Psychology

What is EEG?

A device that measures, detects, and records electrical brain activity and function.

What is Pneumoencephalography?

A technique that introduces air or oxygen into the cerebral spinal fluid to visualize the brain.

What does a CT scan do?

Allows visualization of brain structure.

What is a PET scan?

A scan that measures blood flow, volume, and levels of glucose in the brain.

What does red indicate on a PET scan?

High activity in the brain.

What does green indicate on a PET scan?

Less activity in the brain.

What is MRI used for?

To enhance and create a 3D image of brain structure.

What is fMRI used to measure?

It identifies what parts of the brain are active.

What does a p-value less than 0.05 indicate?

Rejects the null hypothesis and suggests statistical significance.

What does a p-value greater than 0.05 indicate?

Fails to reject the null hypothesis; indicates no statistical significance.

What is the hindbrain?

The lower part of the brain that links to the spinal cord and controls vital functions like digestion and breathing.

What components are included in the midbrain?

Regulation, sleep, and motor movement; it connects the hindbrain and forebrain.

What does the forebrain control?

It is the largest brain area and includes the cerebrum, hypothalamus, and thalamus, responsible for integration and homeostasis.

What is the structure of the cerebral cortex?

A very thin layer (~3mm thick) with billions of neurons, many folds, grooves, and bulges increasing its surface area.

What connects the two brain hemispheres?

The corpus callosum - which increases during adolescence.

What functions are associated with the frontal lobe?

Abstract thoughts, social skills, and planning, motor movement, and higher thinking

What is the primary role of Broca's area?

Responsible for speech production. located in left frontal lobe

What is the primary role of Wernicke's area?

Responsible for language reception and interpretation. As well as grammar. located part of temporal lobe

What is Geschwind's territory?

A bundle of nerve fibers connecting Broca's and Wernicke's areas, developing by ages 5-7. Located on the inferior parietal lobule.

What does the CNS consist of?

The central nervous system includes the brain and spinal cord.

What roles do sensory neurons play?

They relay signals from receptors toward the CNS.

What roles do motor neurons play?

They relay signals from the CNS to effectors like muscles.

What are the two types of attention?

Selective attention (focusing on selected stimuli) and divided attention (multi-tasking).

What is the circadian rhythm?

A biological rhythm that controls sleep/wakefulness and body temperature, regulated by the SCN - body clock. Exposure to light at different times has different effects as well as cortisol and melatonin

What role does melatonin play in sleep?

It causes sleepiness and is released in the dark from the pineal gland.

What is narcolepsy?

A chronic neurological disorder causing excessive daytime sleepiness.

What are common symptoms of insomnia?

Difficulty falling/staying asleep, frequent awakening, and daytime fatigue.

What is sleep apnea?

A disorder characterized by repeated stops and starts in breathing during sleep.

What is cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I)?

A structured therapeutic approach targeting behaviors and thoughts disrupting sleep.

What is neural plasticity?

The brain's ability to modify synapses and neural networks in response to stimulation. Changes brain structure depending on environment where development occurs

What does the frontal lobe control?

Abstract thoughts, planning and social skills

What does the temporal lobe control?

Hearing, learning, language comprehension and memory

What does the parietal lobe control?

Non-verbal thoughts, touch, and spatial orientation (navigate environment)

What does the occipital lobe control?

vision

What is the cortex?

part of brain where information is relayed to by thalamus (lobes that are not known as the cortex is know as the association

What does the association area do?

Integrates info, organises info in more complex forms to help interpretation.

What is aphasia?

damage in speech-production areas

What is the CNS?

Control centre of body (Central nervous system). Information comes into the CNS from the PNS to be deciphered and acted upon and then instruction is sent back out.

What is the PNS?

Peripheral nervous system Connects the rest of the body to the CNS. Involved in both voluntary activities and the involuntary essential activities that keep us alive.

what does the somatic nervous system do?

Involved in voluntary daily functions. Connects CNS to organs and muscles that are used at all times. Sensation to brain then muscles, organs, and/or glands

What does the automatic nervous system do?

·Regulates involuntary physiology processes – blood pressure, digestion, respiration, sexual arousal etc.· Separated into 2 main parts: Sympathetic and Parasympathetic

What does the sympathetic NS do?

controls flight or fight response

What does the Parasympathetic NS do?

A system that relaxes the body to perform important functions and lower stress after a stressful or dangerous period.

What is a Neuron?

A cell that sends and receives signals around the body, (moves left to right).

What does a Dendrites (post-synapse) do?

Detects stimulus from the surrounding environment or other cells

what does the Soma contain?

Nucleus (main body of cell)

What does the tail (axon) do?

Conducts electrical impulses called action potentials.

What does the axon terminal (pre-synapse) do?

End of axon that releases neurotransmitters into the synaptic left (the presynaptic neuron and the postsynaptic cell)

What is the myelin sheath?

A ·      layer of myelin which is a protein that wraps around most axons of a neuron to insulate electrical impulses. It speeds up signal - more effective response and protects and Insulates the signal being sent down the axon

What do each 3 Neuron types do?

sensory neurons detects stimulus via the environment. Motor neurons which brings responses to the effectors. Interneuron is a type of cell in the CNS that relays signals from afferent to efferent neurons in the PNS. Mostly sits in the brain.

What is arousal?

level of being awake and alert, and our response to environmental stimulus. ranging from low arousal to high arousal.

states of consciousness (2 broad categories)

·      Normal walking consciousness - normal awake and aware state

·      Altered state of consciousness - not being in normal awake and aware state

Difference between selective and divided attention?

selective attention - Only selected stimuli or objects in the environment (filter out other distractions). selective attention for visual and auditory information - Thalamus

divided attention - Multi-tasking (controlled by frontal lobe)

What is developmental plasticity? and adaptive plasticity?

Process of rapid brain development during early years, due to environment and genetic conditions. when learning develops the brain its called adaptive plasticity.

What are the Five stages of brain development that occur during infancy? (Proliferation, Migration, Circuit formation, Synaptic pruning and Myelination)

·      Proliferation – Development and multiplication of unborn baby’s cells, before becoming neurons (beginning of development of nervous system)

·      Migration – Neurons move outwards to destined locations – determines function. Where a neuron end up is due to the time it was created – making it flexible and easy to move.

·      Circuit formation – Complex and multistep where synapses for (synaptogenesis)

·      Synaptic pruning – Elimination of excess neurons and removes, strengthens or weakens synapses. Undeveloped neurons die. Refines nervous system.

·      Myelination – Final stage and continues until around 23 years of age. Axons of neurons become insulated my myelin.

what happens during brain development in adolescence?

brain structures in cerebellum (synapse and neurons increase) and forebrain undergo significant brain development