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Biopsychology > 2 > Flashcards

2 Flashcards

1
Q

How do EEGs work?

A

Establish function by measuring electrical activity on scalp
- Wear cap covered in electrodes and generates different waves of information based on electrical current received by diff. electrodes.
- Used to study general states (e.g. brain waves during sleep) rather than specific events.

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2
Q

Evaluate EEG’s (resolution)

A

High temporal resolution - results displayed within milliseconds

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3
Q

Evaluate EEG’s (strengths)

A

Diagnoses of conditions such as epilepsy, characterised by random bursts of activity that can easily be detected on screen. Similarly has contributed to understanding of stages involved in sleep.

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4
Q

Evaluate EEG’s (limitation)

A

Too much info hard to pinpoint sources of brain activity so
requires expertise to interpret

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5
Q

How do ERPs work?

A

Similar to EEG, but whilst wearing cap participants repeat particular task multiple times. Psychologists then create average wave from EEG making an ERP.
- Extra brain activity that isn’t relevant is removed, leaving only wave relevant to task they were asked to do.

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6
Q

Evaluate ERPs (strength)

A

Strength
More specific than EEG making it easier to spot pattern/trends

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7
Q

Evaluate ERPs (High temporal resolution)

A

Strength
High temporal resolution - results displayed within milliseconds

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8
Q

Evaluate ERPs (Limitation)

A

Difficult to remove environmental influences from ERP (e.g. background noise by induce wave) causing incorrect interpretations

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9
Q

How do post-mortems work?

A

Brain of deceased can be examined, useful when someone has shown abnormal behaviour tumour/damage can be found in areas.
- We can use post-mortem to determine area of damage may have caused abnormalities which can tell us that part of the brain may be responsible for that particular function.

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10
Q

Evaluate Post-Mortem Examinations (usefulness)

A

Strength
Useful in historical cases when we didn’t have scanning techniques. Broca and Wernicke. Help generate hypothesis for further study.

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11
Q

Evaluate Post-Mortem Examinations (causation)

A

Limitation
Causation - deceased do not know if damage caused abnormal behaviour is if damage was due to death.

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12
Q

Evaluate Post-Mortem Examinations (informed consent)

A

Limitation
Informed onsent - not everyone will have consented to have brains investigated - e.g. HM

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13
Q

What is a circadian rhythm?

A

Those that occur once every 24 hours - sleep wake cycle.

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14
Q

What is an ultradian rhythm?

A

Frequency of more than one cycle in 24 hours - stages of sleep.

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15
Q

What is an infradian rhythm?

A

Frequency of less than one cycle in 24 hours - menstural cycle

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16
Q

What is an endogenous pacemaker?

A

Internal body clocks that regulate our biological rhythms

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17
Q

What is the SCN?

A

Suprachiasmatic nucleus

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18
Q

How does the SCN maintain the sleep wake cycle?

A

Part of hypothalamus, near optic chiasm (visual area) receives info about light from environment and uses it to help us fall asleep/wake up.

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19
Q

What research is there to support the role of endogenous pacemakers?

A

Morgan et al: When SCN from normally functioning hamsters is removed circadian rhythms disappeared and returned when transplanted back in supports Ralph et al.
- Animal study - humans are more complex

20
Q

What is the pineal gland?

A

Produces melatonin which increases at night to make us fall asleep and fall sharply at daylight to wake up us.

21
Q

What is an exogenous zeitgeber?

A

External cues that may affect or entrain our biological rhythms.
Entrainment is where adjustment of body clock is in line with the environment.

22
Q

How is light an endogenous zeitgeber?

A

Sets rhythm of the SCN endogenous pacemaker, also affects melatonin production.

23
Q

How are social cues exogenous zeitgebers?

A

Using others for guide times: eating sleeping. Babies develop CR due to meal/bedtime imposed by parents.

24
Q

What research is there for exogenous zeitgebers?

A

Campbell & Murphey: monitored body temp 15 volunteers slept in lab induced light during night by shining light on back of knees, circadian rhythms were disrupted by up to 3h.
- Validity may have been limited as there may have been light exposure to the eyes even when shined torch on knees.

