AP PSYCH UNIT 1

nervous system

CNS

PNS

CNS

receives sensory information and directs responses

brain & spinal chord

brain

processes sensory info

controls motor functions, thinking, emotions

spine

relays info btw brain and body

simple reflexes

PNS

connects CNS to body

different nerves that branch off brain and spine

somatic and autonomic NS

afferent neurons

sends signals to CNS

efferent neurons

sends signals from CNS

somatic ns

voluntary movements of skeletal muscles

sends sensory info to CNS

autonomic ns

involuntary movements

homestasis

sympathetic and parasympathetic

sympathetic

mobilizes your body for action

slows digestion, pupils dialate

STRESS

parasympathetic

PEACE

helps body returns to homeostasis

increase digestion, slow heart rate

neurons

cells in NS that send and recieve signals

neuron parts

cell body, nucleus, dendrites,

dendrites

recieve signals from other neurons

cell body

coordinates info processing

axon fiber

carries signal

made of glial cells

protected by myelin sheath

myelin sheath

protects axon and speeds up signal

has gaps called nodes of ranvier that action potential can jump btw which is faster

axon terminal

where neurotransmitters are released into synaptic gap to other neurons

when does a neuron fire

only when it reaches a threshold

sensory neurons

carries sensory info to CNS from internal/external receptors

afferent

interneurons

neurons in CNS that connect sensory and motor neurons

motor neurons

carry signals from CNS to muscles/glands

reflex arc

automatic response

recepter —> sensory neuron —> interneuron —> muscle/gland

glial cells

speed up communication

signaling btw neurons

signals trigger release of neurotransmitters from one axon terminal —> sent through synapse (space btw 2 neurons) —> recieved by dendrite receptors

presynaptic terminal

neuron that sends the signal

postsynaptic terminal

neuron that recieves the signal

Ways neurotransmitters leave the synapse

reuptake = presynaptic neuron absorbs them

enzyme deactivation = enzymes break down them

diffusion = neurotransmitter drifts out of synapse

endocrine vs ns

endocrine = chemical signaling, hormones

ns = electrical signaling

excitatory neurotransmitters

increase likelehood an action potential is fired

inhibitory neurotransmitters

decrease likelehood an action potential is fired

action potential

the electrical signal that moves through a neuron

acetylcholine

muscle action, memory, learning

alzheimers

dopamine

movement, emotion, attention

schizophrenia and tremors/parkinsons

serotonin

mood, hunger, sleep

depression

norepinephrine

alertness, stress response

depression

gaba

anxiety, sleep

seizures, insomnia, hypersomnia

glutamate

memory, learning

seizures, migraines

endorphines

mood, low pain

substance p

pain, inflamattory

mood disorder, stress, anxiety

neurotransmitters

gaba, susbtance p, dopamine, endorphine, serotonin, neperphnine, acetylcholine

multiple scleosis

cns ares are inflamed so myelin is damages

signals from cns to body are slow/dont go to correct place 00> weakness, balance issues, stiffness

myasthenia gravis

antibodies destroy communication btw nerves and muscles

weak skeletal muscles

psychoactive drugs

agonists and antagonists

agonists

mimic neurotransmitters —> increase production of them

heroin, ssris, anti-anxiety meds

antagonists

oppose neurotransmitters —> block release of them or decrease production

caffine, beta blockers, antipsychotics

refractory period

brief time when a neuron cant fire again bc it just fired

brain plasticity

the brain can rewire itself to learn/after injury

Phineas gage

had frontal lobe damage and changed a lot after it

eeg

used to study brain activity and neural communication

neuroimaging

technlogy that looks at structure or function of the brain

structural imaging

what does the brain look like

ct scan (x-rays) or mri (magnets and radio waves)

functional

what is the braind doing

pet (patterns) or firm (tracks blood oxygenation)

brain lateralization

2 hemispheres that have contralateral organization (one side of brain controls of other side of body)

cerebral cortex

outer layer of brain thats split into the 2 hemispheres

cortical space = motor and somatosensory cortexes

motor cortex = signals for movement

how r and l hemispheres are connected

by the corpus callosum = fibers btw them

frontal lobe

behind forehead

decision making, problem solving, personality

contains broca’s area = speech production

temporal lobe

near ears

hearing, language understanding, hippocampus

contains primary auditory cortex = ears/sound processing & wenickes area = language comprehension

motor cortex

voluntary movement

somatosensory cortex

touch, pressure, pain

parietal lobe

sensory info, spatial awareness

occipital lobe

visual info

contains primary visual cortex = eyes/visual processing

split brain procedure

corpus callosum is secered

object seen to right hemisphere, cant name it but can pick it out

spinal cord injuries

you are paralyzed fro the injury down

limbic system

hypothalamus = homeostasis

amygdala = emotion, fea

hippocampus = memory

thalamus = sends sensory info to cerebral cortex

hindbrain

medulla = vital automatic functions - brain stem

pons = relay info + regulates sleep/movement - brain stem

cerebellum = balance, movement

midbrain

reticular activating system = regulates arousal, alertness, sleep/wake - brain stem

forebrain

thalamus

hypothalamus

pituitary gland

produces hormones and direcets other endocrine glands

sleep

natural, reversible state of reduced awareness/responsive

coma

long state of unconsciousness where a person cant be awakened

locked in syndrome

person is conscious and aware but has paralysis

cant speak/move

minimally conscious state

small signs of awareness

responses are inconsisten

unresponsive wakefulness

awake at times but no observable evidence of it

consciousness

aware of sensations, thoughts, feelings at a moment

when you arent focused on the outside world your mind goes to

default mode network (DMN)

DMN

network of brain regions that activate when our attention goes inwards

daydreaming, reflection on ourselves, remembering past, imagining future, thinking about others perspectives

freuds theories

dynamic unconscious

repression

dynamic unconscious

the unconscious contains hidden desires, memories, unresolved conflicts

repression

defense mechanism that keeps distressing/unacceptable thoughts, memories, desires in the unconscious

modern view of unconscious

cognitive unconscious

dual-process theories

cognitive unconscious

the unconscious are mental processes outside of awareness that influence perception, remembering, thinking, behavior

• priming, blindsight, implicit memory, automatic processing

dual-process theories

thinking involves 2 types of processes

type 1 and type 2

type 1

fast, automatic, unconscious

type 2

slower, deliberate, conscious

our bodies operate on

biological rythms that line up with time

circadian rhythm

24 hour clock that regulates sleep-wakee cycles, hormones, body temp

located in SCN

body temp lowest around 4-5am and highest in late afternoon

body temp

how the circadian rhythm works

light stimulates retina (receptors) which send signals to SCN which sends signals to pineal gland (regulates melatonin)

more melatonin

drowsiness

chronotypes

natural differences in peoples sleep-wake preferences and peak times of alertness

morning type/larks

most alert in morning

sleepy in evening

intermediate type/neither

alert/sleepy at moderate time of day

peak performance late morning/afternoon

evening type/owls

most alert in evening

sleepy later in night

nathaniel kleitman

spent 32 days without light

circadian rhythm didnt diff too much

normal waking state

beta waves

just before sleep

alpha waves

N1 stage

theta waves

N2 stage

sleep spindle (thick sections)

k complex (big jumps)

N3 stage

slow wave sleep

delta waves

hardest to wake up from

night terrors

REM/paradoxical sleep

heart rate rises, rapid eye movement, low muscle tone, body is paralyzed

dreams