AP Psych U1

Nervous System

body’s electrochemical communication network consisting nerve cells of peripheral and central nervous system

Central nervous system (CNS)

Brain & spinal cord

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

sensory and motor neurons that connect the CNS to the rest of the body

Nerves

bundled axons that form neural cables connecting CNS to the muscle glands and sensory organs

Peripheral splits into what 2 types of controls?

Autonomic controls

Somatic controls

Explain autonomic controls

Automatic operation of the body. Self-regulated actions of internal organs and glands

Explain somatic controls

Conscious skeletal muscle control

Autonomic control can split into two sections: —- & —-?

Sympathetic

Parasympathetic

What is sympathetic control?

arousing/raising alertness

e.g fight, flight, freeze response, accelerated heartbeat, raised blood pressure, raised blood sugar, etc.

What is parasympathetic control?

Calming down

e.g.digesting, decrease in heart rate, lower blood pressure, etc.

What is a sensory (afferent) neuron?

neurons that carry INCOMING information from sensory receptors to the brain

What is a motor (efferent) neuron?

neurons carry outgoing information from the brain to muscles/recievers

What are interneurons?

neurons in brain and spinal cord that communicates internally and process information

What is a function of CNS that involves. communication?

Thinking, feeling, and acting are all routed through CNS by neural communication

What is reflex?

automatic response to sensory stimulus

What is reflex arc?

the physical pathway that the signal goes through to create a reflex, mainly through the spinal cord and the controls from the brain (CNS)

What is a cell body/soma?

parts of the neuron that contains the nucleus; the cell’s life supporting centre

What’s a dendrite?

branching extensions of the neuron that RECIEVE and integrate messages, conducting impulses TOWARDS the cell body

What is an axon/axon terminal?

neuron extensions that is connected to OTHER NEURONS to TRANSFER information

What is the myelin sheath?

fatty tissue layer covering axons of some neuron, making neuron impulses pass faster and protects the axon

What are glial cells?

glial cells provides support and protection for neurons, It is involved in thinking, learning, and memory; produces myelin sheath

What is an action potential?

electral impulse that travels down an axon

What is a threshold?

The level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

What are refractory periods?

It is a brief pause after a neuron has fired an action potential. Action potentials can’t occur until axon returns to its resting state.

What is an all or none response?

either the neurons fires an action potential at full strength or it doesn’t fire at all

What is a synapse?

The tiny gap between axon tip and dendrite

What are neurotransmitters?

neurotransmitters are chemical messages that cross the synaptic gap between neurons

What is reuptake?

sending nerve cell reabsorbs its released chemical messengers from the tiny gap between cells to stop the signal and recycle the molecules for future use

What is endorphins? Malfunction effect?

neurotransmitters that are linked to pain/pressure

Oversupply of endorphins from opioid drugs can suppress the body’s natural endorphin supply

Acelycholine (ACh), its functions, and its examples of malfunction

Acelycholine enables muscle action, learning, and memory

Malfunction: alzheimer’s disease, ACh producing neurons deteriorate

Dopamine, its functions, and its examples of malfunction

Dopamine influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion

Malfunction: Oversupply linked to schizophrenia, undersupply linked to tremors and decreased mobility inn Parkinson’s

Serotonin, its functions, and its examples of malfunction

Serotonin affects mood hunger, sleep, arousal

Malfunction: Undersupply linked to depression; Seroquel is used to treat depression

Norepinephrine, its functions, and its examples of malfunction

Norepinephrine helps control alertness and arousal

Malfunction: Undersupply depresses mood

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), its functions, and its examples of malfunction

GABA is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter

Malfunction: undersupply linked to seizures, tremors, and insomnia

Glutamate, its functions, and its examples of malfunction

Glutamate is a major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory

Malfunction: Oversupply overstimulates the brain, produces migraines and seizures.

What is an agonist?

agonist is a molecule that INCREASES a neurotransmitter’s actions

What is an antagonist?

antagonists are molecules that BLOCKS the neuronstransmitter’s actions

Endocrine system?

the body’s slow chemical communication system: glands and fat tissue that secrete hormones into the bloodstream

Hormones?

chemical messengers by endocrine systems produced by the endocrine gland. Travels via bloodstream, affects other tissues.

Psychoactive drug?

chemical substance that will take affect on the brain, can change perceptions and moods (e.g. caffeine, alcohol, cocaine)

Substance use disorder?

addiction despite life disruption

happens when tolerance grows and more is needed to take effect

Tolerance?

diminishing effect due to regular use of the same dryg

larger doses are required to take effect

Addiction?

compulsive substance abuse/dysfunctional behaviour patterns

Withdrawal?

discomfort/distress caused by discontinuing consistent drug/behaviour

Depressants? With example

drugs that seduce both neural activity and body functioning

e.g. alcohol, barbiturates, opioids, etc.

