Paper 2 - Biological Psychology Flashcards
What is a post-mortem
Patients brain studied after death
Used to investigate possible causes of abnormal behaviour
-TAN, found through post-mortem
What is an fMRI
Uses magnetic field and radio waves to monitor blood flow
Measures oxygen consumption indicating activity levels
Can identify abnormal activity compared to normal
What is an EEG
Measures electrical activity
25-30 electrodes placed on the scalp
Shows different waves (alpha, beta, delta and theta)
Used to show epilepsy
What is an ERP
Electrodes placed on the scalp
Measures voltage changes in the brain that are triggered by stimuli
What does the central nervous system consist of
The brain, the brain stem, the spinal cord
What does the peripheral nervous system consist of
The somatic nervous system, the autonomic nervous system
What does the somatic nervous system do
Carries sensory information from sensory organs to the CNS and relays motor commands to muscles
What does the autonomic nervous system consist of
Sympathetic nervous system, parasympathetic nervous system
What does the autonomic nervous system do
Regulates involuntary bodily processes, operating without conscious direction, aka self-regulating
What does the somatic nervous system consist of
Sensory nerve pathways, motor nerve pathways
What does the sympathetic nervous system do
Prepares the body for action and stress
What does the parasympathetic nervous system do
Calms the body
What is the basic signalling unit of the nervous system
Neurones
What is carried between neurones
Electrical impulses
What happens when the post synaptic receptors are activated
Opening or closing of ion channels in the cell membrane
What happens when receptors on the dendrites are activated
Action potentials travel along the cell body and the axon to the axon terminals
What are the four lobes of the cerebral cortex
Frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal
What are the functions of the hypothalamus
Governs the endocrine system
Explain what is meant by sensory neurones
Carries nerve impulses from receptors (eyes, ears, tongue) to the spinal cord and brain. These nerve impulses are translated into sensations
Explain what is meant by relay neurones
Allow sensory and motor neurones to communicate with each other. Most common type of neuron in the CNS
Explain what is meant by motor neurones
Relay instructions from the brain for psychical operations
Evaluate fMRI
+Non invasive technique
+Shows activity, not just structure
-Does not directly measure neural activity, only blood flow
-Expensive, reduced sample size
Evaluate EEG
+good temporal resolution
+EEGs can have applications in diagnosing epilepsy
-Electrodes can pick up activity of their electrodes, not accurate
-Only surface level measurements for humans
Evaluate ERP
+Good temporal resolution
+Changes to stimulus can be directly recorded, high internal validity
-Only surface level measurements
Evaluate PM
+Provide detail about structure
+Gives access to deeper structures (hypothalamus)
-Lots of extraneous factors, low internal validity
-Does not explain cause and effect e.g. Patients with schizophrenia have large air spaces
Explain maguire et al
MRI scans of 16 male London taxi drivers and 50 healthy male non taxi drivers, same mean age
Taxi drivers had increased grey matter and volume in posterior hippocampus
Evaluate maguire et al
Supports brain localisation
Supports plasticity
Explain Sperry
Split brain patients stared at a middle point whilst lights flashed in the left and right visual field
When left eye was covered, right visual field image flashed- described image
When right eye was covered, left visual field image flashed- said nothing present
Evaluate Sperry
Supports brain lateralisation
Supports speech and language found in the left hemisphere
