biopsychology Flashcards
functional magnetic resonance imaging - FMRI
a method of measuring brain activity while a person is performing a task
works by detecting a change in blood oxygenation and flow to areas in the brain
more active areas of the brain consume more oxygen and need more blood flow
produce a three dimensional images of the brain - help us know what part of the brain is involved in which mental processes and helps us understand localisation
electroenecephalogen - EEG
measures electrical activity within the brain via electrodes that are fixed to an individuals scalp through a skull cap
scan records represents brainwaves patterns that are generated from neurons, providing brain activity
clinically used as a diagnosis tool for unusual arrhythmic patterns of activity - such neural abnormalities like epilepsy
event - related potentials - ERP
have many clinical and scientific applications
raw form is the overall brain activity - contains all neural responses to specific sensory, cognitive and motor events - researcher have developed ways of teasing out the needed information
post mortem examination
analyses the brain after death
look at brains with rare disorders and people brain who had abnormal cognitive processes or behaviors in their lives
areas of damage can be examined and can see the causation of affliction the person faced
involve comparing to neurotypical brains to see extent of differences
what are the three type of neurons
sensory neuron
relay neuron
and
motor neuron
the structure of a neuron
cell body has the nucleus in it, which contains the genetic material
dendrites come of the cell body
the axon send the electrical impulses away from the cell body
axon is cover in myelin sheath that make the electrical jump and move quicker
the gaps between the myelin sheath are called the nodes of Ranvier
the end of the axon is called the terminal buttons and communicate with the neuron across the synapse.
how do the neuron work together to detect pain
a stimulus - pain
detected by the peripheral nervous system
sends message along the sensory neuron
message reaches the central nervous system
connects to relay neuron
transfers message to motor neuron
carriers message to an effector - muscle
the location of the neurons
sensory neuron - located outside the CNS in the PNS in clusters know as glands
relay neuron - in our brain and visual field
motor neuron - maybe in CNS but long ones are in our PNS
what is the endocrine system
one our body’s major information system that tells our glands to release hormones into the bloodstream. these hormones are carried towards the target organs in the body. communicates via chemicals
work on slow processes -like cell growth
gland - hormone - effect
Pituitary gland - oxytocin - love/ contract womb in birth
Thyroid - thyroxine - metabolic rate/ energy
The pineal gland - melatonin - sleep cycle
Pancreas - insulin - allows body to use glucose
Adrenal glands - adrenaline - fight or flight
Testes - testosterone - aggression
Ovaries - estrogen - maintains reproductive system
the endocrine system and ANS - flight and fight
endocrine and autonomic nervous system - work parallel to each other
stressor is perceived
hypothalamus activities in the pituitary gland and sympathetic branch of the ANS
adrenaline is released from the adrenal gland
what is hemispheric lateralisation
the idea that the two halves/hemisphere’s of the brain are functioning differently and certain mental processes and behaviors are controlled mainly by one hemisphere rather than the other
language - hemisphere’s lateralisation
Broca’s area - located in the left frontal lobe
Wernicke’s area - located in the left temporal lobe
main two centers of language
RH can only produce rhythmic words
LH = analyzer RH= synthesizer
strength - hemispheric laterlisation - laterlisation is connected to the brain
+ research shows - 2 hemispheres process information differently
Fink - PET scans to identify which areas of the brain where active during a visual task
global image - RH was more active
finer details - LH was more active
this suggest, that as far as visual processing is concerned, that hemispheric lateralisation is a feature of connecting the brain as well as split brain
weakness - hemispheric laterlisation- one brain
- the idea that the LH is the analyzer and the RH is the synthesizer is wrong
may be different functions in each hemisphere but research shows that don’t have a dominant side of their brain which creates different personalities.
Neilsen - analyzed brain scans of 1000 people of a mixed age range - found that certain hemisphere for certain task but no evidence of a dominant side.
this suggest that the idea of right brained and left brained people is wrong
