psychology_122_20140819071823 Flashcards
What is the Cerebral Cortex?
The outermost gray layer of cerebral hemispheres
What is the Corpus Callosum?
The connection between the two hemispheres of the Cerebrum
What 3 parts is the Brain Stem divided into?
MidbrainPonsMedulla
What is the Cerebellum responsible for?
Fine motor control
What is the Thalamus responsible for?
Relaying information to and from the cortex
What are the 4 major lobes of the brain?
FrontalParietalTemporalOccipital
What does the Hippocampus do and where is it found?
Plays a key role in memory and is embedded deep within the Temporal Lobe
What are the possible consequences of damage to the Hippocampus and name one real life example
If the Hippocampus is damaged or partially removed, the patient suffers profound amnesia. Inability to form new long-term memories e.g. Clive Wearing, H.M
What are two things the Temporal lobe is responsible for?
MemoryKnowledge
What is one of the possible consequences of damage to the Temporal Lobe and name one real life example.
Semantic Dementia: Gradually increasing difficulty in recalling familiar things while retaining recent events e.g. A.M
What are some things the Frontal Lobe does?
Initiating, modulating, planning behaviourStrategic thinking, Problem solving
What are some consequences of damage to the Frontal lobe?
Change in personality, inability to plan things and incapable of strategic thinking
What is the Parietal Lobe responsible for?
Spatial, numerical processingShort-term memorySpatial Attention
What is a possible consequence of damage to the Parietal lobe and name one real life example
Unilateral Neglect: Unable to devote attention to a particular side even though there is no issue with seeing it e.g. Mrs. K
What is the Posterior TIp of the Occipital Lobe responsible for and what is one of the consequences of damage to this area? Give one real life example.
Primary Visual Cortex, the experience of consciously seeing.Damage to this area of the brain may cause Cortical Blindness. e.g. Oliver Sacks (Colourless)
What are the other parts of the Occipital Lobe responsible for and what is one of the consequences of damage to this area?
Analysing specific visual features e.g. edges, contours, shapes, colour, angle, movement. Damage may cause issues processing specific visual features.
What is Cognitive Neuroscience?
The study of mental processes using brain-based methods
What is the Lesion Method?
Examining the effect of brain damage or interference on specific cognitive functions
What do Neuroimaging Techniques involve?
Using measures of brain activity as “markers” of different cognitive processes
What is Prosopagnosia? Name one real life example and what we learned through the lesion method.
A selective inability to recognise faces e.g. Lincoln Holmes. Prosopagnosia patients can discriminate between very complex non-face objects so face-recognition must be a highly specialiised skill. The Right Fusiform gyrus is consistently damaged in Prosopagnosia and suggests there is a highly specialised brain structure for face recognition.
What is a double dissociation and what is an example in memory?
When two factors effect two processes independently of each other. One can suffer damage to long term memory but retain short term memory e.g. H.M or vice versa e.g. K.F
What is the temporal gradient and what causes this phenomenon?
The less one remembers the more recent the event. Because of frequent recall, earlier memories become consolidated over time. Note: Amnesics can often recall early memories as well as normal people
What are some disadvantages of using the Lesion Method?
Brain damage is a chance occurrence
What is Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation?
A high-powered magnet delivers magnetic pulses to the brain and temporarily interferes in cognitive processing in the targetted region. Note: May overcome some limitations of the traditional lesion method
What are the two main types of neuro-imaging methods?
Those that measure electrical activity (e.g. EEG, MEG, ERP)Those that measure changes in the blood in different areas of the brain (e.g. fMRI, PET)
What is one method of electric imaging and what does it involve?
Electroencephalography (EEG): Place electrode on scalp during rest or a task.
What is an Event Related Potential?
The change in electrical activity when a person performs a particular taskNote: ERP can reveal brain responses to event even when the person doesn’t have to do anything Different ERP peaks correspond to different kinds of mental processes
What are some advantages and disadvantages of electrophysiological methods of imaging?
Great Temporal Resolution: Can detect changes as quickly as 50 ms after stimulusShitty Spatial Resolution: Pretty vague idea of where it happened ae
How does blood based imaging work?
Regions in the brain that actively participate in activities take up more oxygen in the blood. Therefore activity can be measured from these changes.
How does PET work?
Maps uptake of a radioactively tagged substance (usually oxygen)
How does fMRI work?
Measures magnetic changes in blood as it deoxygenates
What are some advantages and disadvantages of PET and fMRI?
They have great spatial resolution: very precise info about location of brain activity.PET has piss poor temporal resolution (can’t tell which regions activated first and which ones activated later). fMRI is better but still not as good as electrophysiological methods
What does shitty task choice do for studying brain activity?
Fuck all
What are the strengths and limitations of blood change imaging methods?
