Psychology: The Brain Stem

Brain Stem

Controls basic life functions: Heart rate, breathing, conciousness, relays sensory info

Medulla Oblongata

-Brain Stem

-Regulates heart beat, breathing, and vomiting

-If damaged, can cause death

Reticular Activation System

-Brain stem

-Nerve that connects the spinal cord to the thalamus

-Files the sensory stimulti coming in

-Regulates the sleep/wake cycle

-Voluntary movements

-paralyzes the body in REM sleep

-If injured, may result in a coma

Habituation

Reticular formation is responsible for this. Decreasing responsiveness of repeated stimuli. 

Thalamus

-Limbic system

-Recieves info from all our senses minus smell

-Sends sensory information to the cerebral cortex

Hypothalamus

NS Structure that oversees the endocrine system. Regulates hunger, thirst, body temp, and sexual behavior. In the limbic system. 

Endocrine System

Deals with hormones

Thyroid

-Endocrine System

-Thyroxin to regulate metabolism

Pancreas

-Endocrine System

-Regulates blood sugar levels

Adrenal Glands

-Endocrine System

-Adrenaline

Ghrelin

-Endocrine system

-Produced in the stomach

-Control of appetite

Leptin

-Endocrine System

-Produced in fat cells, in control of fullness and satiety

Oxytocin

-Endocrine System

-Love hormone

-Regulates reproduction and childbirth

Melatonin

-Endocrine system

-Produced in the pineal gland in the brain. Regulates sleep and our circadian rhythm. 

Pituitary Gland

-Endocrine System

-Hypothalamus talks to the pituitary gland. Master endocrine gland.

Amygdala

-Endocrine System

-Process emotions

-Fear and agression

FMRI

-Shows blood flow of the brain and detail

-Shows function of the brain

Hippocampus

-Endocrine System

-Encoding of memories. Short term memories will be encoded and turned into long term memories. 

-Damage to the hippocampus=no short term memories will be made, can remember older memories. 

MRI

Detailed diagram of the brain, but only black and white.

Hormones

Chemical messengers released into the blood stream.

Cerebellum

-Endocrine System

-Voluntary muscle movement

-Stores routines we don´t have to think about

-Heps regulate balance

Cerebrum

-Cerebrum and cerebral cortex

-Largest part of the brain, responsible for most complex functioning

-Cognition and voluntary behavior

Cerebral Cortex

-Layer that covers the brain, responsible for most complex functioning

-Gray Matter: outer layer of gray matter, where all cell bodies, dendrites, and synapses are located.

-White Matter: myelinated axons

-Cortex; means bark

Sulcus

-Cerebrum

-Fold or wrinkles

-Also called fissures

-Serves as a cortex map

Olfactory Bulb

-Cerebral Cortex

-Relays the sense of smell to the Olfactory Cortex

Frontal Lobe

-Cerebral cortex

-Judgement, planning, and motor skills

Prefrontal Cortex

-Cerebral Cortex; inside the frontal lobe

-The planning center 

-Damage to this area can alter judgement

PET Scan

-Shows brain function

-Radioactive substance that tags glucose is added

-Glucose allows neurons to fire

Cerebral Localization

Specific parts of the brain control specific behaviors-discovered

CAT Scan

-Shows structure of the brain

-Shows brain injury

-Series of x-rays; show a cross section view

Motor Cortex

-Inside the frontal lobe

-Sends signals to the muscles and the glands to move

-Specialized area of the cortex

Broca´s Area

-Inside the frontal lobe

-Specialized area of the cortex

-Left brain: only on the left side of the brain; language is left

-If damaged, Aphasia will occur and speech will be slowed and slurred. Close to the motor cortex. 

Parietal Lobe

-Cerebral Cortex

-Association Area: Responsible for math and spatial reasoning

-Perceives the somatosensory cortex

Occipital Lobe

-Visual Cortex: Sight is percieved

-Sense of vision often overides our other senses

Temporal Lobe

-Auditory Cortex: hearing is pericieved; specialized area

-Hippocampus and Amygdala

-Wenicke´s Area: Second language center. Speech comprehension, especially understanding rules of grammer.

Wernike´s Aphasia

-Language Impairment: cannot understand speech or respond in comprehensive sentences.

Fusiform Gyrus

Facial Recognition, we have 2 of them. Specialized Area.

Phantom Limb Syndrome

Person loses a limb, but still feels pain and touch sensation on the limb that isn't there. Pain is a perception in the brain. Neighboring neurons will reorganize and move in.

Pruning

Brain gets rid of unused synapses and/or neurons to improve brain efficiency and functioning. 

Brain Plasticity

The brainś ability to change or reorganize

Hounculus

-¨little person¨

-Map of somatosensory cortex

-motor cortex

Corpus Callosum

Bundle of nerve fibers that connect the two hemispheres of the brain. Sends neural messages between the left and right hemispheres.

Contralaterality

Opposite side of the brain controls the opposite side of the body

Hemisphere Specialization/Cerebral Lateralization

Left Hemisphere: Academic, Right Hemisphere: Creative

Split Brained Surgery

-Epilepsy: used in cases of severe epilepsy

-Destroys the corpus callosum

-Ablation lesion: destruction of brain tissues