Psych: The Brain + Behavioral Genetics

Lesions

An area of abnormal or damaged tissue caused by injury, infection, or disease

EEG

a test that measures electrical activity/ brain waves with electrodes placed on the head

-to detect and investigate epilepsy, seizures, or sleep conditions

CAT (CT) scan

a series of x-rays taken of the brain combined in a computer to show a slice of the brain

-to image the head in order to locate injuries, tumors, clots leading to stroke, hemorrhage, and other conditions

MRI scan

medical imaging test that produces detailed images by exposing the brain to magnetic fields and measures radio activity

-SHOWS STRUCTURE: to investigate or diagnose conditions that affect soft tissue, such as: Tumours, including cancer

PET scan

ia type of imaging test that uses a radioactive glucose substance called a tracer that shows where the tracer goes while the brain preforms a given task, provides unique information about how an organ or system in the body is working

-cancers, neurological (brain) diseases and cardiovascular (heart-related) disease.

fMRI

a technique for measuring and mapping brain activity and functions- more than just images

-SHOWS STRUCTURE AND ACTIVITY: to examine which parts of the brain are handling critical functions, evaluate the effects of stroke or other disease, or to guide brain treatment.

Hindbrain

contains the brainstem and the cerebellum. Its main functions include sleep, respiration, motor coordination and organization, and reflexes

-medulla, pons, cerebellum

Medulla

the connection between the brainstem and the spinal cord, controls automatic responses like breathing, heart rate, digestion

Pons

relay station between the cerebrum and cerebellum

handles all of your unconscious movements and processes

Cerebellum

“mini brain” at the rear of the brain stem, voluntary muscle movement, balance, and coordination

midbrain

controls motor movements, vision and sensory processing

-reticular formation

reticular formation

controls consciousness, alertness, and arousal of the brain

forebrain

plays a central role complex cognitive activities, and voluntary motor activities

-thalamus, hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus

thalamus

your body's information relay station. All information from your body's senses (except smell)

-when destroyed think vegetative state

hypothalamus

acts as your body's smart control coordinating center. Its main function is to keep your body in a stable state called homeostasis

amygdala

a major processing center for emotions- fear and aggression

hippocampus

responsible for your memory and learning, navigational abilities like knowing the way home

limbic system

to process and regulate emotion and memory while also dealing with sexual stimulation and learning- and smell

• Amygdala.

• Hippocampus.

• Thalamus and Hypothalamus.

• Cingulate Gyrus.

• Basal Ganglia.

cerebral cortex

the gray matter of the brain.

left hemisphere

most dominant, language, math, problem solving, and critical thinking

right hemisphere

controls creativity, spatial ability, artistic skills

Brain Lateralization (Hemispheric Specialization)

a functional dominance of one hemisphere over the other, in which one is more responsible or entirely responsible for control of a function in comparison to the other

corpus callosum

is a bundle of nerve fibers that allow your brain's left and right hemispheres to communicate

association areas

regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making

frontal lobe

responsible for control over many abilities, including the way you think, how you move and how you remember things. It's also a key part in your social skills, and helps you understand and control how you talk, behave and interact with others

broca’s area

area in the frontal lobe: motor production of speech

Wernickels area

in the temporal lobe: responsible for the comprehension of written and spoken language

motor cortex

control skeletal muscle movements

parietal lobe

somatosensory cortex, vital for sensory perception and integration, spacial awareness

occipital lobe

visual processing area of the brain

temporal lobe

receiving and processing auditory information/language and memory.

brain plasticity

brain to change through growth and reorganization

parallel processing

ability of the brain to simultaneously process incoming stimuli

sequential processing

the mental process of integrating and understanding stimuli in a particular, serial order

blindsight

responding to visual stimulus but not aware of it

dual processing

The principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks

cognitive neuroscience

studies the biological processes that underlie human cognition, especially in regards to the relation between brain structures, activity, and cognitive functions.

to determine how the brain functions and achieves performance

lobes

1. frontal

2. parital

3. temporal

4. occipital

Accidents (Phineas Gage)

a large iron rod was driven completely through his head, destroying much of his brain's left frontal lobe, and for that injury's reported effects on his personality and behavior over the remaining 12 years of his life‍

hemispheres

DNA

The hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms

Genes

Made up of sequences of DNA and are arranged, one after another, at specific locations on chromosomes

Chromosomes

a DNA molecule that contains the genetic information for an organism, composed of the organism's DNA and special proteins

genome

the complete set of DNA (genetic material) in an organism

Identical v. Fraternal twins

Fraternal twins happen when two different eggs are fertilized by two different sperm, they come from two separate zygotes, so they each have different genes.

Identical twins are the result of one zygote that splits in two

Adoption Studies

research studies that compare an adopted person's behavior to both their biological and adoptive parents' behavior

Heritability

a measure of how well differences in people's genes account for differences in their traits

Interaction

“any process that involves reciprocal stimulation or response between two or more individuals.” This could be through family relationships such as between parent and child; personal relationships

Molecular genetics

the study of the molecular structure of DNA, its cellular activities (including its replication), and its influence in determining the overall makeup of an organism

Epigenetics

how your behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work

Evolutionary Psych

All human behaviors reflect the influence of physical and psychological predispositions that helped human ancestors survive and reproduce.

Natural Selection

Organisms that are more adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and pass on the genes that aided their success

Mutations

Any change in the DNA sequence of a cell. Caused by mistakes during cell division, or they may be caused by exposure to DNA-damaging agents in the environment. Can be harmful, beneficial, or have no effect.

Social Script

a series of behaviors, actions, and consequences that are expected in a particular situation or environment. Just like a movie script we know what to expect in many social settings