Strengths:- Can examine which cognitive processes are shared across tasks, and which are distinct- Good spatial resolution, new methods have good temporal resolution also.Limitations:- Need a good cognitive theory of the task at hand- If the cognitive theory is wrong, your results mean dick all
In what processes is the orbitofrontal cortex involved in?
PlanningDecision MakingRisk TakingWorking towards long term goalExample: MichaelNote : Pretty sure you know what happens if this shit get damaged
What is Damasio’s Somatic Marker Hypothesis?
- Orbitofrontal cortex connects memories with our emotions at the time- When we recall an unpleasant memory, we recall the emotional and physical sensations we felt at the time- We use these to avoid future similar situations- Facilitates fast decision making
What is the Cerebral Cortex?
The outermost gray layer of cerebral hemispheres
What is the Corpus Callosum?
The connection between the two hemispheres of the Cerebrum
What 3 parts is the Brain Stem divided into?
MidbrainPonsMedulla
What is the Cerebellum responsible for?
Fine motor control
What is the Thalamus responsible for?
Relaying information to and from the cortex
What are the 4 major lobes of the brain?
FrontalParietalTemporalOccipital
What does the Hippocampus do and where is it found?
Plays a key role in memory and is embedded deep within the Temporal Lobe
What are the possible consequences of damage to the Hippocampus and name one real life example
If the Hippocampus is damaged or partially removed, the patient suffers profound amnesia. Inability to form new long-term memories e.g. Clive Wearing, H.M
What are two things the Temporal lobe is responsible for?
MemoryKnowledge
What is one of the possible consequences of damage to the Temporal Lobe and name one real life example.
Semantic Dementia: Gradually increasing difficulty in recalling familiar things while retaining recent events e.g. A.M
What are some things the Frontal Lobe does?
Initiating, modulating, planning behaviourStrategic thinking, Problem solving
What are some consequences of damage to the Frontal lobe?
Change in personality, inability to plan things and incapable of strategic thinking
What is the Parietal Lobe responsible for?
Spatial, numerical processingShort-term memorySpatial Attention
What is a possible consequence of damage to the Parietal lobe and name one real life example
Unilateral Neglect: Unable to devote attention to a particular side even though there is no issue with seeing it e.g. Mrs. K
What is the Posterior TIp of the Occipital Lobe responsible for and what is one of the consequences of damage to this area? Give one real life example.
Primary Visual Cortex, the experience of consciously seeing.Damage to this area of the brain may cause Cortical Blindness. e.g. Oliver Sacks (Colourless)
What are the other parts of the Occipital Lobe responsible for and what is one of the consequences of damage to this area?
Analysing specific visual features e.g. edges, contours, shapes, colour, angle, movement. Damage may cause issues processing specific visual features.
What is Cognitive Neuroscience?
The study of mental processes using brain-based methods
What is the Lesion Method?
Examining the effect of brain damage or interference on specific cognitive functions
What do Neuroimaging Techniques involve?
Using measures of brain activity as “markers” of different cognitive processes
What is Prosopagnosia? Name one real life example and what we learned through the lesion method.
A selective inability to recognise faces e.g. Lincoln Holmes. Prosopagnosia patients can discriminate between very complex non-face objects so face-recognition must be a highly specialiised skill. The Right Fusiform gyrus is consistently damaged in Prosopagnosia and suggests there is a highly specialised brain structure for face recognition.
What is a double dissociation and what is an example in memory?
When two factors effect two processes independently of each other. One can suffer damage to long term memory but retain short term memory e.g. H.M or vice versa e.g. K.F
What is the temporal gradient and what causes this phenomenon?
The less one remembers the more recent the event. Because of frequent recall, earlier memories become consolidated over time. Note: Amnesics can often recall early memories as well as normal people
What are some disadvantages of using the Lesion Method?
Brain damage is a chance occurrence
What is Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation?
A high-powered magnet delivers magnetic pulses to the brain and temporarily interferes in cognitive processing in the targetted region. Note: May overcome some limitations of the traditional lesion method
What are the two main types of neuro-imaging methods?
Those that measure electrical activity (e.g. EEG, MEG, ERP)Those that measure changes in the blood in different areas of the brain (e.g. fMRI, PET)
What is one method of electric imaging and what does it involve?
Electroencephalography (EEG): Place electrode on scalp during rest or a task.
What is an Event Related Potential?
The change in electrical activity when a person performs a particular taskNote: ERP can reveal brain responses to event even when the person doesn’t have to do anything Different ERP peaks correspond to different kinds of mental processes
What are some advantages and disadvantages of electrophysiological methods of imaging?
Great Temporal Resolution: Can detect changes as quickly as 50 ms after stimulusShitty Spatial Resolution: Pretty vague idea of where it happened ae
How does blood based imaging work?
Regions in the brain that actively participate in activities take up more oxygen in the blood. Therefore activity can be measured from these changes.
