Physiological Psychology Exam Study Guide

Physiological Psychology Exam Flashcards

Epilepsy

A condition of repeated episodes of excessive synchronized neural activity, mainly due to the decreased activity of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA.

Broca's Area

Brain area responsible for Speech production; damage -> Broca's aphasia (slow, effortful speech).

Wernicke's Area

Brain area responsible for Language comprehension; damage -> Wernicke's aphasia (fluent but nonsensical speech).

Arcuate Fasciculus

Connects Broca's & Wernicke's areas; damage -> conduction aphasia.

Angular Gyrus

Translates visual input to auditory; crucial for reading.

Primary Auditory Cortex

Processes sound; key for interpreting spoken language.

Positive Symptoms (Schizophrenia)

Hallucinations, delusions.

Negative Symptoms (Schizophrenia)

Flat affect, anhedonia.

MAOIs

Treatments for Depression that prevent breakdown of monoamines.

Tricyclics

Treatments for Depression that prevent reuptake of dopamine and serotonin (and norepinephrine).

SSRIs

Treatments for Depression that block serotonin reuptake.

Electroconvulsive Therapy

Treatment for Depression that induces seizures for fast relief.

Psychotherapy

Talk-based treatment for depression.

Hippocampus

Brain area responsible for Formation (not storage), consolidation of memory.

Amygdala

Brain area responsible for Emotional memory.

Basal Ganglia & Cerebellum

Brain areas responsible for Procedural memory.

Long-Term Potentiation (LTP)

Glutamate -> NMDA/AMPA receptors -> calcium -> synaptic strengthening.

Retrograde Amnesia

Memory disorder characterized by the inability to recall past events.

Anterograde Amnesia

Memory disorder characterized by the inability to form new memories.

Alzheimer's Disease

Characterized by Beta-amyloid plaques, tau tangles, brain atrophy.

AChE inhibitors (Aricept)

Treatments for Alzheimer's disease.

Corpus Callosum

Connects hemispheres; split-brain studies show functional division.

Broca's Aphasia

Disorder characterized by Poor speech production.

Wernicke's Aphasia

Disorder characterized by Fluent but nonsensical speech.

Dyslexia

Reading impairment; auditory processing issue.

Biopsychosocial Model

Integrates biological, psychological, and social causes of disorders.

Bipolar Disorder

Alternates mania and depression.

Lithium, valproate, carbamazepine

Treatments for Bipolar Disorder.

Typical Antipsychotics

Example: Thorazine (dopamine blocker). Used to treat Schizophrenia

Atypical Antipsychotics

Example: Clozapine (fewer side effects, better for negatives). Used to treat Schizophrenia