4.1. Nervous System in Context

Question 1

what are the 3 assumptions of neuroscience

Answer 1

• All mental functions are the product of the brain
• Neural processes are determined by genetic + environmental factors
• Brain is plastic - current activity is a function of past events, phylogenetic and ontogenetic history

Question 2

neuroscience assumed that…

Answer 2

the cause of psychological phenomena is the stuff that generates it

Question 3

Medical model of psychopathology example

Answer 3

mental illness as an illness of CNS and could be treated as such

Question 4

major division of nervous system

Answer 4

central, peripheral

Question 5

major division of peripheral nervous system

Answer 5

somatic, autonomic

Question 6

outline role of central nervous system

Answer 6

brain: thought, emotion, momery, coordination

spinal cord: communication around body, reflexes

Question 7

outline role of somatic nervous system

Answer 7

spinal/cranial nerves, voluntary movement, sensory/motor neurons

Question 8

major divisions of autonomic nervous system

Answer 8

sympathetic nervous system

parasympathetic nervous system

Question 9

superior/inferior

Answer 9

top of head/bottom of feet

Question 10

lateral/medial

Answer 10

closer to outside of body in relation to middle spine

Question 11

proximal/distal

Answer 11

closer to middle of body/heart in terms of star shape

Question 12

posterior-dorsal/anterior-ventral

Answer 12

back / front

Question 13

cranial/dorsal

Answer 13

closer to brain/closer to tail

Question 14

Rostral-anterior/caudal-posterior

Answer 14

closer to front of face / tail

Question 15

Sagittal plane

Answer 15

side cross section

Question 16

Coronal plane

Answer 16

across

Question 17

Transverse

Answer 17

headless

Question 18

Sulci:

Answer 18

delineate most major divisions in the brain → deep troughs in brain folds

Question 19

brain size relative to function: smell

Answer 19

large olfactory bulb, possums and dogs

Question 20

brain size relative to function: hearing

Answer 20

large temporal lobe, dolphins and moles

Question 21

brain size relative to function: sight

Answer 21

enlarged occipital cortex, cats + chimpanzees

Question 22

how do we remember the order of passing information through CNS?

Answer 22

the principal sends prefects prime thangs

• thalamus
• primary sensory cortical areas
• sensory association cortices
• prefrontal cortices
• primary motor cortex
• thalamus

Question 23

primary sensory cortex function

Answer 23

processing basic features of sensory input e.g. pitch, brightness

Question 24

sensory association cortices function

Answer 24

further interpretation e.g. recognising face, song

Question 25

prefrontal cortices function

Answer 25

interpreting holistic informtation, planing responses

Question 26

motor cortex function

Answer 26

receives commands about behaviour from prefrontal cortices

Question 27

outline early theories of interactions of modular systems in brain

Answer 27

* Thought that more complex mental abilities emerged from more complex combinations of skills and areas of brains * Divided CNS into 3 major units operating a whole, and all behaviour required interaction of these 3 systems

Question 28

outline unit 1

Answer 28

Brainstem etc Arousal level of brain, muscle tone

Question 29

outline unit 2

Answer 29

Posterior (behind) areas Obtaining, processing, storing information

Question 30

outline Unit 3

Answer 30

Frontal cortex Programming, regulating, verifying mental activity

Question 31

what is the current view of how the brain function?

Answer 31

balance of distributed and local processing - some e.g. language = local - damage to a specific area = catastrophic damage to function - others more distributed e.g. knowledge and reasoning