Exam 3- Behavior, Cognition, and Popular Media 3

behavioral neuroscience

exploring that different brain pathways lead to different behaviors (what is studied? common behaviors within and between species)

active areas of research (behavioral neuroscience)

feeding, sex, aggression, day/night rhythms, sleep

explorations of behavior

-object descriptions

-studying the anatomy of brain pathways

-studying neurochemicals used in pathways (includes hormones)

-how pathways develop (genetics included) and evolve

Sexually same organs

- gonads

- kidney

- ureter

- mullerian duct

- wolfian duct

what is a gonad?

primary reproductive organ that produces either testes or ovaries

what is a mullerian duct?

the pair of tubes that develop into female reproductive organs

what is a wolfian duct?

the pair of tubes that develop into male reproductive organs

anterior commissure (AC)

a bundle of axons that connects the left and right cerebral hemispheres

third ventricle (V)

slit-like cavity that produces, stores, and circulates cerebrospinal fluid

what regions are in the hypothalamus that participate in sexual behavior?

sexually dimorphic nucleus (male), ventral medial (female)

what happened when a rat was castrated?

copulatory scores (sexual behavior) decreased in all rats regardless of sex drive

what regulated sexual behavior? (rat's castration)

both low and high doses regulated sexual behavior

Male sexual behaviors pathway (rats)

1) female pheromone

2) vomeral nasal (accessory nasal system)

3) medial amygdala

4) medial pre optic area (mPOA) -> houses sexually dimorphic nucleus

5) ventral midbrain

6) brainstem

7) spinal cord

8) stimuli (mechanical energy)

9) ejaculation

female pheromone (function)

needed to jumpstart reaction, testosterone depolarizes but not to threshold

vomeral nasal [accessory nasal system] (function)

not active in humans, detects pheromones

medial amygdala (function)

receives direct and indirect inputs from accessory and main olfactory bulbs, processes pheromones

medial pre optic area [mPOA] (function)

in anterior hypothalamus, central role in regulating reproduction, and social behaviors

sexually dimorphic nucleus

regulates reproductive and sex-typical behaviors

ventral midbrain

critical hub for motor control, movement coordination, and reward pathways

female sexual behavior pathway (rats)

1) male pheromones + high levels of estrogen

2) ventromedial hypothalamus

3) periaqueductal gray

4) medullary reticular formation

5) reticulospinal tract

6) lordosis reflex

7) stimulus -> mechanical energy around genitalia

ventromedial hypothalamus (function)

drives female sexual behavior, triggering the lordosis reflex

periaqueductal gray (function)

located in midbrain, executes lordosis reflex

medullary reticular formation (function)

stimulates deep back and axial muscle contractions

reticulospinal tract (function)

translates sexual motivation and sensory arousal into coordinated physical reflexes

lordosis reflex

hormone-driven mating posture typically seen in non-primate animals

paraventricular nucleus [PVN] (function)

links nervous system to endocrine and autonomic systems

androstadienone [AND] (function)

potential human pheromone released by males; increases heart rate, slightly musky/sweaty smell reported by some people

who does AND affect?

homosexual men and heterosexual women in super high (abnormal) concentrations

what type of role does hormones play in humans?

a permissive role

what happens to boys who produced little testosterone at puberty and men who had both testes removed?

they show little interest in sex unless given testosterone (very little T is needed)

what MAY happen to women post menopause?

they SOMETIMES exhibit decreased sex drive and pain during sex (low levels of estrogen and testosterone can restore drive and experience)

parasympathetic pathway (function)

prootes blood flow and tissue relaxation in reproductive organs

what does the parasympathetic pathway connect?

the sacral segment of the spinal cord to the pelvic nerves

sympathetic pathway (function)

inhibits erections in males, facilitates early arousal and central excitation in females (secretes lubrication in both sexes)

what dies the sympathetic pathway connect?

the lumbar segment of the spinal cord to reproductive organs

what small mammal experienced pair bonds after sex, raise young, and groom together?

voles

what was special about the different vole species?

only ONE species pair bonds (higher levels of oxytocin)

oxytocin (function)

promotes positive feelings (high levels during orgasm), released during childbirth (positive feedback loop)

vasopressin [ADH] (function)

a peptide hormone and neurotransmitter that drives long-term commitment, monogamy, and loyalty (pair-bonding)

are vasopressin receptors within the vetral pallidum of a monogamus species of vole higher or lower than non-monogamus?

higher

ventral pallidum (function)

a core structure in the basal ganglia; major bridge between emotion, motivation, and physical movement

what is cognitive neuroscience?

exploration of cognitive brain pathways (language, attention, decision-making, learning/memory, conciousness)

what is neuroimaging technology used for?

a non-invasive way to look at a living brain's functions

what are some examples of neuroimaging technology?

