Unit 2 Test Flashcards
What is Alzheimers
May inhibit an individual’s ability to carry out procedures such as dressing and eating
Begins with mild memory loss, slowly resulting in severe brain degeneration (largely in the hippocampus)
Generally short term memory is affected first, then long term memory
What causes alzheimers
Age family history and hereditary
Increase likelihood if family members have it
Risk genes, no guarantee, high risk
Deterministic genes, directly causes it
what is epilepsy
Sudden involuntary change in behaviour, muscle coto,, consciousness, often companies by an abnormal electrical discharge in the brain
Recurring seizures
Brain disorder where clusters of neuron in the brain signal abnormally
Impacts ability to perform some day to day tasks (like driving)
what causes epilepsy
Neurological: brain injury, tumours, strokes, and/or head trauma
Developmental: Autism prenatal defects, abnormality in neuron formation
Infectious Diseases: bacterial or viral infection (meningitis, HIV/AIDS and encephalitis)
what is Parkinson disease
A motor systems disorder resulting in trembling arms, legs, jaw, and face
Stiffness in posture and limbs wrestling in reduced movements
Difficulty walking, talking, and completing tasks
Usually develops in people over 50 - symptoms worsen over time
what causes parkinson disease
Hereditary and/or environmental factors
Dopamine producing neurons in the motor systems of the midbrain are dying causing an imbalanced level of acetylcholine (chemical released by motor neurons to activate muscles)
what causes Multiple Sclerosis
Age, family hereditary and environmental factors
Increase likelihood if family members have it
A disease that attacks the myelin of the brain and spinal cord causing inflammation. The flow of information along the axon is disorder resulting in miscommunication between the brain and body
what is Multiple Sclerosis
A chronic autoimmune disease that attacks the CNS
May impair control of bodily functions (bladder and bowel) memory and vision
Limb impairment and numbness are common symptoms of MS
what is bipolar disorder
Multiple episodes of mania and depression causing people’s mood to swing from excessive “highs” to extreme irritable sadness, and hopelessness “lows”
An individual demonstrates high level of energy, unrealistically expansive thoughts and ideas and impulsive reckless behavior
also known as manic depressive disorder
Bipolar 1 Disorder
Manic episodes lasting 7 days or longer followed by depressive episode lasting 2 weeks or more “Mania” and depression occurring simultaneously/consecutively are also possible
Bipolar 2 disorder
A pattern of depressive episodes and “hypomanic” episodes
what causes bipolar disorder
Hereditary and/or environmental factors (ex TRAUMA)
The brain and body’s inability to regulate serotonin, dopamine, and nordalailene alters an individual’s mood to either extremes
what is dissociative identity disorder
Disruption in memory awareness, identity and perceptions
Symptoms may include changs in efficient physical pina, depression, amnesia and hallucinations
An individual MAY develop an alternate identities that are exrelet different from original
May be triggered by switches and may/may not be aware of other alternate identities
Often a coping mechanisms for stress of trauma in life
what causes dissociative identity disorder
Can occur at any stage in life resulting from repeated trauma that occurs
physical sexual, emotional abuse, war, death loss, natural disasters
No single cause of definite conclusion in the brain as why DID is caused
what is schizophrenia
Interferes with a person’s ability to think clearly and distinguish between reality and fantasy
might have delusions, hallucinations, become disorganised/confused in speech and thinking.
ex hearing voices and seeing things/figures that aren’t there
Apathy, lack of emotions (sorrow/joy), general indifference
what causes schizophrenia
Hereditary and/or environmental factors
During adolescence there is a slight thinning of the brain’s cortex to adjust for the ventricles that become slightly larger. This impacts the development of the prefrontal cortex and may account for thinking. reasoning, and emotional impairments (fig. 1)
prenatal brain development at 3 weeks
First create neural tube
Bottom: spinal cord
Top: Brain
prenatal brain development at 4 weeks
First neurons are forming, 500 000 a minute
Move out of the neural tube and create the brain (like an onion)
prenatal brain development in fetus
Neurons follow along neuronal pathways
Grab supporting glia to move along - no other cells do this
Neurons travel in waves - migration
Question of social scientists: How do they find their place (in herds, independently)
Answer: independent genetic programming/genetic destiny is evident in young neurons
Born from stem cell division
keep going bestie u got this
peepee poopoo
Elizabeth Case Study
Study: Does premature birth shape the brain in ways that nature never intended?
The Case of Premature Elizabeth
Born 3 months early,, 28 weeks
3 pounds, 14 inches
premature yet healthy, good lungs and heart
What characteristics make premature infants like Elizabeth unique?
premature infants must be incubated to ensure that the 2nd phase is complete
Nearly half of premature infants have developmental difficulties with
Planning, imposing structure, prioritizing, hypersensitivity
use it or lose it phenomena
neuronal networks are constantly pruning unused connections, especially when younger.
ex playing guitar when younger then forgetting it when your older due to not keeping it up
Describe the study that Elizabeth was a part of.
Does premature birth effect the brain in ways nature never intended
Two groups
Intensive care unit is set up to mimic the womb
Regular premature care facilities/taken home “on time”
Will Elizabeth’s special care improve her brain development? Cause her develop to occur normally
How was the mother used to mimic the womb?
Elizabeth case study
Heart-beat to mother heard often
Skin-to-skin contact
Parents are key-social community is key
Results of elizabeth case study
After 3 months elizabeth’s mri illustrated that her brain and “caught up” in its development of a full term baby
The Ferret Experiment description (case study)
Is Nature or Nurture Responsible for Wiring the Brain’s Functions?
Brains of ferrets were restructured
Rewired auditory and visual cortex connection