Behavioral Sciences MCAT

Franz Gall

Developed phrenology which, although a pseudoscience, led to important research on brain areas and brain function.

Pierre Flourens

First person to study the major parts of the brain by extirpation/ablation.

William James

Founder of American Psychology and functionalism, he studied how the mind adapted to its environment.

John Dewey

Was a functionalist who believed that reactions to stimuli shouldn't be studied as parts but as a whole.

Paul Broca

Examined the behavioral deficits of people as a result of brain damage.

Herman Von Helmholtz

First person to measure the speed of a nerve impulse. He merged the fields of psychology and physiology, changing psychology into a quantitative, natural science and not a branch of philosophy.

Sir Charles Sherrington

Discovered the synapse

Jean Piaget

Known for his theory of cognitive development in children

Sigmund Freud

Austrian physician whose work focused on the unconscious causes of behavior and personality formation; founded psychoanalysis.

Phrenology

A pseudoscience that claimed that the ares of the brain that were most used and developed would grow in size like a muscle.

Extirpation/Ablation

When parts of the brain are surgically removed and the resulting deficiencies are recorded.

Functionalism

A school of psychology that focused on how our mental and behavioral processes function, and how they enable us to adapt, survive, and flourish.

Afferent Neurons

Affect the brain/go towards it

Efferent Neurons

Effect of the brain/go away from it

3 types of neurons:

Sensory/Afferent, Motor/Efferent, and Interneurons

Interneurons

Most abundant found mostly in the brain/spine and control reflexive behavior w/ reflex arcs

Reflex Arc

Circuit of sensory and interneurons that bypass the need for the brain to send out a motor signal in times of instant response to stimuli (ex- stepping on nail, hand on hot stove)

Nervous System

the network of nerve cells and fibers that transmits nerve impulses between parts of the body.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Brain and Spinal Cord

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Literally everything else such as the 31 spinal nerves and 12 cranial nerves. Splits into the somatic and autonomic NS

Somatic Nervous System (SNS)

Consists of sensory and motor neurons, mostly controlled consciously

Corticospinal Tract

This is the main tract that relays voluntary motor information

Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)

Consists of involuntary functions such as heartbeat, respiration, digestion, and secretion

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Rest and digest, conserves energy. Acetylcholine (ACh) is the main NT used

Sympathetic Nervous System

Fight or flight, uses its of energy in times of dire need. Epinephrine (Epi) or Norephinepherine (NE) are the main NTs used

Meninges

3 layer sheath of tissue the covers the brain and connects it to the skull, it also minimizes movement of the brain in the skull and helps in cerebrospinal fluid reabsorption

Cerebrospinal Fluid

Fluid in the space between the meninges that acts as a shock absorber that protects the central nervous system and provides nourishment.

3 sections of the brain

Hindbrain, Midbrain, Forebrain

As you go from hindbrain to forebrain...

Neural complexity increases as most base/vital functions are mostly in hindbrain and the more cognitive ones are in the forebrain

Hindbrain complexity/function

Breathing - Arousal/Alertness - Heart/Vital Reflexes - Refined Motor Movement

Midbrain complexity/function

Sensorimotor functions (interpret audial and visual stimuli)

Forebrain complexity/function

Hunger/Thirst - Sensory Relay - Limbic - Ideas of Movement - Complex Cognition

Prenatal Brain

Neural tube with 3 bulges that become the three regions of the brain, but becomes 5 when the hind and fore split

Prenatal Hindbrain

Rhombencephalon

Rhombencephalon divides into

myelencephalon and metencephalon

Prenatal Midbrain

Mesencephalon

Prenatal forebrain

Prosencephalon

Prosencephalon divides into

telencephalon and diencephalon

Neuropsychology

The study of functions and behaviors associated with specific regions of the brain.

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Records electrical activity produced by groups of neurons

Regional Cerebral Blood Flow (rCBF)

Determines levels of brain activity in a specific area based on the amount of blood flow the region is receiving

Computed (Axial) Tomography (CT/CAT) Scan

Uses multiple X-rays taken from different angles to produce a cross sectional view of the brain

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan

Uses a radioactive sugar where its dispersion and uptake in target tissues is imaged

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Uses magnetic fields to measure the density and location of brain material and creates a detailed image of the brain using Hydrogens reactivity to magnetism

functional (fMRI)

Uses the same base technique as MRI but maps out regions of high blood flow and helps with rCBF imaging

Thalamus

Relay station for receiving almost all sensory info (minus smell) and transmitting it to the appropriate places in the cerebral cortex.

Hypothalamus

Serves many homeostatic functions like regulating metabolism, water balance, and body temp. Involved in the autonomic NS as well as the endocrine system (via HPA) and is active during aggressive and sexual behaviors.

