Psych Exam #2

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

nerves that control the body

Central Nervous System

brain and spinal cord

Nervous System Purposes

1. general sensory info (touch, pressure, temperature, pain, vibration)

2. receiving and perceiving special sensations (taste, smell, vision, sounds)

3. integration of sensory info from diff parts of the body and processing them

4. response generation

Somatic

in PNS, voluntary movements of skeletal muscles

Autonomic

in PNS, automatic, self-regulated action of internal organs and glands

Somatic vs. Autonomic

somatic is voluntary, autonomic is involuntary

in PNS

sympathetic

arousing

parasympathetic

calming

Sympathetic vs. Parasympathetic

sympathetic is arousing, parasympathetic is calming

in autonomic of PNS

Sensory neurons

carry incoming messages from sense receptors to brain and spinal cord

(first)

Interneurons

neurons in brain and spinal cord that communicate internally

(second)

Motor neurons

carry outgoing instructions from brain and spinal cord to muscles

(third)

Cell body

cell’s life support center

dendrites

receives messages from other cells

axon

passes messages away from cell body to other neurons, muscles or glands

myelin sheath

covers axon of some neurons and helps speed neural impulses

terminal branches (buttons)

form junctions with other cells, the end

Neural impulse (action potential)

electrical signal traveling down the action

How do neurons communicate with other neurons?

Chemically via neurotransmitters

neurotransmitters

-nervous system

-direct communication b/w neurons, usually by contact at synapse

-fast acting

hormone

-endocrine system

-signal the body by being released into bloodstream

-slow acting

neurotransmitters vs hormones

neurotransmitters are nervous system and fast acting

hormones are endocrine system and slow acting

Glutamate

excitatory/ increased neural firing

• learning and memory

• (neurotransmitter)

GABA

inhibitory/ decreased neural firing

• lowers anxiety and associated with alcohol intoxication

• (neurotransmitter)

Glutamate vs. GABA

glutamate is excitatory

GABA is inhibitory

Norepinephrine

arousal

(neurotransmitter)

Epinephrine

adrenaline

arousal

(neurotransmitter)

serotonin

positive mood, enjoyment

(neurotransmitter)

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)

an antidepressant that increases level of serotonin in the brain

reuptake

a way that the cell is conserving neurotransmitters

dopamine

motivation, anticipation of reward, movement

• focused attention, promotes approach behavior

• too little is associated with Parkinson’s disease

• (neurotransmitter)

Parkinson’s disease

neurodegenerative disease

associated with too little dopamine

Opioids

buffers stress, reduce pain/increase pleasure

• ex. endorphins and “runners high”

• (hormone)

Endorphins

• associated with “runner’s high”

• a natural opioid (painkiller)

Oxytocin

nurturing, bonding, love

• “cuddle hormone”

• involved in romantic love along w/ other parts of the brain’s reward circuitry

• involved in sexual desire

• involved in postnatal bonding

Estrogen

• mood, memory

• more common in women

• (hormone)

Testosterone

• aggression, dominance, competition

• more common in men

• (hormone)

Acetylcholine

• motor control, attention, learning, memory

• too little of it is related to Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s Disease

• neurodegenerative disorder causing memory loss and cognitive dysfunction

• associated with too little acetylcholine

Hindbrain and Midbrain Function

basic survival

• activity occurs without conscious effort

What parts make up the Hindbrain / Midbrain?

• brainstem

• medulla

• pons

• cerebellum

Medulla

basic survival functions and reflexes like heart rate, breathing, swallowing, orgasm

Pons

sleep, arousal

cerebellum

nonverbal learning and memory; voluntary movement

• has to do with alcohol, ex. when GABA is released it inhibits activity in the cerebellum

Forebrain functions

complex functions

Cortical purposes

complex mental activity

ex. consciousness, learning, problem solving

What does cortical mean?

outermost layer of brain containing cerebral cortex

Where is subcortical and what is it’s other name?

below cerebral cortex

also called Limbic system

Cerebral Hemispheres

the forebrain is divided into 2 cerebral hemispheres, Left and Right, which serve different functions

