PSYC 362 - Chapter 1 (book and lecture)

plasticity

plasticity

in nervous system, refers to change, flexibility, or adaptation, usually in response to an experience or learning

neurons

• NERVE CELL

• information-processing and information-transmitting cells of nervous system

neurogenesis

• production of new neurons through division of neural stem cells

• occurs in hippocampus and olfactory bulb and appears to play role in learning

generalization

• type of scientific explanation

• (book def) general conclusion based on many observations of similar phenomena

• (lecture def) deduction of general laws using results from experiments

reduction

• type of scientific explanation

• (book def) phenomenon is described in terms of more elementary processes that underlie it

• (lecture def) use of simple phenomena to explain more complicated phenomena

dualism

belief that body is physical but mind (or soul) is not

monism

belief that the world consists only of matter and energy and that the mind is a phenomenon produced by workings of nervous system

epigenetics

changes to gene expression induced by environmental factors

functionalism

• (book def) principle that the best way to understand a biological phenomenon (behavior / physiological structure) is to try to understand its useful functions for organism

• (lecture def) characteristics of an organism serve some useful function

natural selection

• (book def) process by which inherited traits that confer a selective advantage (increase animals likelihood to live / reproduce) become more prevalent in a population

• (lecture def) characteristics that allow an organism to reproduce more successfully are passed on to offspring

mutation

change in genetic information contained in chromosomes of sperm & eggs which can be passed on to organisms offspring - provides genetic variability

selective advantage

characteristic of organism that permits it to produce more than average number of offspring of its species

evolution

gradual change in structure and physiology of plant & animal species - generally producing more complex organisms as a result of natural selection

neoteny

slowing of the process of maturation to allow more time for growth - particularly in development of large brains

informed consent

process where researchers must inform any potential participant about - nature of research study, how data will be collected & stored, and what the anticipated benefits & costs of participating will be

neuroethics

interdisciplinary field devoted to understanding implications of and developing best practices in ethics for neuroscience research

why do we study brain/nervous system?

• makes possible everything we do, experience, perceive

• allows interaction between outer work and mind/process of thinking

ultimate function of the brain is ______________

to control movement

behavioral neuroscience (definition)

study of physiological, evolutionary, and developmental mechanisms of behavior and experience

a.k.a - psychobiology or physiological psychology

behavioral neuroscience (objective)

seeks to describe physical mechanisms of body that mediate our movements and mental activity

consciousness

refers to self-awareness and the ability to communicate our thoughts, perceptions, feelings, and memories

physiological approach to consciousness

consciousness is a physiological function like other forms of behavior, that can be affected by drugs, brain trauma, illness, etc.

blindsight

blind patients are unable to see, but are able to reach for objects placed in their blind visual field

contralateral

damage to visual system on one side of the brain will produce blindness in the opposite (___________) visual field

corpus callosum

bundle of axons that interconnects two cerebral hemispheres

callotomy

involves cutting corpus callosum to alleviate epileptic seizures

cerebral commissurotomy (split-brain procedure)

• surgeon opens skull, lays back brain's coverings, and with a cerebral retractor exposes the corpus callosum between the two hemispheres

• surgeon snips through the CC severing communication between hemispheres and preventing transfer of seizures

left brain attributes

• thinking : abstract, linear, analytic

• cognitive style : rational, logical

• language : rich vocab, good grammar & syntax, pose

• executive capacity : introspection, will, initiative, sense of self, focus on trees (details)

• specialized functions : reading, writing, arithmetic, sensory-motor skills, inhibits psi

• time experience : sequentially ordered, measured

• spatial orientation : relatively poor

• psychoanalytic aspects : secondary process, ego functions, consciousness, superego?

• ideal prototype : aristotle, appollonian mode, marx, freud, koestlers commissar

right brain attributes

• thinking : concrete, holistic

• cognitive style : intuitive, artistic

• language : no grammar, syntax, prosody, poor vocab, metaphoric, verse

• executive capacity : low sense of self, low initiative, focus on forest (whole pic)

• specialized functions : three i's, rich dream imagery, good face and gestalt recognition, open to psi

• time experience : "lived" time, primitive time sense

• spatial orientation : superior, also for shapes, wire figures

• psychoanalytic aspects : primary process, dream-work, free association, hallucinations?

• ideal prototype : plato, dionysian mode, nietzche, jung, koestlers yogi

goal of science

explain the phenomena under study

hippocrates

hippocratic corpus - provided first statement about brain as controlling center for body

aristotle

believed heart was seat of intellectual and perceptual functions - brain served to "cool" the heart

galen

performed dissections, anatomical description of nerves, cerebrum v. cerebellum, animal spirits were stored in ventricles

mind

unique human attribute that is not subject to laws of universe

rene descartes

• dualist / dualism

• mind interacted with physical body through pineal body

• viewed hydraulic pressure within nerves as basis for movement

phrenology

individual development of cortex was reflected in bumps and depressions of the skill - more you used a particular faculty / more prominent a characteristic the bigger the respective bump

doctrine of specific nerve energies

specific nerves carry messages from different sensations

person: johannes peter muller

ablation

removal of discrete brain areas to assess role of brain in control of behavior

person: pierre flourens

aphasia

inability to use or understand language (deficit in speech) because of a brain lesion

person: paul broca

primary motor cortex

region of cortex that activates discrete muscles on opposite side of body

redundancy

things are duplicated in brain to compensate for damage

encephalization

higher functions added at front of nervous system

hominids

• humanlike apes that first appeared in africa

• humans evolved from first

• four surviving types : humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans

behavioral neuroscientists

study physiology of behavioral phenomena in animals (& most have earned a Ph.D in psych or neuroscience)

neurologists

physicians who diagnose and treat nervous system diseases