How does PET work?
Maps uptake of a radioactively tagged substance (usually oxygen)
How does fMRI work?
Measures magnetic changes in blood as it deoxygenates
What are some advantages and disadvantages of PET and fMRI?
They have great spatial resolution: very precise info about location of brain activity.PET has piss poor temporal resolution (can’t tell which regions activated first and which ones activated later). fMRI is better but still not as good as electrophysiological methods
What does shitty task choice do for studying brain activity?
Fuck all
What are the strengths and limitations of blood change imaging methods?
Strengths:- Can examine which cognitive processes are shared across tasks, and which are distinct- Good spatial resolution, new methods have good temporal resolution also.Limitations:- Need a good cognitive theory of the task at hand- If the cognitive theory is wrong, your results mean dick all
In what processes is the orbitofrontal cortex involved in?
PlanningDecision MakingRisk TakingWorking towards long term goalExample: MichaelNote : Pretty sure you know what happens if this shit get damaged
What is Damasio’s Somatic Marker Hypothesis?
- Orbitofrontal cortex connects memories with our emotions at the time- When we recall an unpleasant memory, we recall the emotional and physical sensations we felt at the time- We use these to avoid future similar situations- Facilitates fast decision making
The Peripheral Nervous system consists of what two systems?
Somatic SystemAutonomic System
The Central Nervous system consists of what two systems?
The brainSpinal Cord
What is the Somatic System made of?
Peripheral nerve fibers —sends sensory info—> CNS —-> Motor Nerve fibers (project to skeletal muscle)
What does the Autonomic System do?
Controls muscle of the internal organs (viscera) and glands
What is the brain made of?
100 BILLION nerve cells (neurons) and trillions of support cells (glia)
How long is the spinal cord?
43cm long in adult women45cm long in adult menNote: Weights about 35-40 grams
What do Glia cells do?
Provide SupportProvide NutritionProvide “housekeeping”Provide insulation
How are Neurons similar to other cells in the body?
Neurons are surrounded by a cell membraneThey have a nucleus that contains genesNeurons contain cytoplasm, mitochondria, and other shitNeurons carry out basic cellular processes like protein synthesis and energy production
How do Neurons differ from other cells in the body?
Neurons have speciliased extensions called dendrites and axons Dendrites bring information to the cell body Axons take info away (A for Away ;)Neurons communicate with each other through an electrochemical processNeurons contain specialised structures like synapses and chemicals like neurotransmitters
Describe what happens in the transfer of an Action Potential
Sodium and potassium channels in nerve cells are voltage-gated, meaning they can open and close depending on the voltage across the membrane In response to a signal at a sensory receptor or dendrite, sodium channels open and sodium enters the neuron passively The influx of sodium (Na+ in) causes the membrane potential to become positive (depolarisation) If a sufficient change in membrane potential is achieved (threshold potential), adjacent voltage-gated sodium channels open, generating a wave of depolarisation (action potential) that spreads down the axon The change in membrane potential also activates voltage-gated potassium channels, causing potassium to exit the neuron passively The efflux of potassium (K+ out) causes the membrane potential to become negative again (repolarisation) Before the neuron can fire again, the original distribution of ions (Na+ out, K+ in) must be re-established by the Na+/K+ pump The inability to propagate another action potential during this time (refractory period) ensures nerve impulses only travel in one direction
How is a resting potential generated?
The sodium-potassium pump (Na+/K+ pump) maintains the electrochemical gradient of the resting potential (-70 mV) It is a transmembrane protein that uses active transport to exchange Na+ and K+ ions across the membrane (antiport mechanism) It expels 3 Na+ ions for every 2 K+ ions admitted (in addition, some of the K+ ions will leak back out of the cell) This makes the inside of the membrane relatively negative when compared to the outside (-70 mV = resting potential)
How does a synaptic transfer occur?
When an action potential reaches the axon terminal, it triggers the opening of voltage-gated calcium channels Calcium ions (Ca2+) diffuse into the cell and promote the fusion of vesicles (containing neurotransmitters) with the plasma membrane The neurotransmitters are released from the axon terminal by exocytosis and cross the synaptic cleft Neurotransmitters bind to appropriate neuroreceptors on the post-synaptic membrane, opening ligand-gated channels Excitatory neurotransmitters (e.g. noradrenaline) open ligand-gated sodium channels (depolarisation) Inhibitory neurotransmitters (e.g. GABA) open ligand-gated potassium or chlorine channels (hyperpolarisation) The combination of chemical messengers received by dendrites determines whether the threshold is reached for an action potential in the post-synaptic neuron Neurotransmitter molecules released into the synapse are either recycled (by reuptake pumps) or degraded (by enzymatic activity)
What is the difference between Linguistics and Psycholinguistics?
Linguistics - > Language as a system of communication: Language COMPETENCEPsycholinguistics -> How we produce and comprehend language: Language PERFORMANCE
What are three important Language Systems?
