Week 7; The Brain Flashcards
1
Q
Functions of Brain
A
- Recognize stimuli detected by PNS
- Analyse this sensory info
- Initiates appropriate response i.e. make and transmit decisions to glands, organs and muscles for execution
2
Q
Brain Stem
A
- Extension of spinal cord
- Consists of pons midbrain, reticular formation and medulla oblongata
- Important for behaviours related to survival
3
Q
Medulla
A
- Like an enlarged extension of spinal cord
- Houses structures that control basic functions associated with survival
- i.e. reflexes for vomiting, breathing, heartrate, swallowing, coughing, sneezing, salivation etc
- Nor higher order processing happens at medulla
4
Q
Pons
A
Handles unconscious processes and jobs such as sleep-wake cycle and breathing
5
Q
Midbrain
A
- Motor movement, particularly processes of eye and auditory and visual processing
- Basic processing i.e. colour, movement etc. Other parts of brain involved in further processing
- Functionally associated with vision, hearing, motor control, sleep and wakefulness, arousal and temperature regulation
6
Q
Reticular Formation
A
-Important role in controlling sleep and arousal, habituation etc.
- Begins in medulla and extends up through brainstem to midbrain
7
Q
Cerebellum
A
- Often described as “little brain”
- Large convoluted protuberance attached to back of brainstem below the cerebral cortex
- Essential for regulated coordinated, voluntary movement and balance
- Important for shifting attention between auditory and visual stimuli i.e. if you heard a bang, it would help shift your eye movement to location
8
Q
Memory and the Cerebellum
A
- Motor learning and motor memory i.e. how to ride a bike/ play cello
- Operates independently and unconsciously
9
Q
Subcortical Structures
A
- Hippocampus
- Thalamus
-Amygdala - Hypothalamus
- Cerebral Cortex
- Basal Ganglia
10
Q
Thalamus
A
- ‘Sensory Gateway’ to brain
- Receives almost all sensory info (except smell) before it reaches cortex
- Plays role in processing and making sense of this info
11
Q
Hypothalamus
A
- Regulation of body functions i.e. maintaining homeostasis, bp, sleep-wake cycle etc
- Influences basic motivated behaviours related to survival i.e. arousal, thirst, hunger, fight/ flight
12
Q
Hippocampus
A
-Consolidation and formation of episodic, declaratory memories i.e. winning a match, going on holidays
13
Q
Case of HM
A
- Underwent surgery to alleviate seizures
- Removed lots of cortical tissue, amygdalae and several cm of anterior region around hippocampi
- Couldn’t form new long term declarative memories
- Didn’t lose intellect or perceptual memory so could still function
14
Q
Hippocampus and Taxi Drivers
A
- Hippocampus significantly larger in taxi drivers
- Suggests that posterior hippocampus stores info about space and can grow in people who rely heavily on navigation skills
15
Q
Hippocampus and Depression
A
- Prolonged depression can reduce volume of hippocampus
16
Q
Hippocampus and Schizophrenia
A
- Hippocampus reduction is one of the most consistent findings in MRI’s of schizophrenic patients
17
Q
Hippocampus and Alzheimer’s
A
Reduction of hippocampus one of most consistent features of Alzheimer’s
18
Q
Factors leading to shrinkage of hippocampus
A
-Age
- Stress
19
Q
Amygdala
A
- Processing info and in learned emotional responses i.e. expression of emotion and recognising emotion on others faces
- Governs emotions such as anger, fear, anxiety and happiness
- Important role in responding to stimuli that elicits fear
20
Q
Basal Ganglia
A
- A collection of subcortical structures important for planning and production of voluntary movement and reward
21
Q
Nucleus Accumbens
A
One of structures of brains ‘reward pathway’
- i.e. ‘cheese tastes good’ , I’ll keep eating cheese
22
Q
Disfunction of basal ganglia
A
Wide range of neurological conditions to do with behaviour i.e. Tourette’s, addiction and OCD
23
Q
Forebrain
A
- 2 symmetrical cerebral hemispheres, one on left and one on right
24
Q
What’s in cerebral hemispheres
A
- Occipital Lobe
- Parietal Lobe
- Temporal Lobe
- Frontal Lobe
25
Longitudinal Fissure
Runs through centre of brain to separate the left and right hemispheres
26
Cerebral Cortex
- 'Convoluted surface' i.e. pink, squiggly bits
- Appears during gestation
- Allows large structures fit into smaller surface area
27
Functions of cerebral cortex
- Site of all thought, perceptions and complex behaviours in brain
- Processes sensory info, controls decision making, stores and retrieves memory and initiates motor response
28
Neuroplasticity
Ability of neural networks in the brain to change its activity by reorganising its structure, functions or connections
29
Intrinsic Stimuli
If you develop a disease the brain might adapt to pain by moving a certain way
30
Extrinsic Stimuli
- Learning a new skill
- Adapting to a new environment
- Traumatic brain injury
31
Neurogenesis
Formation of new neurons in brain
- Continues throughout adulthood
32
Nervous systems links to endocrine system
- Linked by effects of hypothalamus on the pituitary gland
- Hypothalamus in both endocrine and nervous systems
33
Pituitary gland
"master gland"; controls activity of other endocrine glands
34
Endocrine System
- Regulates cells and organs using chemical substances called hormones
35
Hormones VS Neurons
- Hormones in blood cell as neurons restricted to synapse
- Hormone sends message far from origin
