Adolescent brain/Nervous System

Psychology

Scientific study of human behavior and mental processes.

Psychologist

Professional studying mental processes and behavior.

Psychiatrist

Medical doctor specializing in mental health disorders.

Cognition

Mental processes involved in thinking and understanding.

Oxytocin

Neurochemical important for bonding and social interactions.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Includes brain and spinal cord; processes information.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Nerves outside brain and spinal cord; connects CNS.

Reflex

Involuntary motor response triggered by stimuli.

Motor Response

Action initiated by the nervous system's signals.

Prefrontal Lobe

Brain region for critical thinking and problem solving.

Somatic Nervous System

Controls voluntary movements and transmits sensory info.

Autonomic Nervous System

Regulates involuntary body functions and responses.

Sympathetic Nervous System

Prepares body for fight or flight response.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Calms body, promotes maintenance and recovery functions.

Sensory Input

Information received from external and internal environments.

Afferent Neurons

Carry sensory information to the central nervous system.

Efferent Neurons

Transmit motor commands from CNS to muscles.

Neurotransmission

Process of transmitting signals between neurons.

Presynaptic Neuron

Neuron sending neurotransmitters into the synaptic gap.

Postsynaptic Neuron

Neuron receiving neurotransmitters at its dendrites.

Interneuron

Connects sensory and motor neurons within the CNS.

Neurotransmitter

Chemical messenger affecting neuron signal transmission.

Homeostasis

Balanced state of body functions during rest.

Knee Jerk Reflex

Automatic response to stimulus below the knee.

Excitatory neurotransmitter

Generates action potential in receiving neuron.

Inhibitory neurotransmitter

Prevents signal, decreasing neurotransmitter likelihood.

Neuromodulator

Affects signal transmission, inducing rapid changes.

Neuroplasticity

Brain's ability to adapt due to experience.

Myelination

Formation of myelin sheath for improved conduction.

Synaptic pruning

Elimination of extra synapses during development.

Prefrontal cortex

Responsible for decision-making and impulse control.

Hippocampus

Involved in memory and high-level thinking.

Limbic system

Regulates emotional responses and behaviors.

Adolescence

Period of rapid brain growth and development.

Lust

Desire for sexual gratification, linked to reproduction.

Reward pathway

Connects activity with pleasure, reinforcing behavior.

Serotonin

Regulates mood and appetite, affected during attraction.

Dopamine

Excitatory neurotransmitter, linked to pleasure and addiction.

GABA

Inhibitory neurotransmitter, main one in the brain.

Glutamate

Excitatory neurotransmitter, involved in learning.

Alcohol

Depressant that enhances GABA activity, slowing transmission.

Cuddle hormone

Oxytocin, released during sex and childbirth.

Neural strengthening

Reinforcement of synaptic connections through experience.

Territorial aggression

Behavior reinforced by neurochemicals like oxytocin.

Fight or flight response

Physiological reaction to perceived threats or stress.

Neural pathways

Connections formed between neurons for communication.

Impulsivity

Acting without forethought, often linked to prefrontal cortex.

Anxiety

Increased arousal due to reduced GABA receptor activity.

Neurochemicals involved with lust

estrogen and testosterone

What is the reward pathway and what is its relationship to the experience of attraction

The reward pathway controls how the brain begins to make connections between the activity and the pleasure, ensuring that we will repeat the behavior. In a relationship, high levels of adrenaline are released which makes one feel giddy and excited when spending time with a partner.

Why is a stress hormone associated with the fight-flight response also associated with love?

Norepinephrine keeps someone alert and triggers flight or fight. This shows how brain scans of people in love show that the reward centre of the brain fire up, when they are shown a picture of someone they are attracted to.

What is the effect of lowered serotonin during attraction?

In attraction, infatuation has links to the behaviours of OCD. Because someone is so attracted to a person, this causes a reduction in serotonin which controls appetite and mood because they are constantly thinking about them for an extended period of time.

Once the relationship is established, there are still neurological influences at play. What is the ‘cuddle hormone’ and when else is it released? What is it’s primary function?

Oxytocin is referred to as the cuddle hormone, because it is produced during the acts of sex, childbirth and breastfeeding. Its primary function is to facilitate bonding, and intimate events.

Why is dopamine considered to have similar effects to cocaine?

This is because during attraction when one becomes emotionally dependant on their partners, the same parts of the brain light up as a drug addict which lead to a temporary high. Attraction is much like an addiction to a human being, as it is chasing the feeling of reward.

Oxytocin can have negative effects on brain functioning. Briefly outline what they can be.

Heightened oxytocin levels can fuel prejudice, and when in an extreme level they can make one dissociate from the environment and act irrationally.