HOSA Behavioral Health

Sensation

the process of detecting environmental stimuli or stimuli arising from the body

Perception

the process of interpreting sensory information

Sensory adaptation

the tendency to pay less attention to a non changing source of stimulation

Bottom-up processing

perception based on building simple input into more complex perceptions

Top-down processing

a perceptual process in which memory and other cognitive processes are required for interpreting incoming sensory information

Psychophysics

the study of relationships between physical qualities of stimuli and the subjective responses they produce

Absolute threshold

the smallest amount of stimulus that can be detected

Difference threshold

the smallest detectable difference between two stimuli

Signal detection

the analysis of sensory and decision-making processes in the detection of faint uncertain stimuli

Vision

the sense that allows us to process reflected light

Cornea

the clear surface at the front of the eye that begins the process of directing light into the retina

Pupil

an opening formed by the iris

Iris

the brightly coloured circular muscle surrounding the pupil of the eye

Lens

the clear structure behind the pupil that bends light towards the retina

Retina

layers of vision processing cells in the back of the eye

Fovea

an area of the retina that is specialized for highly detailed vision

Rod

a photoreceptor specialized to detect dim light

Cone

a photoreceptor in the retina that processes colour and fine detail

Optic nerve

the nerve exiting the retina of the eye

Consciousness

a state of awareness

Self-awareness

the special understanding of the self as distinct from other stimuli

Relationship between the brain, mind, and consciousness

The brain houses the mind but also has other functions like maintaining breathing and body temperature; the mind houses consciousness but also manages unconsciousness functions such as long-term memory

States of awareness

the level of conscious awareness of internal states or surroundings, which can be high or low and realistic or distorted

Content of awareness

the ongoing catalog of internal and external stimuli that are focus of current attention

Sleep

a normal state of consciousness characterized by reduced awareness of external stimuli

Waking

a normal state of consciousness characterized by alertness and awareness of external stimuli

Circadian rhythm

a daily biological rhythm; circadian= "about a day"

Biological clock

an internal mechanism that provides an approximate schedule for various physical process; interact with zeitgebers

Zeitbeger

external stimuli that interact with biological clocks; zeit=time, geber=to give, time givers

Artificial lighting and melatonin

artificial lighting breaks down melatonin, a hormone released in the evening that regulates sleep cycles

Maladaptation syndrome

health, personality, mood, and interpersonal problems that result from abnormal sleep-wake cycles; graveyard shift (11:00 PM-7:30AM)

Major Depressive Disorder with Seasonal Pattern

a mood disorder in which depression occurs regularly at the same time each year, usually during the winter months; formerly known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD); 4-6% of the population when less light is available to set internal clocks; treated with exposure to bright light w/or w/out melatonin supplements or antidepressant meds

EEG (electroencephalogram) recordings

general measure of overall brain activity

EEG during waking

alternate between beta waves, alpha waves, and gamma waves

Beta wave

actively thinking or alert; characterized by rapid (15-30 cycles per second), irregular, low-amplitude waves that indicate the cerbral cortex is processing large amounts of data

Alpha wave

awake but relaxed; waves are slightly slower, larger, and more regular than beta waves; frequency of 9-12 cycles per second

Gamma wave

processing of sensory input, particularly visual input; waveforms faster than 30 waves per second

Default Mode Network (DMN)

helps to maintain unconscious, background activity to help the brain prepare for conscious thought; activity in DMN decreases when a person engages in concsious activity; medial prefrontal cortex, medial parietal cortex, lateral parietal cortex, lateral temporal cortex

Daydreaming

spontaneous, subjective experiences in a no-task, no-stimulus, no-response situation; correlated with activity in the DMN; alpha waves

Stages of sleep

Rapid eye movement (REM) and Non-rapid eye movement (N-REM) sleep

Stage 1 of N-REM

first go to sleep, theta waves (4-7 cycles per sec, larger and slower than alpha), people may not be aware that they are sleeping, 10-15 mins

REM

characterized by waveforms resembling waking, accompanied by rapid motion of the eyes, muscular paralysis, and sympathetic nervous system activation

N-REM

characterized by theta and delta wave activity, and deep physical relaxation

Stage 2 of N-REM

further reductions in heart rate and muscle attention occur; EEG shows K-complexes and sleep spindles that occur only in sleep; brain trying to keep us asleep while continuing to monitor the external environment

Stage 3&4 of N-REM

delta wave activity (largest and slowest EEG waveform-1-4 cycles per sec), stage 4 has the most delta activity, awaking from stage 4 is quite difficult (disorientation)

