Psych 2.2 + 2.3

2.3 starts on flaschard #21

neuropsychology

examine brain function through brain damage

lesion

abnormal normal tissue from disease or trauma →shows contralateral control

contralateral control

each hemisphere of the brain controls and processes sensory input from the opposite (contralateral) side of the body

single-cell recording

measures electrical activity of a single neuron

EEG

electrodes placed on scalp that records electrical activity waves across brain surface

PET

radioactive form of glucose goes to areas with mental activity

MRI

uses magnetic fields + radio waves to make computer-generated images of soft tissue

fMRI

measures brain function by tracking O2 in the blood flow through the brain

TMS

short + high-power electrical surge to the coil; good for ppl with depression; stimulates brain function

are you familiar with brain structures?

yes

what does lsd do to you?

increase communication between visual cortex + other areas

corpus callosum

large band of neural fibers connecting both hemispheres and carrying msgs between them

split brain

happens from surgery that separates the two hemispheres

the left hemisphere focuses on:

language (puts experience into words)

the right hemisphere focuses on:

visual patterns + the big picture

speech and language centers are in which side of brain

left

everything you see in your left visual field is sent to which hemisphere of the brain

right

everything you see in your right visual field is sent to which hemisphere of the brain

left

when you show something to the left visual field, the image goes to the _____ _________. since the corpus callosum is cut, can the right hemisphere send the visual info to the language centers in the left hemisphere? What would the patient say they saw? If you give them a pen in their left hand, would they be able to draw what they saw and have it be identified by the left hemisphere? What if you gave the pen to their right hand? Would they be able to say what it is and still draw it?

right hemisphere; no; they would say they saw nothing. but they’d be able to draw what they say which would be identified by the left hemisphere + spoken aloud. if the pen was in their right hand, they could say/write it out loud but not draw it as well.

what does the right hemisphere control?

spatial awareness and big-picture drawing

inattentional blindness

fail to perceive objects that aren’t the focus of attention

change blindness

people fail to detect changes in the environment ( asking for directions + changing the person asking)

circadian rhythm

24 hour pattern of bodily arousal (internal clock)

what structure in hypothalamus helps regulate sleep + alterness?

SCN

can circadian rhythms occur without the presence of light?

yes

REM sleep + impact on eye movement, brain activity, heart activity, skeletal muscles, and dreams?

rapid eye movements, brain activity similar to wakefulness, faster heart /breathing, can’t move skeletal muscles, dreams

how many cycles of sleep do adults complete?

4-6

what are the sleep cycles?

Each cycle moves from light non-REM sleep to deep sleep, back to light sleep, and then into REM sleep

lack of sleep is directly related to a decline in

function

sleep benefits

boosts immune cells, rebuilds protein and glycogen in brain, reset overstimulated neurons, and enhances memory