The Brain And Neuropsychology Flashcards
What are the two parts of the nervous system?
Central and peripheral
What are the two major jobs of the nervous system?
To collect and respond to information in the environment, to control the working of different organs and cells in the body, including the brain
What is the CNS made up of?
Brain and spinal cord
Parts in the brain?
Cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem
What does the cerebrum control?
Senses, imagination, thoughts
What does the cerebellum control?
Muscle, balance, learning
What does the brain stem control?
Autonomic things: breathing , digestion, heartbeat
The peripheral nervous system?
Receiving and sending messages through sensory and motor neurons
Two parts of the peripheral nervous system?
The somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system
What is the somatic nervous system?
Voluntary movement of muscles, takes in sensory info, reflexes
The autonomic nervous system?
Involuntary: breathing, heart beat,
Two parts of the autonomic nervous system?
Sympathetic and parasympathetic division
Sympathetic division?
Physiological arousal, prepares body for fight or flight: fast heartbeat, sweating, stress
Parasympathetic division?
After threat has passed, rest and digest response
What is homeostasis?
Containing constant medium in the body, eg. Keeping a constant body temperature of 37
What is the James Lang theory of emotion?
That physiological arousal comes first, then emotion follows
Which part of your brain detects a threat?
Hypothalamus
James-Lange theory of emotion?
Event>arousal>interpretation>emotion
Physiological arousal occurs first, then we experience emotion afterwards. We then interpret our physiological arousal as positive or negative, etc.
James-Lange theory evaluation?
S-real life examples
W-challenged by Cannon-Bard theory(simultaneously)
S-challenges by two factor theory (James’ may be too simple) ho to they decide the emotion
What are neurons?
Neurons are nerve cells that create chemical and electrical signals that help the nervous system communicate.
3 types of neurons?
Sensory, relay, motor
Sensory neuron?
Sensory neurons carry messages from the peripheral nervous system to the central nervous system. They have long dendrites and short axons.
Relay neurons?
They connect sensory neurons to motor neurons. Short dendrites and short axons.
Motor neurons?
Carry messages from CNS to effectors in our body like muscles. Short dendrites, long axons.
Main features of a neuron?
Nucleas, axon, dendrites, terminal buttons, myelin sheath, soma, node of ranvier
Dendrite function?
Stick out from the cell body and takes in electrical signals from other neurons
Cell body function?
Contains the nucleas with DNA material, keeps structure.
Axon function?
Carries electrical signals down the length of the neuron. It’s protected by a fatter layer(myelin sheath)
Myelin sheath function?
Protects axon and makes signal travel faster. They have gaps called node of ranvier, these speed it up even more as the electrical signal ‘jumps’ across it
Terminal button function?
Communicates with the next neuron through the synaptic cleft
Parts in synapses and chemical transition?
Presynaptic neuron, postsynaptic receptor sites, terminal button, dendrite, synaptic cleft, synaptic vesicle, neurotransmitter
What’s the gap called between two neurons?
The synaptic cleft
What is a synapse?
The area at the end of the two neurons(not the gap)
What are the presynaptic and post synaptic neuron?
Pre is the neuron giving the message, the post synaptic is the one receiving the message
What happens in the release of neurotransmitters?
The tiny sacs called vesicles release neurotransmitters when they are given the electrical signal. They then travel across the synaptic cleft.
Receiving/reuptake of neurotransmitters?
After it’s crossed the synaptic cleft, it then travels to the next neuron and attaches at the post synaptic receptor sites . These are located on the next neurons dendrites. Then the signal is turned from chemical back to electrical.
What happens to the neurotransmitter after the signal is passed on?
The neurotransmitter is broken down by enzymes and reabsorbed into the presynaptic neuron so it can be used again
Excitation and inhibition?
Neurotransmitters can have a excitatory or inhibitory effect on the neuron. Ones like adrenaline generally causes excitatory which means it gives the postsynaptic neuron a positive charge, making neurons more likely to fire. Inhibitory does the opposite.
Summation?
If there are a certain amount of excitatory signals then summation can occur, the firing of neurons occur.
The brain is ‘plastic’?
This means it is ever changing and isn’t a fixed structure. Like muscles, we can train our brain and get stronger synaptic connections. It adapts when we learn and make new connections.
Producing an engram?
