YEAR 11 PSYCH UNIT 1 AOS2 KK3 - KK6

NEURON

The neuron is an individual nerve cell that receives and transmits neural information

THREE TYPES OF NEURONS

Sensory (Afferent) – carries messages from sensory receptors from PNS to CNS

Motor (Efferent) – carries messages from CNS to muscles & glands to allow movement

Inter (connecting) – only in CNS, provides connection between sensory & motor neurons

Central nervous system is brain and spinal cord and peripheral are nerves that extend throughout the body, outside the brain and the spinal cord

LABELLED NEURON

NEURAL TRANSMISSION

Neural information travels down the axon, through the axon terminals and released via the terminal buttons of the presynaptic neuron. The pre & post neuron do not touch, the neural message travels through the synapse and is received by the dendrites of the post synaptic neuron.

NEURAL PLASTICITY

ability of the brain to change in response to experience or environmental stimulation

two experiences are developmental and adaptive

DEVELOPMENTAL PLACTICITY

as we age we mature, learning through different environmental experiences

key influencers are synaptogenesis, synaptic pruning and myelination

SYNAPTOGENESIS

process where neurons form new connections which represents the learning and retention of the new information most prominent in infancy.

SYNAPTIC PRUNING

process where unused neurons are eliminated, this is done to free up space in the brain and allow for the strengthening of frequently used synapse/ neurons

MYELINATION

formation and development of myelin around the axon of the neuron, speeds up transmissions of electrical signals through nervous system

ADAPTIVE PLASTICITY

changes to the brain due to brain trauma or injury

key influencers are sprouting and rerouting

SPROUTING

neurons ability to develop new branches in the dendrites of axons

This expands the reach of the neuron enabling new neural connections to be formed in areas of the brain where the neural activity has been prevented or depleted.

REROUTING

neurons ability to form a new connection with another undamaged neuron

The neuron that is rerouting abandons its connection with a damaged neuron, enabling new neuronal connections to be formed after trauma. This allows re-development of cognitive functioning.

HOW TO HELP MAINTAIN BRAIN FUNCTIONING

mental stimulation - strengthens and prevents synaptic pruning of needed neural connections

diet - there are different types of food that contain vitamins that aid brain functioning

physical activity - physical activity increases blood supply to the brain and promotes the growth of new neurons in the hippocampus and other brain regions.

social support - having someone to listen to is associated with greater resistance to brain injury

ABI (AQUIRED BRAIN INJURY)

an damage to the brain that has occurred after birth, can be classified as traumatic or non traumatic

TRAUMAIC ABI

when the damage to the brain is cause by an external force like sports injuries or car accidents

NON TRAUMATIC ABI

occurs when the damage to the brain is caused by an internal factor like a stroke

BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL

BIO - organ or cellular functioning impairment like difficulty moving

PSYCHO - impairments in psychological functioning like personality changes, memory/ concentration

SOCIAL - impairment in social functioning, includes an increase in anti social behaviour

NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS

diseases or events that affect the brain, spinal cord and the nerves that connect them

all result from damage to nervous system due to genetics or after birth due to environmental causes

ABIs

NEURODEGENRATION

Neurodegeneration means the gradual loss or damage of neurons in the brain or nervous system, which can lead to problems with thinking, movement, or memory, as seen in diseases like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's.

PARKINSONS DISEASE

progressive neurodegenerative disease of the nervous system and the loss of neurons in the brain. Some symptoms are tremors, reduced motor control, muscle stiffness and fatigue

EPILEPSY

neurological disorder that is associated with abnormal electrical activity in the brain characterised by recurrent seizures

SEIZURES - brief episodes of uncontrolled electrical discharging of neurons in the brain

some symptoms are involuntary shaking, loss of consciousness, loss of awareness

CTE (CHRONIC TRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY)

progressive and degenerative and fatal brain disease associated with repeated concussions to the head over a long period of time

EFFECTS OF CTE

tau protein tangles - when nerve cells are damaged the tau separates from the cytoskeleton and starts to clump up or form tangles in the brain cells, eventually they cause cells to become defective and lose their ability to function

SYMPTOMS OF CTE

headaches, loss of attention

anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, impulse control

impairments in planning or organising, severe memory loss

form of dementia, memory and cognitive impairments disrupting daily life

CTE DIAGNOSIS

only way to really diagnosis CTE is an autopsy of the brain after the individual has died.

when suspected thorough medical history testing of mental status and neurological examination and brain imaging can help rule out other causes

CTE TREATMENT

difficult to treat since only diagnosed after death, can only be assumed. treatments like behavioural therapy, pain management and regular exercise/ healthy food help manage any symptoms.

MACHINE LEARNING

an element of artificial intelligence that allows software to become more accurate at predictions by mimicking the way humans learn and utilise statistics to create algorithms

SUPERVISED LEARNING

use of labelled data to train algorithms on how to classify data or predict outcomes

can be used to diagnose neurological disorders and stages

UNSUPERVISED LEARNING

uses unlabelled data to find trends and patterns in data that have not been identified yet

often used to analyse demographics that may have been overlooked

GUT - BRAIN AXIS

refers to the bidirectional connection between the gut and the brain through the central nervous system and enteric nervous system

gut can influence brain due to the gut microbiota which are the organisms that live in the gut

imbalance can lead to potential disease in the central nervous system