Overview of Brain Structure and Function

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

-Measures electrical activity at cerebral cortex

not imaging

-measures brain activity with waves

Positron emission tomography (PET scan)

-Provides information about brain function

-not imaging of structure

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Picture of brain structure not function

Functional MRI (fMRI)

Combines benefits of PET and MRI; brain structure and function

Cerebellum

Controls voluntary movements, coordination, and balance

Hypothalamus

Regulates hunger and thirst, body temp, blood pressure, heart rate, and sex drive

Amygdala

Regulates emotions like fear and anger

Hippocampus

Controls memory (long term)

Thalamus

Replay center for sensory information

Frontal lobe

- Seat of intelligence, reasoning, and abstract thinking; controls movement and executive control

- executive control

- primary motor cortex (controls movement)

Contralateral control

Right brain controls left side and vice versa

Parietal lobe

Sense of touch; contains the somatosensory cortex

Occipital lobe

Processes visual information

Temporal lobe

Responsible for hearing

Wernicke's area

Responsible for language comprehension

Broca's area

Responsible for language processing

Corpus callosum

-Network of nerve fibers that acts as a bridge between right and left hemispheres of the brain

-helps exchange info from side to side

Split brain patients

-Patients with a severed corpus callosum

-only things in the right visual field can be verbally named

Brain lateralization

Division of functions to left and right sides of the brain

left hemisphere

- language

- speech

- verbal memory

- more analytical

- controls right side of the body

right hemisphere

- spatial abilities

- music

- visual memory

- more holistic

- controls left side of the body

Neurons

- Cells specialized to receive, process, and/or transmit information

- involved in electrical communication within neurons

- involved in chemical communication between neurons

Glia

- Support cells that hold neurons together

- remove damaged or dead neurons

- prevent poisonous substances from reaching the brain

describe the structure of a neuron

- dendrites (recieve messages)

- cell body

- axon (send mesages out)

- axon terminals (trasnmit messages to other neurons)

- myelin sheaths (speeds communication)

- nodes of ranvier (have ion channels)

acetylycholine

-related to memory

-involved in alzheimers

GABA

inhibitory neurotransmitter

serotonin

related to emotional states

dopamine

- plays a key role in mood, motivation, and reward.

- helps regulate feelings of pleasure and satisfaction

- higher in those with schizophrenia

- lower in those with parkinson's

action potential

electrical charge that occurs within the neuron

stages of action potential

1. resting potential: -70mV charge in the cell due to negatively charged proteins in the cell

2. depolarization: change in charge from -70mV to +40mV because Na+ rushes into the cell

3. repolarization: return to the resting potential because K+ continues moving out of the cell

4. hyperpolarization: cells temporarily at < -70mV because the cell is in a refractory period (cannot be stimulated at this time)

all or none law

all neurons have a threshold of -55mV, if threshold is reached action potential will fire if not reached it won't fire

Structuralism

- conscious experience can be broken down into underlying components or elements

- founded by Wilhem Wundt (father of experimental psychology)

Functionalism

- highlighted adaptive purposes or function of the mind and behavior

- founded by William James

The unconcious mind

- studying the role of the unconscious mind in human behavior

- Sigmund Freud

behaviorism

- emphasizes role of environmental forces in shaping behavior

- John, B Watson and B.F. Skinner

Descriptive Research examples and what are their drawbacks

1. Case study: focuses on 1 person

- Drawback: lacks generalizability

2. Naturalistic observation: "real world"

- Drawback: people's behavior can change if they know they are being observed

3. Surveys: lots of data, quick, easy

- Drawback: people lie

Experimental research steps

1. Random sampling from population

2. Random assignment of participants to groups

3. Manipulation of independent variable

4. Measurement of effect of manipulation on dependent variable

Data collection techniques

1. Self report

2. Reports from others

3. Direct observation

4. Psychopysiological measures

medulla

controls heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing

pons

"bridge" between higher and lower level of nervous systems