EEG (electroencephalography), IEG ( immediate early genes), PET (positron emission tomography), FMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging)

FMRI (steps)

1) subject is placed in strong magnetic field

2) magnetic molecules orient towards magnetic field (while completing genetic functions)

3) radio waves are sent

4) radio waves bump orientation

5) sends signals back at an angle to track WHERE and WHEN it occured

what can the FMRI detect?

oxygenated/deoxygenated blood (BOLD -> blood oxygen-level dependent signals)

why does the FMRI detect that?

active brain regions exhibit rapid decrease of oxy. blood (using it) then rapid increase (possibly because of astrocytes)

PET (steps)

1) subject is injected with radioactive glucose

2) glucose emits positrons (opposites of electrons)

3) positron meets electron and particles are annihilated

4) produces gamma ray emission

5) gamma ray detected around the subject

6) location of gamma ray in time and space can be calculated

what is the main question for studying deja vu?

how to study it without exposing subjects to large amounts of radiation

what neurological disorder did they study to test deja vu?

epilepsy

eliptogenic region (meaning)

where the seizure occurs

what did studies on deja vu find?

momentary changes on the hippocampus occurs which slightly alters recollection

what are words to babies?

sounds associated with environmental changes

why is the specific language window important?

it has high language plasticity

when could new language be learned in adulthood?

IF language was developed during the sensitive period

what do we learn from learning disorders that come from brain trauma?

it helps us understand the language parts of the brain

broca's aphasia (definition)

AKA non-fluent speech; there's difficulty producing speech but automatic speech isnt damaged

what part of the brain is impaired? (broca's aphasia)

the left inferior frontal lobe and middle cerebral artery

what deficit is thought to occur? (broca's aphasia)

a deficit in generating motor plans for vocalizations

wernicke's aphasia (definition)

AKA fluent aphasia; speech is nonsensical but fluid so comprehension is poor, has sound substitutions and word substitutions

what part of the brain is impaired? (wernicke's aphasia)

the left superior temporal gyrus

what deficit is thought to occur? (wernicke's aphasia)

a deficit in understanding the meaning of words

what else do aphasias apply to?

any fluent early learned language spoken, written language, sign language

endogenous/voluntary attention

conscious control of attention towards our interest or goal

overt attention

subsection of endogenous, sensory orientation

covert attention

subsection of endogenous, independent of sensory orientation

What cross-perception do overt and covert attention have?

auditory

exogenous/reflexive attention

involuntary re-orientation of attention to an unexpected stimulus

what happens when an attentional task is being performed?

activity in primary sensory cortices reflect attentional effort and reflect activity in subcortical region

what occurs when you're paying attention to what you SEE?

visual thalamus activates, prohibiting auditory thalamus

pulvinar (function)

region in the thalamus, critical in the ability to shift between auditory and visual

reticular activating system (function)

keeps neurons ready to go

what is consciousness?

the state of being awake and aware that we can perceive stimuli around us

The maternal immune hypothesis of environmental effects on male sexual orientation is related to...

a mother's immune response to a male fetus

Removal of the testes from a male rat right after birth organizes...

female-typical sexual behavior in adulthood

Evidence suggests that there are genetic influences on sexual orientation. (T/F)

true

Identical twins can have different sexual orientations. (T/F)

true

Adult homosexuals always behave in a gender-atypical fashion. (T/F)

false

Evidence suggests that, on average, male homosexuals have more ______ than male heterosexuals.

older brothers

An injection of testosterone to a female rat right after birth organizes...

male-typical sexual behavior in adulthood

The ______ of homosexual and heterosexual men differ.

hypothalamus

The "birth order effect" also known as the "older brother effect" on male sexual orientation appears to only be true for right-handed individuals. (T/F)

true

Evidence suggests that gender-atypical behavior in childhood is associated with adulthood homosexuality. (T/F)

true

A behavioral neuroscientist might study ______.

Aggression

It's easy to study sexual reflexes in rats because their sexual behavior is...

Stereotyped

The ______ found in rats, is larger in male brains than it is in female brains.

Sexually dimorphic nucleus of the hypothalamus

The phase of sexual behavior which some women experience multiple times during copulation is referred to as...

Orgasm

In men, very high levels of testosterone are needed to maintain interest in sexual behavior. (T/F)

false

Part of the ______ is larger in heterosexual men than it is in homosexual men.

Hypothalamus

In early fetal development in most mammals (including humans) there is an undifferentiated gonad that could become testes or ovaries. (T/F)

true

The ______ increases blood flow to genital tissue in both sexes.

Parasympathetic nervous system

A cognitive neuroscientist might study ______.

Attention

An fMRI scan can measure brain activity by detecting the BOLD signal. (T/F)

true

The neurohormone ______ is released during sexual behavior in voles (and other mammals) and is one important neural signal to form pair bonds.

Oxytocin

The decrease in estrogen levels in women after menopause is correlated with reduced sex drive. (T/F)

true

An fMRI scan requires that the subject be...

Placed in a strong magnetic field created by an electromagnet

In most male mammals (including humans), testes will form if ______ is present; in females, which lack this signaling molecule, ovaries will develop.

Testis-Determining Factor

Destruction of the ______ would eliminate sexual behavior in a male rat.

Sexually dimorphic nucleus of the hypothalamus