represented that finger
e. g. amputees will frequently feel their lost appendage if you touch another part of their body - If you use a body part more frequently you will develop that cortical region more
e. g. piano players have larger representations for fingers)
explain why ice packs are affective for pain
dull ache: C-fibers
where does the emotional perception of pain occur
anterior cingulate cortex
where does the physical perception of pain occur
primary somatosensory cortex
why some people can perceive the bitter taste of phenylthiocarbomide (PTC) but others cannot
1931: After a spill in his lab, Arthur Fox was unaffected while a colleague complained of the bitter taste
Gene for the PTC receptor has various forms (alleles), some for strong taste, mild taste or no taste
Gene is dominant, so even if you have 1 taster allele and 1 non-taster allele, you’ll be a taster
what is learning
a relatively permanent change in behavior due to experience
examples of habituation
reduction in a response to a harmless stimuli
e.g. ignoring the train going by when you live in the dorms
examples of sensitization
increase in a response to harmless stimuli
e.g. exaggerated fear response in abused animals
what is the paradigm used to elicit habituation in Aplysia californica?
habituation
- Continually stimulating the siphon activates a sensory neuron
- Sensory neuron weakly activates motor neuron
- Motor neuron weakly activates the gill
- Gill weakly retract
Short-term habituation in Aplysia californica
Increased or decreased neurotransmitter release
Long term habituation in Aplysia californica
increased or decreased pre-synaptic terminals
Know the UCS, UCR, CS and CR for the classical conditioning paradigm of eyeblink
- Puff of air (UCS) to the eyelid will result in movement (UCR)
- Pairing puff of air (UCS) with a tone (CS) again and again will result in classical conditioning
- Now tone alone (CS) will induce nictitating eyelid movement (CR)
the differences between learning in invertebrates
Learning is dependent on PRE-synaptic changes
the differences between learning in vertebrates
Learning is dependent on POST-synaptic changes
sensory memory’s capacity and longevity
large capacity, lasts 1 to 2 seconds
short-term memory’s capacity and longevity
small (5-9 items) for capacity, lasts up to 15-18 seconds
long-term memory’s capacity and longevity
unlimited capacity, lasts indefinitely
example of semantic memory
basic facts and language
e.g. Who is the president?
example of episodic memory
episodes from your life
e.g. That time you got stitches
example of procedural memory
motor memories
e.g. Riding a bicycle
deficits to learning and memory displayed by patient H.M
Temporal lobe removal Profound learning and memory deficits Preserved short-term memory Preserved long-term memory Significant anterograde amnesia Preserved procedural memory
where are semantic memories are stored in the brain?
the cortex
where does working (short-term) memory occur in the brain?
dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex
where does procedural memory (skill-learning or motor memory) occur in the brain?
basal ganglia
long-term potentiation (LTP)
-Process to strengthen a synapse (This is what memories are made of!) Dependent on NMDA receptors Need a lot of activation to open them Ca2+ coming into the cell, results in changes to the synapse making it stronger and more efficient
What is William James’ theory of emotion?
Emotions are the experience of our bodily changes….Emotional experiences result from the physiological arousal that precedes it
What are the divisions of the autonomic nervous system
sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system
function of sympathetic nervous system?
fight or flight
function of parasympathetic nervous system?
rest and digest
what are Walter Cannon’s primary criticisms of Walter James’ theory of emotion?
Severing the viscera from the brain does not eliminate emotions
On the contrary, it exacerbates them
What finding was found when researchers observed the facial expressions made by American and Japanese participants watching evocative film clips with or without an audience?
idk i think we all have the same ones
microexpression
- Brief duration: 1-10 seconds
- Involuntary muscle action (can’t recapitulate on demand or suppress)
- Homologous exist in other species
where in the brain do microexpressions occur?
basal ganglia
contrived expression
deliberately created
where in the brain do contrived expressions occur?
motor cortex
What is the Facial Feedback Hypothesis?
Sensory feedback from our facial expressions impacts our mood
“Fake it, till you make it”
What are the outputs of the fear response? What areas of the nervous system are involved?
Midbrain nuclei
Freezing (Periaqueductal gray)
Respiratory response (Peribrachial nucleus)
Startle reflex (Nucleus reticular pontis caudalis)
Defecation (Dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus)
what is the HPA axis?
Paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the H ypothalamus > Anterior Pituitary gland > Adrenal glands
What were the studies conducted by Joseph LeDoux?
if you lesion the A1, you can’t disrupt fear conditioning, but if you lesion the MGN, you can
What are the high and low roads of fear processing?
High road is slower, but more refined
Low road is quicker, but less refined
what is the default setting for the developing reproductive system?
female
what is secreted by the testes in the developing male fetus to ensure the promotion of male internal genitalia and the regression of female internal genitalia?
- Testosterone rescues the Wolffian system
- Anti-Mullerian inhibits the Mullerian system
arguments against sexual reproduction
Only half your genes get passed down
Sexual selection pressures (Requires lots of energy)
Showy displays attracts predators
increased risk of disease
r reproductive strategies (Unstable environment,
density independent)
small body size, offspring are cheap, many offspring, earlier maturity, short life expectancy, few offspring survive
K reproductive strategies (Stable environment,
density dependent)
larger body size, offspring are expensive, few offspring, late maturity, long life expectancy, most offspring survive
strategies used by males to ensure paternity in species that practice internal fertilization
Mate guarding (preventing your mate from mating with others), Copulatory plugs (physically blocks copulation from a competitor), Anti-aphrodisiacs
factors that play a role in who we are attracted to
timing, proximity, symmetry, novelty (not familiarity)
prairie voles approach to mating
Monogamous species
Pair-bond for life
montane vole approach to mating
Polygamous despite 99% genetic similarity
What are the different symptoms of schizophrenia?
Positive
Hallucinations (auditory) & Delusions
Negative
Social withdrawal & Flat affect and speech & Avolition & Catatonic behavior
Cognitive
Poor executive function & Problems with working memory and attention
What are some of the reasons we believe schizophrenia to have a genetic component?
50% in identical twins, Abnormalities run in families, Multiple genes suspected to play a role
What are the biological features of schizophrenia?
Enlarged ventricles, Hippocampal differences (smaller, less organized), Hypofrontality, Exaggerated loss of gray matter
bipolar disorder
Alternating cycles of depression and mania
Unusual shifts in mood, energy and activity levels
How is sleep disrupted in depression?
Preventing or limiting REM sleep results in significant lessening of depressive symptoms
Most anti-depressants inhibit REM to some extent
What treatments are available for depression?
-Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
(Prozac, Zoloft)
-Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs)
(Effexor, Cymbalta)
-Exercise and Stress Management
-Electroconvulsive shock therapy (EST)
-Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
What are the symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder?
Upsetting, irrational, intrusive and recurring thoughts & obsession with cleanliness, order and nagging doubts & Need to carry out repetitive behavior
What is the relationship between autism and vaccination?
there is none!
What are the symptoms of autism?
Impaired communication skills, Impaired social skills and empathy, repetitive and stereotyped behaviors, Necessity of routine, Sensory dysfunction, Obsessive, narrow interests, Limited imitation or miming
What are the 2 major regions of damage in stroke?
-Infarct
No recovery
-Penumbra
Potential recovery
how do cells die during a stroke?
Lack of oxygen
Excitotoxicity
What are the long-term consequences of concussion?
- Post-concussion syndrome
lack of concentration, Cognitive deficits
-Chronic TBI
Slurred speech, Memory impairment, Personality changes, Lack of coordination, Emotional changes, Parkinson-like syndrome
What is the difference between malignant and benign tumors?
Malignant tumors can metastasize (spread to other parts of the body)
What are the 4 different types of seizure?
-Partial Simple Complex -Generalized Grand mal Petit mal
simple seizure
jacksonian march…. seems like it only affects one part of the body
complex seizure
idk… has to do with the temporal lobe
grand mal seizure
bad… has a coma
petit mal seizure
says abscense on the slide… less bad than grand mal
what causes Huntington’s disease?
Caused by a genetic mutation on chromosome 4
ALS
Degeneration of the alpha motor neurons
Parkinson’s
loss of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra
alzheimer’s
AB plaques and Neurofibrillary tangles
multiple sclorosis
attacks the white matter tracts of the brain
What is the relationship between environment and memory?
certain environments can bring back meories that were lost
