The Brain and Neuropsychology

Question 1

Autonomic nervous system (ANS)

Answer 1

A network of unmyelinated nerve fibres running through the body and connecting the senses and internal organs with the central nervous system. Governs autonomic functions.

Question 2

Central nervous system (CNS)

Answer 2

Consists of the brain and spinal cord. Where decision making takes place.

Question 3

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Answer 3

The network of nerve fibres connecting the various parts of the body with the central nervous system. It is made up of the somatic system (SNS) and the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Receives and sends messages.

Question 4

Sensory information

Answer 4

Information which is picked up by the sense organs of the body and passed on to the central nervous system (CNS)

Question 5

Somatic system (SNS)

Answer 5

Network of myelinated sensory and motor neurons that carry sensory information to, and instructions for movement from, the central nervous system. Sends information to the brian from muscles. Takes in information from sensory organs.

Question 6

Stimulus

Answer 6

Something that is detected by the sense receptors, which the nervous system will react to

Question 7

Fight or flight response

Answer 7

An automatic reaction to threat, stimulated by the ANS and maintained by the endocrine system, which activates the body’s reserves of energy to prepare it for action

Question 8

Sympathetic nervous system

Answer 8

Works in opposition to the parasympathetic nervous system. A state of psyiological arousal to prepare for the fight or flight response

Question 9

Parasympathetic nervous system

Answer 9

Parasympathetic nervous system produces the opposite effect to the sympathetic nervous system. The rest and digest response returns the body to normal resting state once the threat has gone.

Question 10

Fight or flight response

Answer 10

Immediate or automatic. Adrenaline targets the cardiovascular system, prepares the body to confront the threat or provides energy to run away.

Question 11

Emotion

Answer 11

The moods or feelings that a person experiences

Question 12

Frontal lobe

Answer 12

Anterior of the brain = thinking, planning. Motor area at the posterior

Question 13

Parietal lobe

Answer 13

Behind frontal lobe. Somatosensory area at anterior

Question 14

Occipital lobe

Answer 14

Posterior of the brain. Visual area

Question 15

Temporal lobe

Answer 15

Behind frontal lobe and below occipital lobe = memory. Audiotry/language area except for Broca’s area

Question 16

Cerebellum

Answer 16

Receives information from spinal cord and brain. Main role is movement, coordination and balance. Also involved in attention and language

Question 17

Localisation

Answer 17

Specific brain areas do particular jobs

Question 18

Motor area

Answer 18

Damage to the motor are in the left hemisphere affects the right side of the body, and vice verca

Question 19

Somatosensory area

Answer 19

The most sensetive body parts take up the most ‘space’, e.g sensations for face and hands use over half of the neurons available in the somatosensory area. Damage means less ability to feel temperature and pain

Question 20

Visual area

Answer 20

Right visual field of each eye sends information to visual area in the left hemisphere and vice versa. Damage in left hemisphere may cause blindness in the right visual field of both eyes and vice versa

Question 21

Auditory area

Answer 21

Damage can lead to deafness

Question 22

Language area

Answer 22

Language areas in the left hemisphere only. Damage to Broca’s area leads to difficulty remembering and forming words. Damage to Wernicke’s area leads to difficulty understanding and producing language.

Question 23

CT scan

Answer 23

Computerised Tomography, which scans the brain by building up a 3D image from a series of X-ray ‘slices’

Question 24

fMRI scan

Answer 24

functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, which scans the brain by identifying the magnetic activity of water molecules in active brain cells

Question 25

PET scan

Answer 25

Positron Emission Tomography, which locates blood flow in the brain by detecting radioactive tracers

Question 26

CT scan strengths

Answer 26

Useful for revealing abnormal structures such as tumours
Quality of the images provided is higher than traditional X-rays

Question 27

CT scan weaknesses

Answer 27

Requires more radiation than X-rays
Only produces still images

Question 28

PET scan strengths

Answer 28

Shows brain in action
Shows localisation of function when person asked to perform a specific task

Question 29

PET scan weaknesses

Answer 29

Expensive
Images difficult to interpret
Ethical issues due to injection of radioactive substance

Question 30

fMRI scan strengths

Answer 30

Shows brain in action
Clear images
No radiation

Question 31

fMRI scan weaknesses

Answer 31

Expensive
Person must stay very still
Time lag between activity and image appearing

Question 32

Stroke

Answer 32

A sudden interruption to the blood supply in a part of the brain

Question 33

Angular gyrus

Answer 33

An area on the parietal lobe which deals with reading

Question 34

Auditory cortex

Answer 34

The area of the cerebral cortex concerned with hearing

Question 35

Broca’s area

Answer 35

An area on the frontal lobe which deals with speech production

Question 36

Visual cortex

Answer 36

The area of the cerebral cortex concerned with vision