Corpus Callosum

connects the 2 cerebral hemispheres

Frontal Lobe

planning, executive functioning, organization

Prefrontal Cortex

• integrates all our sensations w/ experience, memory, and thought

• responsible for conscious thought

• location: frontal lobe

Motor Cortex

• responsible for coordinating voluntary actions (physical movements)

• location: frontal lobe

Parietal Lobe

feeling on our body and movement

Somatosensory Cortex

• responsible for our sense of touch

• location: parietal lobe

Homonculus

weird looking man that is a visual representation of which parts of the body take up the most area in the brain regarding touch

ex. hands and lips are rlly big

Temporal Lobe

hearing and language

auditory cortex

identify and segregate auditory objects, detecting their location

• location: temporal lobe

Olfactory Cortex

processing olfactory information

has to do with smell

location: temporal lobe

Occipital Lobe

vision

visual cortex

process visual information

location: occipital lobe

Primary sensory cortices

the cortexes that represent major senses in our bodies

Subcortical / limbic system purposes

emotion and motivation

Thalamus

regulates Transfer of sensory info to and from cerebral cortex

T for Transfer

Hypothalamus

maintains Homeostasis in the body (regulates hunger, thirst, body temp, etc.)

H for Homeostasis

Amygdala

emotions, unconscious memory

Hippocampus

storing conscious memories, spatial navigation

CAMPUS for walking around/spatial navigation

What 3 ways do we learn about the brain?

1. Neuropsychology tests

2. Destruction and stimulation techniques

3. electrical recording

Neuropsychology Tests

• assessment of skills and abilities linked to brain function

• measures areas like attention, problem solving, and memory

Destruction and Stimulation

correlates loss of specific function w/ specific area of brain damage

Wernicke’s Area

where understanding speech is

(in temporal lobe)

Broca’s area

where planning and actually speaking is

(in frontal lobe)

Phineas Gage

most of his prefrontal cortex was destroyed with a pipe, and he became violent and uncontrollable

Henry Moliason (HM)

his hippocampus was removed and he couldn’t form new memories

Split Brain Patients

patients whose corpus callosum (what connects the L and R hemispheres of the brain) have been severed and have localization in one side of the brain for some functions

Split Brain Patient Experiment

L eye info goes to R hemisphere and vice versa, patients were asked to describe what they saw on one side using functions of the opposite brain side

Neural Plasticity

the brain can increase function and adapt using neurons already there either structurally or biochemically

Neurogenesis

the production of new neurons in the nervous system

EEG

measures electrical activity

CAT and MRI

measures structure

PET and fMRI

measures blood flow

Conscious Thought

• explicit

• reflective

• deliberate

• effortful

Unconscious Thought

• implicit

• perceptual

• automatic

• effortless

Circadian Rhythm

regular bodily rhythms experienced over a 24-hr period

to do with sleep

Melatonin

hormone released in the absence of light to help you go to sleep

SCN in hypothalamus

the body’s “clock” in hypothalamus

Superchiasmatic nucleus

REM vs non-REM sleep

• REM- rapid eye movement; vivid dreams; spend most of the night in REM

• NON-REM- light and deep sleep stages

When does most REM happen?

at the end of the night before you wake up

Insomnia

inability to initiate or maintain sleep

Narcolepsy

irresistible sleepiness w/ sudden muscle weakness

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

when you physically act out your dream

ex. sleepwalking

Why do we dream?

• dreams help us consolidate memories

• brain stimulation from REM helps develop and preserve neural pathways

• cortex’s attempt to make sense of random signals from pons during REM

Meditation

practicing mindfulness is the awareness of and attention to present moment w/out judgement

What structural changes are there in the brain with long-term meditation practice?

It leads to less mind-wandering

Flow

the feeling of total absorption in one’s current activity

temporary loss of awareness of self and time

What are 4 states of consciousness?

1. sleep

2. meditation

3. flow

4. drugs

When does flow occur?

when there is an optimal balance b/w challenge and skill

Drug Tolerance

w/ repeated use, achieving the desired effect requires higher doses

Drug addiction

Compulsive substance craving and use despite negative consequences

Drug withdrawal

discomfort and distress after discontinuing use of an addictive substance