Exam 1

Physiological Psychology

examines neural mechanisms of behavior using surgical, electrical, and chemical manipulation in controlled experiments with laboratory animals

example: effect of ventromedial hypothalamic lesions on eating and body weight (body weight increases)

Psychopharmacology

similar to physiological psychology but focuses on manipulation of neural activity and behavior with drugs

also studies reward systems and factors involved in substance use and addiction

Neuropsychology

examines the psychological and behavioral effects of brain damage in human patients

know how to interpret behavioral and cognitive tests to identify potential areas of brain damage and predict deficits caused by specific types of brain damage

Psychophysiology

study the relationship between brain activity and psychological processes in humans, typically using non-invasive imaging techniques

uses MRI, fMRI, PET scans, CAT scans, EEG

Biopsychology

biological approach to explaining behavior

Comparative Psychology

compares behavior of different species with a focus on genetics and evolution

example: hippocampal volume and memory for stored food in birds

General View of Egyptians on the Source of the Mind

importance of the heart, not the brain

View from the Physician that Wrote the Edwin Smith Papyrus

documented battlefield injuries including many head injuries

appreciated the relationship between the brain and behavior

people with injuries on one side of their head had issues on the opposite side of body

injuries to the left side of the head correlated to language deficits

Contributions of Thomas Willis for Mind and Behavior

localization of abilities to brain tissue through longitudinal study of behavior followed by brain dissection

learned about fixation

Galen’s Perspective on the Mind

believed animal spirits were housed in ventricles and fluid filled tubes went to sense organs and muscles

Dualism

the mind and the body/brain are separate entities that interact

Monism

the mind is nothing more than the awareness of what our brain is doing

Charles Darwin on the Monism vs. Dualism Debate

monist who saw relationships between evolutionary changes in structure in the brain and bahavior

Rene Descartes on Monism vs. Dualism Debate

dualist who believed the body controls simple behavior but the mind is required for rational behavior

Phrenology

certain areas of the brain correlate to certain personality features

you could read ridges of the skull to figure out personality, strengths, and weaknesses

view consistent with localization of function

Franz Joseph Gall

proponent of phrenology

Aggregate Field View

all regions of the brain participate in all mental function

view consistent with distribution of function

Pierre Flourens

proponent of the aggregate field view

conducted lesion experiments on pigeons and could not find a particular area of the brain that caused them to lose specific abilities

Gustav Fritsch and Eduard Hitzig

experimental support for localization

did electrical stimulation on dogs and did primary motor cortex studies using stimulation

Pierre Paul Brocca

clinical support for localization

followed patients throughout there lives and documented mental symptoms, had them donate their brains to him after death and looked at areas of damage in relation to symptoms

Wilder Penfield

support for localization of function

did electrical stimulation of human epilepsy patients

patient’s  reports of what occurred at the beginning of their seizures correlated with the area of the brain where the seizures originate

mapped motor cortex and somatosensory

Concordance Rates

the odds of one person having the trait if the other does

Concordance in Twin Studies

higher concordance between monozygotic twins than dizygotic twins

Concordance in Adoption Studies

adoptees have a higher concordance with biological relatives than with adopted relatives

Gene

biological unit that directs cellular processes and transmits inherited characteristics, provide the directions for making proteins

Allele

different variation of a gene

Proteins

construct the body and central nervous system and are enzymes

can be neurotransmitters, neurotransmitter receptors, enzymes, ion channels, pumps, etc.

Transcription

mRNA is made from DNA template

occurs in the nucleus

Translation

amino acid sequence is made based on RNA template

occurs in ribosomes

Primary Structure of Proteins

amino acid sequence

Secondary Structure of Proteins

sheets and helices

local folded structure

Tertiary Structure of Proteins

overall three-dimensional structure of a polypeptide

Quaternary Structure of Proteins

subunits of different polypeptides coming together

Genetics in the Development of Depression

lower levels of monoamine transmitters, higher cortisol levels, reduced BDNF that leads to decreased neurogenesis

Experience in the Development of Depression

early developmental trauma can cause the things associated with depression

Epigenetics

experience can change the brain by chemically coating DNA or altering proteins in the chromosome

DNA Methylation

marks added to certain DNA bases repress gene activity

Histone Modification

a  combination of different molecules can attach to the tails of proteins called histones and alter the activity of the DNA wrapped around them

Camillo Golgi

developed Golgi stain from silver salts that turns 1% of cells black

argued for neurons being an interconnect network

Santiago Ramon y Cajal

used Golgi stain on infant brain

described neurons as separate entities

discovered that neurons are born at the center of the brain and move toward their eventual location before sprouting axons and dendrites

Neurons/Nerve Cells

information processing and transmitting elements of the nervous system

Soma

cell body

contains cell organelles such as nucleus, mitochondria, and ribosomes

Dendrites

branching fibers with a surface lined with synaptic receptors responsible for bringing in information from other neurons, input areas/receptors of neurons

Dendritic Spines

further branch out and increase the surface area of the dendrite

Axon

also called nerve fibers

thin fiber of a neuron responsible for transmitting nerve impulses to other neurons, glands, or muscles

Nerves

axons traveling together

Myelin Sheath

a type of glial cell wrapped around an axon in layers

insulates axon to allow the electrical signal to travel quickly

Axon Hillock

place where axon and action potential starts

has voltage gated sodium channels to start action potential

Presynaptic Nerve Terminals

the end point of an axon responsible for releasing chemicals (neurotransmitters) to communicate with other neurons

has the signal

Gray Matter

the part of the brain that mostly have soma and dendrites and no myelin

outer layer where we do processing

White Matter

part of the brain with mostly axons and myelin (fat)

inner layer

Postsynaptic Terminal

the target for signals

neurotransmitters do not go into it; they bind to receptors

Axodendritic Synapse

axon of one neuron terminates on dendrite of another neuron

most common type

Axosomatic Synapse

axon of one neuron terminates on soma of another neuron

Axoaxonic Synapse

axon of one neuron terminates on axon of another neuron

very rare

Sensory Neurons

specialized at one end to be highly sensitive to a particular type of stimulation (touch, temperature, odor, etc.)

input cells to central nervous system

Motor Neurons

soma are in the spinal cord and receive excitation from other neurons and conducts impulses along its axon to a muscle

output cells from the central nervous system

Interneurons

housed in the central nervous system

Intrinsic Neurons

information stays within a structure

Afferent Neurons

information towards a structure

sends information into

Efferent Neurons

information away from a structure

sends information away

Historical Belief on Glial Cells

glue of the nervous system but had no other function

Astrocyte

star shaped glial cells that help synchronize activity of related axons, remove wastes (especially after cell death), and bridge neurons and circulatory system

Gliosis

astrocyte scar tissue from filled in gaps after cell death

Oligodendrocytes

glial cells that form myelin sheath in central nervous system

Schwann Cells

glial cells that form myelin sheath in peripheral nervous system

Radial Glia

glial cells that guide migration of neurons and growth of axons and dendrites during development

Microglia

glial cells that are the weak immune system of the central nervous system

find pathogens and labels them for removal

smallest glial cells