Hebb said learning makes neurons fire together, leaving an engram. Engrams are traces left after they fire. Similar to a sparkler trace. However, if we practise the learning our engrams can be made permanent
“Cells that fire together fire together” Hebb on cell assemblies and neuronal growth
During learning, groups of neurons fire together called cell assemblies. The more this happens, the stronger the synaptic connections between them get and they can become more efficient
Hebbs theory evaluation?
S-scientific basis(objective)
S-applied to schools and education
W-reductionist, purely based on neurons and doesn’t include other factors
Frontal lobe?
Front of the brain, includes: thinking, planning ahead.
It contains a motor area which controls movement and a language area ‘Broca’s area’ which usually only occurs on the left side.
Parietal lobe?
Behind frontal lobe (separated by central sulcus) has somatosensory area where sensations such as heat, pressure and such are processed.
Occipital lobe?
Visual area(located at back) each eye sends information to the brain
Temporal lobe?
Contains auditory area do to with hearing and wernickes area for language and is usually only located on the left side
Cerebellum?
‘Little brain’ language, attention, motor movement(balance, fine motor skills)
Penfield’s aim?
1959, aimed to record the psychological responses when certain parts of their brain were stimulated
Penfield’s method?
Patients lay conscious on an operating table using only local anaesthetics. Penfield’s treated their epilepsy but also used the Montreal method to stimulate parts of their brain and recorded responses (with over 1000 cases)
Penfield’s results?
If visual or text was stimulated they reported seeing shadows, colours and outlines of objects. Of somatosensory area was stimulated they claimed a tingling sensation or a false sense of movement
If the temporal lobe was stimulated they found 2 responses:
One part always made them claim to be reliving experiences.
Another part made them claim to be reliving the emotions of past experiences
Penfield’s conclusions?
Penfield’s concluded that the temporal lobe must have a role in memories. One area was to do with the facts of the experiences. The interpretive cortex was where memories of the emotion were stored
Penfield’s evaluations?
S-useful in showing localisation in the brain
W-unusual sample(epileptic)
W-later research doesn’t support 40/520 reported memories
Amygdala?
Located deep inside temporal lobe and contain deep emotions like fear and pleasure
Neurological damage?
Damage to the right hemisphere effects the left hand side of the body and visa versa
CT scan?
Like an x Ray, person lies inside a scanner and several pictures are taken of cross sections of the brain.
CT scan evaluations?
S-good for seeing abnormal things eg. Tumours
W- uses more radiation than x Ray and only shows structure of the brain, not activity
PET scan?
A radioactive glucose is injected into their body. The parts of their brain that are most active will light up with colour on the screen as those parts are using the most radioactive glucose. It measures metabolic activity. Yellow(more active) blue(less active)
PET scan evaluations?
S-shows localisation as the brain is in action
W-very expensive, ethical issues due to injecting radioactive substance
FMRI?
Similar to PET scan but measure blood oxygen levels in the brain. When the brain is more active it uses up more blood(haemodynamic response) this can be picked up on the scan through radio signals
FMRI evaluations?
S-doesn’t use radiation , very clear images
W-very expensive and only effective if they stay completely still(problems for children)
Tulving’s aims?
See whether thinking about episodic memories made different areas active then semantic memories
Tulving’s method?
6 volunteers were injected with radioactive gold and they used a PET scan to observe the brain.
8 trials, 4 episodic, 4 semantic (repeated measures)
On a signal they would think of episodic memory(eg childhood holiday) or semantic memory(eg historic facts) they would look at blood flow levels in the brain
Tulving’s results?
Tulving’s found clear differences between the blood flow in 3 of 6 participants
Episodic send blood flow to front of the brain
Semantic resulted in blood flow in the back of the brain
Tulving’s conclusions?
He concluded that episodic and she,antic memories were different LTM stores and potentially located in different areas of the brain
Tulving’s evaluations?
S-scientific basis(objective)
W-restricted sample(6 volunteers)
W-can’t always determine between semantic and episodic memories
Cognition and behaviour?
Low levels of neurotransmitters at the synapse means low mood(cognition) and therefore stops people going out(behaviour)
Effects of a stroke?
Blood supply is cut off and therefore parts of the brain can die and functions are affected. Different areas mean different functions affected. Language areas on the left- when they are damaged they can experience aphasia and when motor areas on the right side of the brain are damaged, motor movement on the left side of your body is affected