PSYC week 6

Question 1

Name and describe the basic function of the brain stem, cerebellum, and cerebral hemispheres.

Answer 1

-brain stem: regulate breathing, digestion, etc; also involved in sleep-wake cycle, some sensory and motor function, as well as some growth and hormonal behaviour
-cerebellum: critical for coordinated movement and posture
-cerebral hemispheres: cognitive abilities and conscious experience

Question 2

Describe a split-brain patient and at least two important aspects of brain function that these patients reveal.

Answer 2

-the left and ride side of the brain are not connected
-if an object is placed only on their left side then only the left hemisphere will see it
-the left hand responds to the right hemisphere, left hemisphere is involved in language

Question 3

Distinguish between gray and white matter of the cerebral hemispheres.

Answer 3

-gray matter: composed of neural cell bodies
-white matter: composed of axons

Question 4

Name and describe the most common approaches to studying the human brain.

Answer 4

-dissection of the brain
-examination under microscope
-CAT scans and MRIs

Question 5

Distinguish among four neuroimaging methods: PET, fMRI, EEG, and DOI.

Answer 5

-positron emission tomography (PET): records blood flow in the brain by follow a radioactive substance, shows which parts of the brain are being used
-functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI): measures the oxygen change levels in the blood to infer brain activity
-electroencephalography (EEG): measures electrical activity of brain but poor spatial resolution
-diffuse optical imaging (DOI): technique that infers brain activity by measuring changes in light as it is passed through the skull and surface of the brain, relies on fact that properties of light change when it passes through oxygenated blood

Question 6

Describe the difference between spatial and temporal resolution with regard to brain function.

Answer 6

-spatial resolution: refers to how small the elements detected are, high spacial resolution means the brain can detect very small elements

-temporal resolution: how small a unit of time can be measured; how precisely in time a process can be measured in the brain

Question 7

Occipital lobe

Answer 7

The back most (posterior) part of the cerebrum; involved in vision.

Question 8

Parietal lobe

Answer 8

The part of the cerebrum between the frontal and occipital lobes; involved in bodily sensations, visual attention, and integrating the senses.

Question 9

Temporal lobe

Answer 9

The part of the cerebrum in front of (anterior to) the occipital lobe and below the lateral fissure; involved in vision, auditory processing, memory, and integrating vision and audition.

Question 10

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)

Answer 10

A neuroscience technique that passes mild electrical current directly through a brain area by placing small electrodes on the skull.

Question 11

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

Answer 11

A neuroscience technique whereby a brief magnetic pulse is applied to the head that temporarily induces a weak electrical current that interferes with ongoing activity.

Question 12

what qualifies as psychophysiology within the broader field of neuroscience.

Answer 12

-the dependant variable has to be physiological and the independent variable is behavioural or mental

Question 13

Review and compare several examples of psychophysiological methods.

Answer 13

-fMRI: tool for comparing brain activation in different tasks and/or populations
-EEG: measures neural activity directly
the highest level of temporal resolution?
-MEG: flow of electrical charge (the current) associated with neural activity produces very weak magnetic fields that can be detected by sensors placed near the participant’s scalp
-EEG AND MEG allow researchers to measure the degree to which different parts of the brain “talk” to each
-PET: a medical imaging technique that is used to measure processes in the body, including the brain

Question 14

Understand the advantages and disadvantages of different psychophysiological methods.

Answer 14

A
FMRI: pros- creates safe high-resolution images of neuron activity in the brain
cons: limited due to its indirect nature, as it tends to yield very general, and sometimes conflicting, results.

EEG pros- usually safe and painless cons: risk of seizures

MEG; pros: very high temporal and spatial resolution
cons: difficult to provide reliable information about subcortical sources of brain activity.

PET: it shows how well a part of the body is working
cons: false results if chemical balances within the body are not normal.

Question 15

Describe and understand the development of the nervous system.

Answer 15

-the similarities in the brain structure of humans and for example chimps, as well as similar behaviour suggests that simple behaviours preserved in the brains of simple animals is a foundation for the complexity of behaviours found in animals that evolved later
-complex structures in the nervous system give rise to complex behaviours (compare chimps and humans for example and our hand movements)
-ectoderm: outer-layer of the fetus where nervous tissue forms
-neuroblasts: asymmetrically divide into other neuroblasts or nerve cells
-neural crest: set of neurons that migrate out of the neural tube and give rise to sensory and autonomic nervous systems

Question 16

Learn and understand the two important parts of the nervous system.

Answer 16

-Peripheral nervous system
-Central nervous system

Question 17

Explain the two systems in the peripheral nervous system and what you know about the different regions and areas of the central nervous system.

Answer 17

-Somatic: 12 pairs of cranial nerves, 31 pairs of spinal nerves, volitional control of muscles and process sensory information
-Autonomic: sympathetic: fight or flight muscles and hormones, parasympathetic: slow, rest and digest functions

Question 18

Learn and describe different techniques of studying the nervous system. Understand which of these techniques are important for cognitive neuroscientists.

Answer 18

-immunocytochemistry: method of staining tissue, including the brain, using antibodies
-lesion studies
-EEG
-CAT: non-invasive brain scanning procedure that uses X-ray absorption around the head
PET: invasive procedure that captures brain images after individual has been injected with radio active isotopes

Question 19

Describe the reasons for studying different nervous systems in animals other than human beings. Explain what lessons we learn from the evolutionary history of this organ.

Answer 19

-can give insight to what certain structures in the brain do and how they affect behaviour
-shows adaptive behaviours in organisms
-“evolutionary study of the nervous system is important, and it is the first step in understanding its design, its workings, and its functional interface with the environment”