Biological & Neuropsychology (updated)

neuropsychology

the study of the function of the brain and looking at how the brain effects parts of the body

what is the main aim of neuropsychology

to diagnose and treat people who have suffered brain injury and disease

what professions can you go into as a neuropsychologist

• make a diagnosis of neuroogical disorders

• work in hospitals and rehabilitation clinics

• conduct studies and research

• work in private practices

• medio-gel

Broca’s area

responsible for speech production

where is Broca’s area located

frontal lobe

Wernicke’s area

responsible for speech comprehension

where is Wernicke’s area located

temporal lobe

localisation theory

each function is governed by a specific region of the brain (has been criticised for oversimplying the function of the brain)

Luria

• known for his ‘dynamic localisation’

• complex functions are turned into basic functions that can be localised

• specific zones of the brain work together to produce complex functions

nervous system

complex network of nerves and cells that carries messages to and from the spina cord to parts of the body

afferent pathways

information is taken to the CNS

efferent pathways

information from the CNS is taken to the muscles and organs

what is the difference between the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS)

the CNS is composed of the brain and spinal cord while PNS is composed of any nerve outside of the brain and spinal cord

where does the CNS begin

medulla oblongata

the protective layers of CNS is…

dura, arachnoid and pia meter

what is the PNS divided into

• somatic nervous system (voluntary actions)

• autonomic nervous system (involuntary actions)

sympathetic nervous system (autonomic)

dilates pupils, relax bronchi, increase heart rate, shut digestive system down slightly, constrict blood vessels

parasympathetic nervous system

constrict pupils, tense bronchi, decrease heart rate, allow digestion, dilate blood vessels

anterior

front

posterior

back

superior

higher

lateral

always from the midline

medial

towards midline

proximal

closer to

distal

away from

what are 2 ways that we can perceive the brain

1. order in which regions developed

2. how they appear divided between the two hemispheres

what are we looking at in the first perception

hindbrain, midbrain and forebrain

what is the hindbrain composed of

medulla oblongata, pons, cerebellum

medulla oblongata

life sustaining function that controls our involuntary functions (e.g. breathing and swallowing)

what happens when there is damage in the medulla oblongata

can lead to life threatening risks such as difficulties in breathing, swallowing and reduced heart rate

pons

relays information and controls sleep cycle

what happens when there is damage in the pons

fluctuating consciousness and disrupted sleep cycles

cerebellum

• controls muscle movement

• maintains muscle coordination

• learned reflexes are stored here (procedural memory)

what happens when there is damage in the cerebellum

• trouble in balance with posture and balance

• abnormal gait, dymetria and dysarthria

midbrain

• site for reticular formation that helps to relay information between the hinbrain and forebrain

• serves for arousal and sleep cycle

what happens when there is damage in the midbrain/reticular formation

falling into a coma

what is the forebrain composed of

• cerebrum

• hypothalamus

• thalamus

• amygdala

• hippocampus

which system is found in the forebrain

the limbic system

hypothalamus

controls the pituitary gland

what happens when there is damage in the pituitary gland

can affect factors like emotion or sleep

thalamus

“info desk” which sends incoming info that is processed to the appropriate brain region

amygdala

controls emotions, learning, memory and recognising fear

what happens when there is damage in the amygdala

the inability to recognise fear

hippocampus

controls memory and allows for the creation of new memories

what happens when there is damage in the hippocampus

amnesia

basal ganglia

controls movement, mood and memory

what happens when there is damage in the basal ganglia

lead to a change in posture and muscle tone

what are the 4 main lobes in our brain

• frontal lobe

• temporal lobe

• parietal lobe

• occiptial lobe

frontal lobe

controls personality, higher order thinking, movements, memory, impulse and inhibition

motor cortex

controls voluntary movements

where is the frontal lobe located

front of the brain

what happens where there is damage in the frontal lobe

difficulties in planning, impulse control, abstract thinking and inhibition

Broca’s aphasia

difficulty in speech production while comprehension remains intact

why is the Phineas Cage case important in psychology

it illustrates how the frontal lobe has an impact on personality and behaviour

temporal lobe

responsible for hearing and language

Wernicke’s aphasia

difficulty in understanding speech while the ability to produce speech

what happen where there is damage in the temporal lobe

it can lead to impaired comprehension

parietal lobe

responsible for sensory information and spatial orientation

somatosensory cortex

receives sensory information from the body and mirror the motor cortex in frontal lobe

what happens when there is damage in the parietal lobe

having a stroke and hemineglect

hemineglect

not paying attention to one side of the body/space

occipital lobe

responsible for visual processing

what happens when there is damage in this area

partial to complete blindness

primary areas

processes raw information

association areas

integrates information for complex functions

gyrus

elevated folds on the surface of the brain

sulcus

shallow grooves on the surface of the brain

what is the main functions of gyri and sulci

they increase the surface area of the brain which allows for more neurons to enter, resulting in a higher capacity for cognitive performance

the right hemisphere controls…

the left side of the body

the left hemisphere controls …

the right side of the body

corpus callosum

band of tissue that connects the two hemispheres so that they can communicate with each other

what happens when there is damage in this area

the two hemispheres are unable to communicate with each other

lateralisation

each hemisphere is responsible for a domination function in one or another hemisphere

clinical-anatomical correlation

inferring which area of the brain is affected by looking at which function or ability is impaired

how did autopsied play a role during WW2

showed high incidences of brain and head trauma

neuroimaging

imaging technique where you are able to see exactly what is going on within the brain to further localise damage

what are the benefits of neuroimaging

• helped to make accurate diagnosis

• able to relate clinical observations to the scan

• allows to see within the brain to localise damage

what type of plane is this

axial plane

what type of plane is this

coronal plane

what type of plane is this

sagittal plane

X-ray

• Uses radiation to capture images

• More dense areas appear in white (e.g. bones)

• Less dense areas appear in grey/black (e.g. organs)

what are pros and cons of x-rays

pros: very fast, inexpensive, ideal for emergency situations

cons: not great for looking at actual brain tissue

MRI

• Uses magnetic fields, radio waves and computerised enhancement to map out brain structure

• Detailed images of various structures, e.g. soft tissue, nerve vessels

• Can spot subtle issues

• Can spot different pathologies to CT scans and X-rays

what are pros and cons of MRI

pros: non-invasive, don’t use radiation, more sensitive than CTs for locating lesions

cons: VERY expensive, more time consuming

CT scan

• use detailed radiation

• looks at density but is able to look at soft tissue rather than only bones

what are the pros and cons of CT scans

pros: very fast, inexpensive, ideal for emergency situations

cons: poor resultion of white and grey matter, contains no information about functions