Hypothalamus 3 sections

Lateral (LH), ventromedial (VMH), and anterior (AH)

Lateral Hypothalamus (LH)

Controls the feelings of hunger and thirst. When this part is damaged, you will Lack Hunger

Ventromedial Hypothalamus (VMH)

This is where the signal to stop eating comes from when you're full. Damage to this leads to obesity as you will be Very Much Hungry

Anterior Hypothalamus (AH)

This is the sex center and damage to this removes sexual feelings

Posterior Pituitary

This is the part of the Pituitary gland that is part of the nervous system. It produces hormones like ADH/Vasopressin and oxycontin.

Pineal Gland

Secretes melatonin to control sleep cycles

Basal Ganglia

Coordinates muscle movements as it receives information from the cortex and extrapyramidal system. Damage results in Parkinson's

Extrapyramidal System

gathers information about body position and carries this information to the central nervous system but does not function directly through motor neurons

Limbic System

Associated with memory and emotion, parts include septal nuclei, amygdala, hippocampus, and anterior cingulate cortex.

Septal Nuclei

The primary pleasure center, stimulation feels good and we often crave this stimulation. This part of the brain is most associated with addiction.

Amygdala

Defensive and aggressive behavior center.

Hippocampus

Plays vital role in learning and long-term memory, contains the fornix

Fornix

A long projection from the hippocampus that connects to other nuclei in the limbic system.

Anterograde Amnesia

Not being able to form new memories after a traumatic brain injury

Retrograde Amnesia

Losing all memory before a traumatic brain injury

Anterior Cingulate Cortex

Functions in higher order cognition; monitors our actions for errors, impulse control, motivation, and decision making

Cerebral Cortex (or Neocortex)

The outer, folded, gray matter that is divided into two hemispheres and 4 lobes

Gyri

Are the ridges and bumps of the brain

Sulci

Are the ridges and grooves of the brain

F-POT

Frontal, Parietal, Occipital, Temporal

Frontal Lobe

Contains the prefrontal cortex and the primary motor cortex. Important functions are executive function, impulse control, speech, and motor

Prefrontal Cortex

part of frontal lobe responsible for thinking, planning, and language

Primary Motor Cortex

Located in the precentral gyrus right before the central sulcus, this is the section of the frontal lobe responsible for voluntary movement

Central Sulcus

The groove that separates the frontal and parietal lobes and is flanked by the pre and post central gyri

Parietal Lobe

Contains the somatosensory cortex in the post central gyrus. Functions are touch, pressure, external temp, pain, and spatial processing

Occipital Lobe

Contains visual cortex for vision, located in the back of the brain

Temporal lobe

Contains auditory cortex and Wernicke's area. Functions are sound, speech perception, memory, and emtotion

Wernicke's and Broca's Area

control language reception - a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe

Contralateral Communication

This is how the left side of the brain communes with motor neurons on the right side of the body and vice versa

Ipsilateral Communication

For when the right hemisphere communes with a neuron on the right side of the body and vice versa

Dominant Hemisphere

Usually the left hemisphere, the dominant hemisphere is primarily for analytics and logic such as language comprehension and math skills

Non-dominant Hemisphere

The more creative, musically inclined, and good at sports lobe

Acetylcholine (ACh)

A NT used by the SNS for motor neurons, CNS, and parasympathetic NS. Primarily for "business as usual" neuron functions

Dopamine

A catecholamine NT with multiple forms but the most abundant form helps maintain steady movements and good posture. Oversensitivity to ALL kinds of dopamine can lead to schizophrenia.

Endorphines

A neuropeptide NT, this is the bodies natural painkiller

Epinephrine (Epi)

A catecholamine, maintains wakefulness and controls the fight or flight/sympathetic NS. Acts more as a hormone than NE

Norepinephrine (NE)

A catecholamine, very similar to NE except it acts more like an NT

GABA

An inhibitory NT, acting as a stabilizer for the brain's negative feedback loops

Glycine

An inhibitory NT, acting as a stabilizer for the brain's negative feedback loops

Glutamate

An excitatory NT

Serotonin

Modulates mood, sleep, eating, and dreaming

Cortisol

Stress hormone released from the adrenal cortex

Testosterone

The primarily male steroid sex hormone that mediates libido and aggressive behaviors. Produced in gonads and released by adrenal cortex

Estrogen

The primarily female steroid sex hormone that mediates libido. Produced in gonads and released by adrenal cortex

To determine the extent of genetics' effect on behavior, there are 3 kinds of studies...

Family studies, twin studies, and adoption studies

Monozygotic Twins

Identical

Dizygotic Twins

Fraternal

Primitive reflexes

reflexes, controlled by "primitive" parts of the brain, that disappear during the first year of life

Rooting reflex

Turns head towards auditory or pressure stimulus. Tests the health of the brain stem and the baby's ability to initiate feeding and the ability to hear

Moro reflex

Extends arms out in response to a falling sensation. Tests CNS formation and motor pathways

Babinski reflex

Toes expand and fan out in response to the brushing of the foot. Tests the corticospinal tract integrity.

Grasping reflex

Hands grasp onto anything that is placed in them.

Parallel Play

Children of age two can play next to each other but have no real social affect on one another