Biopsychology Exam 1 Material

Biopsychology (Behavioral Neuroscience)

Study of the biological and physiological bases of behavior, thoughts, and emotions

Psychology

Study of behavior and mental processes

Neuroscience

Study of the nervous system

Mind-Body Problem

Question of how the mind and body relate to each other

Dualism

Belief that the mind and body are separate

Monism

Belief that the mind comes from the brain/body

Biopsychologists' view of consciousness

Consciousness is a physiological function of the brain

Consciousness

Awareness of thoughts, feelings, memories, and actions

Blindsight

Condition where a person cannot consciously see but visual information still influences behavior

What does blindsight show?

Visual processing can occur without conscious awareness

Ancient belief about the mind (Egyptians, Chinese, Indians)

The mind was located in the heart

Aristotle

Believed the mind was in the heart

Plato

Believed the brain was involved in mental processes

Galen

Provided early anatomical descriptions of the brain

René Descartes

Proposed dualism and a mechanistic view of behavior

Reflex (Descartes)

Automatic, involuntary movement in response to stimuli

Luigi Galvani

Showed that nerves communicate using electricity

Johannes Müller

Proposed the Doctrine of Specific Nerve Energies

Doctrine of Specific Nerve Energies

Each sensory nerve carries only one type of information to the brain

Pierre Flourens

Pioneer of experimental ablation

Experimental ablation

Intentionally removing or damaging part of the brain to study its function

Paul Broca

Linked a specific brain area to speech production

Broca's aphasia

Difficulty producing speech due to brain damage

Carl Wernicke

Linked a specific brain area to language comprehension

Wernicke's aphasia

Difficulty understanding language due to brain damage

Localization of function

Idea that specific brain regions are responsible for specific behaviors

Lesion study

Research method where a brain area is damaged to observe behavioral changes

Surface lesion

Damage to the outer cortex of the brain

Subcortical lesion

Damage to structures deep inside the brain

Excitotoxic lesion

Brain lesion made using chemicals that destroy neurons but spare fibers of passage

Kainic acid

Chemical used to create excitotoxic lesions

Heat

RF lesion / lesion made by burning brain tissue

Voltage-gated K⁺ channels

Open to allow potassium efflux

Central nervous system (CNS)

Brain and spinal cord

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Nervous tissue outside the CNS

Somatic nervous system

PNS division controlling voluntary movement and sensory input

Autonomic nervous system

PNS division controlling involuntary functions

Sympathetic nervous system

"Fight or flight" branch of the autonomic system

Parasympathetic nervous system

"Rest and digest" branch of the autonomic system

Neuroaxis

Central axis of the nervous system

Ipsilateral

Same side of the body

Contralateral

Opposite side of the body

Planes of cross-section

Ways to slice the brain: coronal (frontal), horizontal, sagittal

Meninges

Outer protective layers of the CNS

Dura mater

"Hard mother," outermost layer of meninges

Arachnoid membrane

Middle, web-like layer of meninges

Subarachnoid space

Space filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

Pia mater

"Soft mother," innermost layer of meninges

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

Fluid produced by choroid plexus; circulates through ventricles and meninges

Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH)

Dysfunction in CSF circulation causing fluid buildup

Hindbrain

"The stem"; includes brainstem, medulla, pons, cerebellum

Midbrain

"The center"; includes tectum, tegmentum, substantia nigra

Forebrain

"The petals"; includes cerebral cortex, limbic system, basal ganglia, thalamus, hypothalamus, pituitary gland

Cerebral cortex

Convoluted outer layer of forebrain; gray matter on top, white matter below

Fissures

Large grooves in the cerebral cortex

Sulci

Small grooves in the cerebral cortex

Gyri

Bulges in the cerebral cortex

Frontal lobe

Primary motor cortex; controls movement, contralateral communication

Parietal lobe

Primary somatosensory cortex; processes sensory information, contralateral communication

Temporal lobe

Primary auditory cortex; processes sound

Occipital lobe

Primary visual cortex; processes vision

Association cortices

Integrate sensory and motor information; complex cognition

Homunculus

Body map on motor and somatosensory cortices

Ideomotor apraxia

Deficit in performing skilled movements on command

Corpus callosum

Connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain

Left hemisphere

Logic, mathematics, verbal skills, conscious awareness

Right hemisphere

Spatial abilities, faces, art/music, creativity, perception of whole units

Contralateral organization

Each hemisphere controls the opposite side of the body

Split brain phenomenon

Right hemisphere sees objects in left visual field; person may pick up object with left hand but cannot name it

Amygdala

Limbic system structure responsible for fear and anxiety

Hippocampus

Limbic system structure responsible for learning and memory

Hypothalamus

Limbic system structure responsible for body regulation (temperature, hunger, thirst, circadian rhythm)

Pituitary gland

Controls hormone release in the body

Basal ganglia

Controls voluntary movement and motor planning

Thalamus

Relays all sensory information (except smell) to the cerebral cortex

Lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN)

Relays visual information

Medial geniculate nucleus (MGN)

Relays auditory information

Tectum

"Roof" of midbrain; superior colliculi = visual processing, inferior colliculi = auditory processing

Tegmentum

"Floor" of midbrain; includes reticular formation (consciousness, arousal), periaqueductal gray matter (pain), substantia nigra (dopamine, movement)

Medulla

Hindbrain structure controlling critical bodily functions (heartbeat, breathing)

Pons

Hindbrain structure controlling arousal and sleep; connects brain regions

Cerebellum

Hindbrain structure coordinating balance, posture, walking, fine motor skills, and transition from controlled to automatic movements

Spinal cord

CNS structure that transmits signals between brain and body

Somatic nervous system

PNS division controlling voluntary movement and sensory input

Autonomic nervous system

PNS division controlling involuntary functions

Sympathetic nervous system

"Fight or flight" branch of autonomic system

Parasympathetic nervous system

"Rest and digest" branch of autonomic system

Psychopharmacology

The study of the effects of drugs on the nervous system and behavior

Sites of action

The location in the nervous system where a drug acts

Drug effects

The changes in behavior or physiology caused by a drug

Agonist

Substance that mimics or enhances the effects of a neurotransmitter

Antagonist

Substance that blocks or inhibits the effects of a neurotransmitter

Synaptic transmission

Action potential reaches terminal button → Ca²⁺ channels open → vesicles release neurotransmitters → NT binds to postsynaptic receptors → channels open/close → NT removed via enzymatic degradation or reuptake

Sites of action – Precursors

Molecules converted into neurotransmitters via enzymes

Sites of action – Vesicle storage & release

Vesicle proteins control release of neurotransmitters

Sites of action – Postsynaptic receptors

Molecules bind to receptors to trigger or inhibit postsynaptic response

Ionotropic receptors

Directly open or close ion channels

Metabotropic receptors

Indirectly trigger signaling cascades inside the cell