Biospsychology - studying the brain

What are the 2 main parts of the nervous system?

• Central nervous system (CNS)

• Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

What are the main components of the CNS?

• Brain

• Spinal cord

What does the PNS consist of?

• Somatic nervous system

• Autonomic nervous system

What is the role of the autonomic nervous sytem?

Controls involuntary activities e.g. heart rate, digestion, stress responses

What are the lobes of the cerebral cortex?

• Frontal

• Parietal

• Occipital

• Temporal

What is the function of the frontal lobe?

• Decision making

• Planning

• Voluntary movement

• Speech production (Broca’s area)

What is the function of the parietal lobe?

Processes sensory information e.g. touch, temperature, pain

What is the function of the occipital lobe?

Visual processing

What is the function of the temporal lobe?

• hearing

• Memory

• Understanding language (Wernicke’s area)

What is meant by localisation of function?

Idea that different areas of the brain are responsible for different functions

What is the motor cortex responsible for?

Voluntary movement

What does the somatosensory cortex do?

Processes sensory information e.g. temperature, pressure

What is Broca’s area responsible for?

Speech production (left frontal lobe)

What is Wernicke’s area responsible for?

Understanding language (left temporal lobe)

What happens if Broca’s area is damaged?

Broca’s aphasia - difficult speaking, can comprehend

What happens if Wernicke’s area is damaged?

Wernicke’s aphasia - fluent but meaningless speech, poor comprehension

What is hemispheric lateralisation?

Idea that some function are more dominant in one hemisphere than the other

Which hemisphere is mainly responsible for language?

Left

Who conducted split-brain research?

Sperry

What did Sperry’s split-brain studies find?

Hemispheres function independently, left better for language, right for visual-motor tasks

What is plasticity?

Brain’s ability to change and adapt as a result of experience and learning

When is plasticity most evident?

Childhood, but continues throughout life

What is functional recovery?

Brain’s ability to compensate for damage by reorganizing or forming new neural connections

What are 2 structural changes during recovery?

• Axonal sprouting - growth of new nerve endings

• Recruitment of homologous areas

What are the main methods to study the brain?

• fMRI

• EEG

• ERP

• Post-mortem examinations

What does fMRI measure?

Brain activity by detecting changes in blood oxygenation

What is a strength of fMRI?

High spatial resolution

What is a weakness of fMRI?

Poor temporal resolution

What does an EEG measure?

Electrical activity across brain via electrodes on scalp

What are ERPs?

Brainwave patterns linked to specific events or stimuli

What are post-mortem examinations used for?

Examining physical brain structures after death to understand abnormalities

What does the endocrine system do?

Produces and secretes hormones that regulate bodily functions

What is the ‘master gland’?

Pituitary

Which gland releases adrenaline?

Adrenal medulla (part of adrenal gland)

What is fight or flight response?

Physiological reaction to a perceived threat, preparing body for action

What are the main hormones involved in the stress response?

• Adrenaline

• Cortisol