test 1 Flashcards
Localization of Function
specific parts of the brain correspond to specific brain functions
Milner/HM study
Aim: to find out if removal of hippocampus affected memory. Results: hippocampus is responsible for long-term memory, but not responsible for short-term/procedural memory.
Neuroplasticity
The way we interact with our environment can affect our brain development (i.e. learning)
Maguire study
Aim: to find out if London taxi driver’s brains looked different from those who are not. Results: taxi driver’s posterior hippocampus was larger and the anterior hippocampus was smaller. Also, the volume of the right posterior hippocampus correlated with the amount of time spent as a taxi driver.
Neurotransmission
The transfer of information between neurons
Dopamine
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that controls emotions/stress/pleasure to increase motivation. It also stimulates adrenaline.
Fisher et al study
Aim: to test whether there is specific neural mechanisms associated with romantic love. Results: while participants looked at photos of their lover, there was increased activity in areas of the brain with high levels of dopamine neurons. Also, participants who were more passionate, had more active brain reward circuitry.
Adrenaline
Adrenaline is a hormone that activates the nervous system. It is responsible for arousal and the “fight or flight” response. It works when the hypothalamus responds to a stimulus which activates the pituitary gland which then activates the adrenal glands resulting in adrenaline release.
McGaugh & Cahill study
Aim: to study the role of emotion on the creation of memories. Results: participants who heard the emotional story could recall more specific details of the story better. In the follow-up study, those who received beta blockers did no better than the group who received the “mundane” story (therefore concluding amygdala helps create memories linked to emotional arousal)
