Plasticity Flashcards
magnetic resonance spectroscopy
a little more accurate than CSF taps
molecular genetic techniques to engineer proteins for neurotransmitter sensors
ex. fluoresce when in contact with a neurotransmitter
ex. measuring calcium influx
invasive; can’t do in humans
changes in brain matter from age 5 to 20
frontal lobe develops until teenage years, pruning in other a reas
adult neurogenesis
in rodents, hippocampus and olfactory bulb have adult neurogenesis
issues with this can cause psychiatric disorders
evidence of adult neurogenesis in humans
in string players:
- modalities for string playing aren’t necessarily used a lot in non-players
- certain areas expand through the experience of learning string instruments
- the representation of that brain area changes if you learn strings in childhood or even later in life (but to a lower extent) compared to controls
- this suggests that the brain remains plastic even when you’re older (learning strings later in life)
chronic vs. acute stress
- allostatic load happens with chronic stress
- acute stress is needed for motivation, etc.
changes that occur with chronic stres
- stress mediators like NE and cortisol will induce changes in the brain
- detrimental to brain function and mental health in the long term
how are life events and mood disorders correlated?
high correlation between a negative life event in the month prior to an episode/attempt and the episode/attempt
levels of stress mediators in depressives vs. control
higher in depressives
effects of acute and chronic stress on hippocampal neurons (CA3)
chronic stress decreased the size of CA3 cell bodies a lot more than acute stress
chronic stress also decreased dendrites and arborization
CA3
A region in the hippocampus that receives input from the neurons of the dentate gyrus.
what showed the link between cortisol levels and shrinking neurons?
administering cyanoketone blocks stress hormone production and suggests a causal link between stress hormone level and hippocampal CA3 shrinkage
depression hippocampus phenotype in humans
smaller hippocampus volume
meta analysis of left hippocampal volume in depressed patients showed what?
decreased mean size in depressed patients vs. controls
why study hippocampal size in PTSD instead of depression?
depression is hard to study; it’s chronic and you usually only get diagnosed after having symptoms for a while. But PTSD is easier to study because it develops suddenly with a defined time of onset
easier to see if hippocampal size difference is a predisposition or a result of the disease
PTSD hippocampus twin studies results
hippocampal size negatively correlates with severity of PTSD symptoms
so the size and severity is def related = result of disease
but this correlation is still correlated with the size of the civilian twins = ALSO predisposition
stress resilient vs. stress vulnerable
not everyone with the predisposition will get the thing
readouts:
- HPA axis
- ANS
- inflammatory mediators
- exploration, anxiety, anhedonia
- submissive behaviours
- active coping
early life stress
abuses or neglect during brain development periods
symptoms of people who experienced ELS
- internalizing symptoms (anxiety, avoidance)
- externalizing symptoms (aggression, hyperactivity)
- social impairment
- psychiatric disorders