PhonemesMorphemesWords and SyntaxNote: Language is a hierarchy of structures and each level has its own elements and rules for combination
What are Phonemes?
The basic unit of sound used to build words
What are two properties of Phonemes?
AbstractLanguage Specific
What are some things that can alter a phoneme’s sound property?
Position in the word , speaker, volume, stress, etc. Note: We blur phonemes and even words together sometimes
What the bloody fuck are Morphemes?
The smallest units that can carry meaning e.g. Teacher = Teach + er.
What are some stupid fucking properties of Morphemes?
Generative : He was a compulsive wankerCombined together by the rules of Morphology and Jesus’ jizzCan be free-standing e.g wank or bound e.g. erModify meaning e.g. wank + er and/or change a word’s grammatical role e.g. he wanks
What the holy flaming goldfish souffle are content words?
Words that carry the main meaning (e.g. key nouns, action verbs, adjectivesNote: Words are combined according to rules of Syntax and sentences are hierarchically organised
What the shit are Function words?
Words whose role is largely syntactic e.g. to, that, of, in ,at Note: Function words indicated the relationships between content words and mark the start of a new phrase and indicate its type
What are the brain areas involved in language?
Being able to use language involves a vast array of different cognitive skills and most of our left and some of our right hemisphere
The Peripheral Nervous system consists of what two systems?
Somatic SystemAutonomic System
The Central Nervous system consists of what two systems?
The brainSpinal Cord
What is the Somatic System made of?
Peripheral nerve fibers —sends sensory info—> CNS —-> Motor Nerve fibers (project to skeletal muscle)
What does the Autonomic System do?
Controls muscle of the internal organs (viscera) and glands
What is the brain made of?
100 BILLION nerve cells (neurons) and trillions of support cells (glia)
How long is the spinal cord?
43cm long in adult women45cm long in adult menNote: Weights about 35-40 grams
What do Glia cells do?
Provide SupportProvide NutritionProvide “housekeeping”Provide insulation
How are Neurons similar to other cells in the body?
Neurons are surrounded by a cell membraneThey have a nucleus that contains genesNeurons contain cytoplasm, mitochondria, and other shitNeurons carry out basic cellular processes like protein synthesis and energy production
How do Neurons differ from other cells in the body?
Neurons have speciliased extensions called dendrites and axons Dendrites bring information to the cell body Axons take info away (A for Away ;)Neurons communicate with each other through an electrochemical processNeurons contain specialised structures like synapses and chemicals like neurotransmitters
Describe what happens in the transfer of an Action Potential
Sodium and potassium channels in nerve cells are voltage-gated, meaning they can open and close depending on the voltage across the membrane In response to a signal at a sensory receptor or dendrite, sodium channels open and sodium enters the neuron passively The influx of sodium (Na+ in) causes the membrane potential to become positive (depolarisation) If a sufficient change in membrane potential is achieved (threshold potential), adjacent voltage-gated sodium channels open, generating a wave of depolarisation (action potential) that spreads down the axon The change in membrane potential also activates voltage-gated potassium channels, causing potassium to exit the neuron passively The efflux of potassium (K+ out) causes the membrane potential to become negative again (repolarisation) Before the neuron can fire again, the original distribution of ions (Na+ out, K+ in) must be re-established by the Na+/K+ pump The inability to propagate another action potential during this time (refractory period) ensures nerve impulses only travel in one direction
How is a resting potential generated?
The sodium-potassium pump (Na+/K+ pump) maintains the electrochemical gradient of the resting potential (-70 mV) It is a transmembrane protein that uses active transport to exchange Na+ and K+ ions across the membrane (antiport mechanism) It expels 3 Na+ ions for every 2 K+ ions admitted (in addition, some of the K+ ions will leak back out of the cell) This makes the inside of the membrane relatively negative when compared to the outside (-70 mV = resting potential)
How does a synaptic transfer occur?
When an action potential reaches the axon terminal, it triggers the opening of voltage-gated calcium channels Calcium ions (Ca2+) diffuse into the cell and promote the fusion of vesicles (containing neurotransmitters) with the plasma membrane The neurotransmitters are released from the axon terminal by exocytosis and cross the synaptic cleft Neurotransmitters bind to appropriate neuroreceptors on the post-synaptic membrane, opening ligand-gated channels Excitatory neurotransmitters (e.g. noradrenaline) open ligand-gated sodium channels (depolarisation) Inhibitory neurotransmitters (e.g. GABA) open ligand-gated potassium or chlorine channels (hyperpolarisation) The combination of chemical messengers received by dendrites determines whether the threshold is reached for an action potential in the post-synaptic neuron Neurotransmitter molecules released into the synapse are either recycled (by reuptake pumps) or degraded (by enzymatic activity)