25
Q

How can circadium rhythms be evaluated? (strength)

A

Siffre spend extended perions underground to study effects of his own biological whyth,s. Derived of exposure to natural light and sound. Siffre came out in mid september but believed it to be mid august. This shows evidence that we have a natural sleep wake cycle that may be slightly longer than 24 hours but it is entrained by exogenous zeitgebers associated with out 24 hour day.
- However is a case study of just one person so may not be generalisable. In most recent cave experiences Siffre observed that is internal clock ticked much slower than when he was a young man. Illustrates that even when the same person is involved there are factors that vary which may prevent general conclusions being drawn.

26
Q

How can circadium rhythms be evaluated? (limitation)

A

Duffy et al (2001) found individual differences in circadian rhythms. “Morning people” prefer to rise and go to bed early (6am/10pm) and “evening people” prefer to wake and go to bed later (10am/1am). This suggests that circadian rhythms may not be the same for everyone.

27
Q

How can circadium rhythms be evaluated? (practical application)

A

Practical application. Boivin et al found night workers who engaged in shift work experience period of reduced concentration around 6 in the morning meaning mistakes and accident are most likely to happen. Research to useful to employers as it shows them when productivity is at its lowest and when incident is most likely to work place so they can try avoid them. Thus research into sleep wake cycle may have economic implications in terms of how best to manage work productivity.

28
Q

What are the stages of sleep?

A

1, 2, 3, 4, REM

29
Q

What is the brain activity in stage 1?

A

Less than relaxed wakefulness, higher than other stages (apart from REM).

30
Q

What are the physiological effects of stage 1?

A

Heart rate slows, muscles relax, people easily woken at this stage.

31
Q

Describe brain activity in stage 2.

A

Sleep spindles (Short bursts if energy on EEG)

32
Q

What are the physiological effects in stage 2?

A

Body continues to relax, still easy to wake someone from this stage

33
Q

What is the brain activity in stage 3?

A

Less sleep spindles at this stage. EEG shows delta waves which are slower and have greater amplitude.

34
Q

What are the physiological effects of stage 3?

A

Body relaxes still further, and people become harder to wake.

35
Q

How long is the length of stage 1,2 and 3?

A

Varies between 5-15 minutes

36
Q

What is the brain activity in stage 4?

A

Delta waves increase and level of activity is slower than all other stages.

37
Q

What is the physiological effects of stage 4?

A

Metabolic rate is low. People difficult to wake, growth hormones released.

38
Q

How long is the stage 4 cycle?

A

avg 40 minutes

39
Q

What is the brain activity in REM?

A

More brain activity than in any other stage.

40
Q

What are the physiological effects in REM sleep?

A

Complete relaxation of trunk. Irregular breathing and heart rate. Probability of dreams.

41
Q

What is the length of the REM cycle?

A

Initially 15 minutes but lengthens throughout the night.

42
Q

How do the stages of sleep cycle throughout the night and how long is one full cycle?

A

Stages 1-4 then back to 3 and 2 before entering REM.
90 minutes

43
Q

Evaluate ultradium rhythms. (strength)

A

Dement and Kleitman. Sleep of participants measured using EEG, told not to drink caffeinated drinks/alcohol prior. REM activity during sleep was highly correlated with the experience of dreaming and brain activity varied according to how vivid the dreams were. When participants were woken during dreaming they reported very accurate recall of their dreams.
- Small sample of 9 adult participants

44
Q

Evaluate ultradium rhythms. ( limitation= drake et al)

A

Drake et al. asked participants to take caffeine at 0,3,6 hours before sleep. All 3 times affected sleep taking caffeine 3 hours before was most disruptive affecting stage 1 and 2 - shows how easily can be affected by external stimuli.

45
Q

Evaluate ultradium rhythms. (randy Garner)

A

Randy Gardner awake for 246 hours when slept sleep monitored. Recovered stage 4 the most (70%) followed by REM (50%) shows how flexible stages of sleep can be.

46
Q

What happens between day 1-4 of the menstrual cycle?

A

If egg is not fertilised progesterone level drop breaking down lining of uterus.

47
Q

What happens betwen day 4-14?

A

Oestrogen levels increase as lining of uterus builds once uterus wall built and oestrogen is high an egg is released.

Biopsychology (5 decks)

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