Comprehensive Neuropsychology and Sensory Processing: Emotion, Vision, Hearing, and Body Awareness

Emotion

A complex state involving physiological arousal, conscious experience, and behavioral expression.

James-Lange Theory

Emotion results from the brain interpreting physiological changes in the body.

Cognitive Theory of Emotion

Emotion results from physiological arousal combined with cognitive interpretation.

Limbic System

Brain system including amygdala, hippocampus, and hypothalamus that regulates emotion and memory.

Mirror Neurons

Neurons that activate during both action performance and observation.

Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC)

Brain region involved in emotional pain, attention, and conflict monitoring.

HPA Axis

Stress response system involving hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands.

HPA Axis Flow

Hypothalamus (CRH) → Pituitary (ACTH) → Adrenal glands (cortisol)

Chronic Stress Effects

Immune suppression, brain damage, hormonal imbalance, increased disease risk.

Adaptive Pain

Pain functions as a warning system to prevent injury and promote survival.

Aggression (Biological Basis)

Influenced by testosterone (increase), serotonin (decrease), and brain regions like amygdala.

Types of Aggression

Reactive, Proactive, Affective, Instrumental.

Visible Spectrum

Range of light from ~400-700 nm detectable by humans.

Accommodation

Lens changes shape to focus light on the retina.

Visual Pathway

Cornea → pupil → lens → retina → photoreceptors → bipolar → ganglion → optic nerve.

Retina Cell Types

Rods, cones, bipolar, ganglion, horizontal, amacrine.

Retinal Disparity

Difference between images from each eye used for depth perception.

Trichromatic Theory

Color vision based on red, green, and blue cones.

Opponent Process Theory

Color perception based on opposing pairs.

Color Deficiency

Partial loss of color perception.

Color Blindness

Complete loss of color perception.

Retinotopic Map

Spatial mapping of visual input in the brain.

LGN

Thalamic structure with magnocellular (motion) and parvocellular (detail) layers.

Synesthesia

Cross-activation between sensory systems.

Ventral Stream

Processes object identity.

Dorsal Stream

Processes spatial location.

Agnosia

Inability to recognize stimuli despite intact sensation.

Sensation

Detection of stimuli.

Perception

Interpretation of stimuli.

Frequency

Determines pitch.

Intensity

Determines loudness.

Organ of Corti

Converts vibration into neural signals via hair cells.

Cochlea Mapping

Base = high frequency, apex = low frequency.

Inferior Colliculi

Midbrain auditory processing center.

Sound Localization Cues

Time, intensity, head filtering.

Language

Rule-based symbolic communication system.

Broca's Aphasia

Impaired speech production (frontal lobe).

Wernicke's Aphasia

Impaired comprehension (temporal lobe).

Alexia

Inability to read.

Agraphia

Inability to write.

Dyslexia

Reading disorder.

Dyscalculia

Math disorder.

Proprioception

Sense of body position.

Skin Receptors

Detect touch, pressure, temperature, pain.

Vestibular System

Balance and spatial orientation system.

Homunculi

Cortical body maps for sensory and motor functions.

A-Delta Fibers

Fast, sharp pain transmission.

C Fibers

Slow, dull pain transmission.

Muscle Spindles

Detect muscle stretch.

Golgi Tendon Organs

Detect muscle tension.

Muscle Types

Skeletal, smooth, cardiac.

Parkinson's Disease

Reduced dopamine, impaired movement.

Huntington's Disease

Neurodegeneration with excessive movement.

Environmental Factors of Aggression

External conditions such as stress, heat, crowding, and social influences that increase the likelihood of aggressive behavior.

Young-Helmholtz Trichromatic Theory

Color vision is based on three types of cones sensitive to red, green, and blue wavelengths.

Opponent Process Theory (Extension)

Color perception is organized into opposing pairs where activation of one color inhibits the perception of its opposite.

Frequency vs Intensity

Frequency determines pitch, while intensity determines loudness; they are independent properties of sound waves.

Outer Ear (Definition)

Structure that collects and funnels sound waves into the ear canal.

Middle Ear (Definition)

Structure that amplifies sound vibrations using the ossicles (malleus, incus, stapes).

Inner Ear (Definition)

Structure that converts mechanical vibrations into neural signals within the cochlea.

Vestibular System Parts

Semicircular canals detect rotational movement, while otolith organs (utricle and saccule) detect linear acceleration and head position.

Sensory and Motor Homunculi

Mapped representations of the body on the somatosensory and motor cortices, reflecting the amount of cortical area devoted to each body region.