Psychology Unit 1, Area of Study 1

the central nervous system is made up of...

the brain and spinal cord.

the function of the brain is...

to process information from external and internal enviroments and direct responses.

the function of the spinal cord is...

receive sensory information from the body and send to the brain for processing and to receive information from the brain and send it to the relevant body parts.

the peripheral nervous system is...

the entire network of nerves outside the CNS that transmits information to and from the CNS.

the role of the somatic nervous system is...

carry sensory information to the CNS and motor information from the CNS.

the autonomic nervous system is...

the network of nerves that carry messages between the CNS and the heart, lungs and other internal organs or glands. it is also linked to the brain's cerebral cortex where decision making occurs.

What does the sympathetic nervous system do?

activates the flight or fight response, accelerating heart rate, constrict blood vessels, and raises blood pressure

What does the parasympathetic nervous system do?

It creates a reverse response of the sympathetic nervous system to help slow the body down, counter balancing the activity of the sympathetic nervous system.

changes to the body when the sympathetic nervous system is in action:

- pupils dilate and prevents tears
- saliva decreases so mouth is dry
- heart rate and blood pressure increases
- respiration increases
- releases adrenaline
- sugar is released
- digestion inhibited
- elimination inhibited

changes to the body when the parasympathetic nervous system is in action:

- constricts pupils and stimulates tears
- stimukates salvation
- heart rate and blood pressure decreases
- decreases respir

motor neuron

role of dendrites

during neuronal communication, the end of dendrites, known as receptor sites, receive the neuronal message before it is sent to the cell body (soma).

role of soma

integrates the neural information received from the neuron's many dendrites and sends it to the axon.

role of axon

transmits neural information away from the somato, other neurons or cells.

Role of myelin

the fat and protein substance that surrounds and insulates the axon of a neuron.

terminal/axon buttons

a small structure in the axon terminal that stores and secretes neurotransmitter that is manufactured by the neuron and carries its message to other neurons.

sensory neurons

neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord (CNS).

motor neurons

neurons that carry outgoing information from the CNS to the muscles and glands

interneuron

relays information between sensory and motor neurons

brain

the cerebral cortex is

the outer layer of the brain involved in complex mental abilities, sensory proccesing and voluntary behaviours.

hemispheric specialisation is

that the brain's two sides serve differing functions.

specialisation of the right hemisphere:

- receives and processes sensations from the left side of the body
- controls voluntary movement on the left side of the body
- spatial and visual thinking

specialisation of the left hemisphere:

- receives and processes sensations from the right side of the body
- controls voluntary movement on the right side of the body
- logical reasoning and analysis

frontal lobe

associated with reasoning, planning, parts of speech, movement, emotions, aspects of our personality, and problem solving

temporal lobe

responsible for memory information, visual perception and emotional responses to sensory information.

occipital lobe

A region of the cerebral cortex that processes visual information. the right half of each eye sends information to the right occipital lobe, and the left half of each to the left.

pariteal lobe

processes info about touch, temperature (from the skin), information about muscle movement and the body's position.

Broca's area

Controls language expression - an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech.

Wernicke's area

controls language reception - a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe

primary motor cortex

the section of the frontal lobe responsible for voluntary movement through its skeletal muscles.

primary somatosensory cortex

Receives and processes bodily sensory information from skin and body parts such as arms, hands, legs, feet, lip and tongue.

Myelination

the growth and development of a fatty sheath around the axons of a neuron

Synaptogenesis

formation of new synapses between the brain's neurons.

synaptic pruning

a process whereby the synaptic connections in the brain that are used are preserved, and those that are not used are lost

teenagers are more likely to indulge in risky behaviour because...

their brains are not fully developed yet, they have an immature prefrontal cortex in the frontal lobe.

spatial neglect

condition produced by damage to the association areas of the right hemisphere resulting in an inability to recognize objects or body parts in the left visual field

brain plasticity

the brain's ability to change in response to experience

sprouting

the growth of additional branches on axons or dendrites to enable new connections

Rerouting

an undamaged neuron that has lost a connection with an active neuron may seek a new active neuron and connect with it instead

Parkinson's disease

A neurological disorder of the central nervous system that is characterised in both motor and non-motor symptoms.

Non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's

- speech problems in change of vocal fluency.
- decrease or loss of sense of smell
- constipation

Motor symptoms of Parkinson's

- tremor (predominant at rest)
- muscle rigidity (muscles seem unable to relax and are tight even at rest)
- slowness of movement (when initating and executing movement and performs repetitive movement.

part of brain affected by parkinson's is

the basal ganglia (part of brain that controls movement).

the neurotransmitter affected by parkinson's is

dopamine

is there a cure for parkinson's disease?

no.

levodopa

the most common treatment for symptoms of Parkinson's disease. It is a chemical that is converted to dopamine through neurons, and when injected it alleviates motor symptoms.

deep brain stimulation

An invasive procedure where a surgeon implants electrodes within the basal ganglia. The electrodes, which are connected to a pulse generator implanted under the skin of the chest, stimulate the target area with tiny amounts of electric current. The electrical activity blocks some motor symptoms.