Psychology Unit 2: The brain

What is phrenology?

Is the study of the size and shape of the human skull as an indicator of personality traits and mental functioning
The size of each part would indicate how fully developed it was

Criticisms of phrenology

• No specific evidence

• Evidence was biased

• Ignored other evidence that was available

Brain Ablation

Involves the destruction or removal of a part of the brain

Brain lesioning

Involves disrupting or damaging the normal structure or function of the brain

What is white and grey matter

• Grey matter: largely composed of nerve cell bodies and their local connections to each other

• White matter: mostly nerve fibres that connect distant brain areas to one another

CNS

The central nervous system, comprised of the brain and spinal cord, responsible for processing and transmitting information throughout the body.

Cerebral Hemisphere

The two halves of the brain, each controlling opposite sides of the body and responsible for various functions such as cognition, emotion, and motor control.

Corpus collosum

Nerve fibres that connects the left and right cerebral hemispheres, facilitating communication between them.

Split Brain surgery

A medical procedure that involves severing the corpus callosum to reduce epilepsy symptoms, leading to the division of functions between the two cerebral hemispheres.

Contralateral function

• right side of the brain processes information from the left half of the body

• left side of the brain processes information from the right half of the body

What does the hindbrain consists of and what does it do?

The hindbrain controls essential life functions, such as breathing, heart rate, and basic motor control. It includes structures like the medulla, pons, and cerebellum.

What does the midbrain do?

The midbrain plays a crucial role in processing visual and auditory information, as well as in regulating motor functions and controlling consciousness.

What does the forebrain include and what does it do?

The forebrain includes structures such as the thalamus, hypothalamus, and cerebral cortex, and it is responsible for complex behaviors, emotions, and higher cognitive functions.

What are the 4 cortical lobes?

The four cortical lobes are the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes.

What does the frontal lobe consists of?

• pre frontal cortex

• pre motor cortex

• primary motor cortex

• Broca’s area

Whats does the pre frontal cortex do?

It has an important role in coordinating complex mental processes such as reasoning, planning and problem solving

What does the pre motor cortex do?

It is involved in planning and coordinating movements before they are executed.

What does the primary motor cortex do?

It is responsible for the execution of voluntary movements by sending signals to the muscles.

What does the parietal lobe consists of?

It is located behind the frontal lobe and is composed of sensory and association areas

What does the primary somatosensory cortex do?

It processes sensory information from the body, including touch, temperature, and pain.

What is the occipital lobe

It is located behind the parietal lobe and is exclusively devoted to the sense of vision

What does the primary visual cortex do

It receives and processes information from the retina in both eyes, with the left eye sending information to the visual cortex to the occipital lobe and the right half of each eye sending info to the visual cortex in the right occipital lobe.

What is the temporal lobe?

It is located at the lowest part of the cerebral cortex and is composed of sensory and association areas such as auditory perception, creation on memories, emotional responses

What does the primary auditory cortex do?

It processes and receives all auditory information in both ears. Specialised to register and respond to different features of sound

Thalamus and Hypothalamus

• Thalamus: an area that acts as a bridge between cerebellum and the cerebral cortex

• Hypothalamus: responsible for alertness

What does ABI stand for

Acquired brain injury