Paradoxical sleep (REM)

occurs btwn 90-120 mins after first onset of sleep, combo of brain activity resembling waking with the external appearance of deep sleep; sympathetic nervous system becomes very active; reports of vivid dreams when awakened in this stage; physical paralysis that provides a protective mechanism that prevents you from acting out your dreams; we usually spend the last half hour of sleep in REM

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

paralysis fails and people injure themselves of their sleeping partners

Benefits of N-REM sleep

repairing the body and releasing human growth hormone (3&4 N-REM), consolidating memories, memories are reactivated and transformed into versions that can be stores in long-term memory

Benefits of REM sleep

only birds and mammals, provides stimulation necessary to correclty "wire" the immature brain; better mood

REM Rebound

the tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation

Antidepressants and sleep

suppression of REM sleep; NTs norepinephrine and serotonin, which regulate mood states, are less active during REM

Dreaming

a mental state that usually occurs during sleep that features visual imagery

Lucid dreaming

a conscious awareness of dreaming accompanied by the ability to control the content of the dream; increased activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (an area of the brain believed to participate in higher-order executive functions); happens when frontal areas of the brain inexplicably "wake up"

Nightmare

N-REM dreams when the content of an REM dream is unpleasant; lucid dreamers can exit that line of content

Activation-synthesis theory

suggests that the content of dreams represents the mind's efforts to make sense of real physical sensations (ex: being unable to move in a dream bc of muscle paralysis during sleep)

Sleep terrors

disrupts the smooth transition from stage 4 N-REM to REM; the sleeper wakes suddenly in great distress but without experiencing the imagery of a nightmare

Insomnia

a sleep disorder characterized by an inability to either initiate sleep (stress and anxiety) or maintain sleep (stress, substance abuse, or psychological disorders)

Zolpidem

insomnia medication that produces sleep 15 mins faster and lengthens it for about 30 mins

Narcolepsy

a sleep disorder characterized by the intrusion of rapid eye movement phenomena into waking; cells in the hypothalamus that normall secrete neurochemicals known as orexins are missing or damages; results from genetics and autoimmune process that attack cells in the brain the produce orexins; autoimmune process are likely triggered by exposure to flu viruses

Sleep apnea

a sleep disorder in which the person stops breathing while asleep; awakes abruptly, gasping for air; increases risk for heart disease; most instances occur with the overweight or those who snore (obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea); other cases occur when brainstem neurons responsible for maintaining breathing during sleep malfunction (central sleep apnea)

Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea

losing weight and surgical correction of airway blockages

Treatment of central sleep apnea

use of a machine that regulates airflow during sleep

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

a sleep disorder in which an otherwise healthy infant dies while asleep

Prevention of SIDS

putting infants to sleep on their backs; firm sleeping surface; no bed sharing; avoiding soft bedding and overheating; avoiding exposure to smoke, alcohol, and illicit drugs; breastfeedingl routine immunization; pacifiers; skin-to-skin care for newborns

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)

a disorder characterized by the involuntary movement of an extremity, usually one leg; quite common (15% of a large sample of adults reported symptoms); results from a gene variant that is active only during prenatal development in the basal ganglia (voluntary movement); differences in dopamine functioning; related to ADHD???

Prosopagnosia

inability to recognize familiar faces

Capgras syndrome

patients are convinces that imposters have taken place of familiar people

Coma

an abnormal state of deep unconsciousness; no sleep-wake cycles, cannot be awakened, no response to pain or light, incapable of voluntary movement; after 2-4 weeks patients either recover, move into a vegetative state, or die

Vegetative state (VS)

abnormal state following brain injury featuring wakefulness without consciousness; patients open their eyes periodically, grind their teeth, smile, scream, or cry; some are responsive to pain; presence of conscious awareness in VS is debatable

Brain death

complete and irreversible lack of measurable brain activity (2 flatline EEG recordings taken 24 hours apart or lack of blood circulation); to responses to external stimuli

Near-death experience

an altered state of consciousness reported by people who were close to death because of cardiac or other medical problems that features out-of-body experiences, light-at-the-end-of-a-tunnel perceptions, and a state of calmness

Seizures

an abnormal level of brain activation with a sudden onset and produce changes in consciousness

Partial seizure

distortions of consciouness; originate in a particular part of the brain (the focal area) and are often accompanied by a premonition that the seizure will occur

Generalized seizure

loss of consciousness; do not arise from a focal area; spread thru the brain symmetrically via connections between the thalamus and the cortex; not typically not accompanied by a premonition;

