AP Psych 1.4 The Brain

Biological Perspective

study link between bio+psych processes

Plasticity

brain’s ability to change (after damage, with new experience, childhood)

Lesions

removal or destruction of some part of the brain, intentionally or not

EEG (electroencephalogram)

amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity (useful in sleep research)

fMRI (functional MRI)

combines PET + MRI, uses blood flow

Brainstem

connects to spinal cord, first to develop in womb

Medulla

heart + lungs

Pons

connects medulla + mid brain, sleep

Thalamus

sends information to the higher brain, sends info from the brain to the medulla, sensory control(except smell)

Reticular Activating System

pathway keeps you apart, controls eye movement

Reticular formation

structure, network running through brainstem

cerrebellum

“little brain”, non-verbal learning + skills, judgement time, modulate emotions, voluntary movement

old brain

no conscious effort

limbic system

border between older brain and newer cerebral hemispheres

amygdala

controls emotions, NOT the only to control emotions, mostly for fear response

hypothalamus

reward center, controls pituitary gland, body temp, sxual behavior, hunger, thirst

hippocampus

explicit memories, processes, consciousness, damage= no new memories

cerebral cortex

ultimate control point, info processing, 4 lobes

4 lobes of CC

frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal

association areas

brain parts associated w particular functions (non-exclusive)

frontal

executive functions, decision making, speech production

Pre frontal cortex (association area of frontal)

regulates thoughts, actions, emotions, planning +judgement, personality

brocas area

speech production, coordination of muscles used for speech

brocas aphasia

intelligence is intact, words are not

motor cortex

controls voluntary movement

temporal lobe (wernicke’s area)

comprehension of spoken language

Wernickes aphasia

no comprehension

parietal lobe

processes sensory information + spatial cognition, facial cognition

somatosensory cortex (association area of partietal lobe)

processes sensory information from the body such as touch, temperature, pain, pressure

occipital lobe

processes visual information

what neuron is responsible for carrying messages from the spinal to the muscles to initiate a response

motor neuron

corpus callosum

connects hemispheres, hundreds of millions of neurons

contralater organization

right half of the brain=left side of the body, left half of the brain=right side of the body

neurogenesis

formation of new neurons

response to damage

reorganize tissue, neurogenesis