Barbiturates? - type of drug?

DEPRESSANT - ALWAYS SYNTHETIC

drug that depresses CNS activity, reduces anxiety, but impairs memory/judgement

barbiturates + alcohol = dead!! ^ ^

Opioids? Long term effect and examples - type of drug?

DEPRESSANT

depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety

long term effect: increased craving (for the drug), tolerance issue, decrease in natural endorphins

e.g. oxycontin, morphine, fentanyl → euphoria + lethargy

Synthetic: Fentanyl

Non synthetic: heroin, oxycodone

Stimulants? With example & effects

drugs that excites neural activity and speed up body functions

Increase aggression, inflated confidence, cardiac arrest, etc.

e.g. caffeine, nicotine, tobacco

Hallucinogent? Examples and effects

distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input; used to treat PTSD

begins as simple geometric patterns, then becomes meaningful experiences

e.g.

Synthetic MDMA (ecstasy), LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)

Non synthetic: psilocybin, ayahuasca

Synthetic drugs:

Man made, not from plants

Alcohol: type, pleasurable effects, and negative effects

Type: depressant

+Effects: high followed by relaxation and disinhibition

-Effects: depression, memory loss, organ damage, impaired reactions

Heroin: type, pleasurable effects, and negative effects

Type: depressant

+Effects: rush of euphoria, relief from pain

-Effects: depressed of physiology, loss of natural endorphin

Caffeine: type, pleasurable effects, and negative effects

Type: stimuland

+Effects: increased alertness and wakefulness

-Effects: anxiety, restlessness, insomnia (high dose)

Nicotine: type, pleasurable effects, and negative effects

Type: stimulant

+Effects: arousal and relaxation, sense of well-being

-Effects: heart disease, cancer

Cocaine: type, pleasurable effects, and negative effects

Type: stimulant

+Effect: rush of euphoria, confidence, energy

-Effects: cardiovascular stress, suspiciousness, depressive crash

Ecstasy (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, MDMA): type, pleasurable effects, and negative effects

Type: stimulant/mild hallucinogen

+Effect: emotional elevation, disinhibition

-Effect: dehydration, overheating, depressed mood, impaired cognitive and immune functioning

LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide): type, pleasurable effects, and negative effects

Type: hallucinogen

+Effect: visual “trip”

-Effect: risk of panic

Marijuana (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, THC): type, pleasurable effects, and negative effects

Type: mild hallucinogen

+Effects: enhances sensation, relief of pain, distortion of time, relaxation

-Effects: impaired learning and memory, increased risk of psychological disorders

Biological psychology?

study of relationship between genetic, neural, hormonal, and psychological process cuz brain studies aren't always right

Biopsychosocial approach?

approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social cultural levels of analysis

Levels of analysis?

different view from bio → psych → social cultural for analyzing any phenomenon

Neuroplasticity?

Brain’s ability to CHANGE, esp during childhood, by REORGANIZING after damage or by BUILDING NEW PATHWAYS based on experience

Lesion?

tissue DESTRUCTION (entire body! (even tho we talking mainly about brain here but it happens everywhereeee))

Full name of EEG?

electroencephalogram

Full name of MEG?

magnetoencephalography

Full name of CT?

Computed tomography

Full name of PET?

positron emission tomography

Full name of MRI/fMRI?

Magnetic resonance imaging/ functional MRI

EEG: full name, function, what is it, sample, visuals

Full name: electroencephalography

What: amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity

Function: electrodes placed on the scalp measure electrical activity in neurons

Sample: Symptoms of depression and anxiety correlate with increased activity in the right frontal lobe, a brain area associated with behavioural withdrawal and negative emotion (Thibodenn et al. 2006)

MEG: full name, function, what is it, sample, visuals

Full name: magnetoencephalography

What: brain imaging that measures magnetic fields

Function: a head coil records magnetic fields from the brain’s natural electrical currents

Sample: Soldiers with PTSD, compared with soldiers with no PTSD, show a STRONGER MAGNETIC FIELD in the VISUAL CORTEX when they view trauma-related images (Todd et al. 2015)

CT: full name, function, what is it, sample, visuals

Full name: computed tomography

What: X-rays of the head generate images that locate brain damage

Function: series of x-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by a computer

Sample: Children’s brain injuries, shown in CT scans, predict impairments in their intelligence and memory processing.

PET: full name, function, what is it, sample, visuals