Partial seizures originating in the temporal lobe

produce distortions of consciousness; deja vu (reliving the past) or jamais vu (a sense that one's familiar circumstances are suddenly foreign or strange)

Tonic-clonic seizures

type of generalized seizure; begin with a loss consciousness, cessation of breathing, and intense muscular contractions; rhythmic contractions that may result in physical injuries; followed by a period of coma (abt 5 mins)

Absence seizures

person loses consciousness and awareness of surroundings; motor movements are limited to blinking, head turns, and eye movements

Psychoactive drugs

any drugs with the capability of altering a person's state of consciousness

Tolerance

the need to administer greater quantities of a drug to achieve the same subjective effect; an attempt of the nervous system to compensate for the drug's effects

Withdrawal

physical responses to the removal of some habitually administered drugs; some drugs have worse withdrawal symptoms than others; cocaine has none

Addiction

a compulsive physical or psychological dependence on a substance or activity that continues in spite of negative consequences; compulsive repetition of drug use; inability to abstain despite serious consequences

Addiction: logical choices

disruption in logical decision making; impulsive system involving dopamine pathways connecting the midbrain and the basal ganglia; relective system in the frontal lobes that weighs the pros and cons of a decision and controls impulses; craving system involving the insula (activity in the insula is correlated with participant's craving for their drug of choice and strokes that damage the insula eliminate the urge to use some addictive drugs; excess activity in the impulsive system, inadequate activity in the reflexive system, and increased desire appear to set the stage for maintaining compulsive addictive behaviors

History of marijuana

hallucinogen; cannabis from the Cannabis sativa plant; included in the pharmacy written by Chinese emperor Shen Neng nearly 5,000 yrs ago; marijuana=smoked form of cannabis; most commonly used federally illegal drug substance in the US

Behavioral responses to marijuana

subtle; excitation, vivid imagery, mild euphoria; depression and social withdrawal; at higher doses it produces hallucinations

Hallucinogen

a drug that stimulates the experience of false perceptions

Chemical makeup of cannabis

contains more than 50 psychoactive compounds (cannabinoids); tetrahydrocannabinoid (THC) interacts with receptros for natural substance that are similar to THC in chemical composition

Cannabinoid receptors

one type is located in parts of the brain involved with pain, appetite, learning, reasoning, and movement; another type is found elsewhere in the body, particularly in structures associated with the immune system

Anandamide

our main endogenous cannabinoud; removes unnecessary memories and slows movement, leading to relaxation; effects only last briefly (unlike THC); promotes dopamine activity along with THC (which is why it can cause dependence)

History of LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)

researcher Albert Hoffman deliberately ingested LSD and reported vivid, colorful visual hallucinations in 1938

Chemical makeup of LSD

chemically similar to LSD and interacts with serotonin receptors

Behavioral responses to LSD

flashbacks, intrusive and involuntary hallucinations (even after use has ended)

Caffeine

stimulant; interferes with the inhibition normally produces by adenosine in the brain (leads to increased excitation and altertness)

Effects of caffeine

withdrawal syndrome characterized by headaches and fatigue; some may experience heart issues; caffeine crosses the placenta easily and enters breast milk (leading to reduced rates of growth and complications in the fetus and the breastfed infant); correlated with lower risk of Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's

Stimulant

any drug that increases the activity of the nervous system

entheogens

term for hallucinogens used for religious purposes; "generating the divine within"; ex: ayahuasaca in South America

Nicotine

most commonly used stimulant after caffeine; smoked or chewed tobacco; mimics the action of neurotransmitter acetylcholine

Behavioral effects of Nicotine

increases heart rate and blood pressure, reducing fatigue, and improving cognitive performance while at the same time producing muscular relaxation

Behavioral effects of Cocaine and Amphetamines

at lower doses: altertness, elevated mood, confidence, sense of well-being; higher doses: symptoms similar to schizophrenia, hallucinations, delusional fears, repetitive motor behaviors; both distort the action of dopamine transporters (gates that more previously released dopamine back into the presynaptic cell)

Methamphetamine

most commonly abused form of aphetamines; likely to lead to symptoms of psychosis

Methamphetamine and the synapse

mimics dopamine, leading it to be moved out of the synaptic gap into neurons by dopamine transmitters; once inside the neuron, methamphetamine enters synaptic vesicles, pushing dopamine out into the intracellular fluid of the axon terminal; presence of large amounts of dopamine makes the transporters work in reverse, pushing the dopamine out of the cell; dopamine becomes trapped in the synaptic gap, stimulating receptors continuously