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PS1060 - Intro to Biological Psychology > 8. Sensory Processing 2 > Flashcards

8. Sensory Processing 2 Flashcards

(79 cards)

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1
Q

Define conduction

A

Afferent pathway

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2
Q

Define transduction

A

CNS integration and information processing

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3
Q

Describe sensory projections

A

Ascend from the spinal cord into the brain through the brainstem
They travel through the thalamus, which acts as a relay processing station of signals to other brain regions

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4
Q

Describe olfactory pathways

A

From the nose project to the primary olfactory cortex

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5
Q

Describe vestibular pathways

A

Also project to cerebellum - important for motor control & equilibrium

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6
Q

Which are the most common receptors in the body?

A

Touch receptors

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7
Q

What are the two layers of the skin?

A

The epidermis (thin outer layer) and the dermis (thick inner layer)

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8
Q

How many receptors are there across the dermis and hypodermis?

A

4

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9
Q

What are the 3 components of the skin?

A

Glabrous skin
Hairy skin
Sweat glands

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10
Q

Describe the features of glabrous skin

A

Smooth, thick skin on palms and soles of our feet
Epidermis = 1.5mm
Dermis = 1-2mm

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11
Q

Describe the features of hairy skin

A

Thick skin populated with hair follicles
Epidermis = 0.1mm
Dermis = 1-2mm

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12
Q

Describe the features of sweat glands

A

Eccrine - secrete saline

Sebaceous - secrete complex cell cytoplasm

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13
Q

Describe the features of vibration (Pacinian Corpuscle) (RF’s, Response)

A

Large receptive fields

Fast adapting

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14
Q

Describe the features of touch (Meissner’s corpuscle) (RF’s, Response)

A

Small receptive fields

Fast adapting

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15
Q

Describe the features of touch (Merkel Cells) (RFs, Response)

A

Small receptive fields

Slow adapting

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16
Q

Describe the features of stretch (Reffini’s ending) (RFs, Response)

A

Large receptive fields

Slow adapting

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17
Q

RFS all us to have good ___ ___ of where the stimulus is applied on the skin

A

Spatial resolution

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18
Q

The smaller the RF the higher/lower the resolution?

A

Higher

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19
Q

The higher density of RF the higher/lower the resolution?

A

Higher

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20
Q

Which test is used to test spatial acuity?

A

‘Two-point discrimination test’

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21
Q

How does the signal transfer to the brain?

A

Innervation via spinal nerves

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22
Q

What are the dorsal horn and the ventral horn responsible for in terms of bell-magendie law?

A

Dorsal horn = Afferent sensory info

Ventral horn = Efferent motor signals

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23
Q

What is dermatome?

A

An area of skin that is mainly supplied by a spinal nerve

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24
Q

How many dermatomes are there?

A

30

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25
Tactile signals are sent through the spinal cord via what and to where?
Via the dorsal column pathway to the primary somatosensory cortex in the brain
26
What is the tactile pathway?
Dorsal column - thalamus - primary somatosensory cortex (S1) - secondary somatosensory cortex (S2) - other brain areas
27
Define pain
An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage
28
What are nociceptors?
Free nerve endings that respond to stimuli that can cause tissue damage or when tissue damage has taken place
29
Small diameter afferent neurons do what?
Respond to acute painful stimuli & superficial in the dermis (we have many covering the skin's surface)
30
Nociceptors respond to what type of stimuli?
Noxious (painful)
31
Where are nociceptors found?
Skin, muscle, joints and some visceral tissues
32
What are the 3 key features of nociceptors?
1. Some are specific to one type of stimulus (mechanical or thermal) 2. But most are polymodal - not a high level specificity as some respond to both mechanical and thermal 3. The number and size of the receptive fields served by each fibre may be small or large
33
What are the 2 types of fibres for the two types of pain?
A(delta) and C fiber
34
What do A(delta) fibers transmit and what are the characteristics?
Sharp, prickly pain | Thin, myelinated, fast
35
What do C fibrers transmit and what are the characteristics?
Dull, aching pain | Thin, unmyelinated, slow
36
Describe which fibre is active first when it comes to pain?
A(delta) fiber is first as it is sharp but it tends to fade quickly and is then followed by C fibre pain
37
Pain signals travel through which tract to the brain and run parallel to somatosensory pathways?
Spino-thalamic tract
38
What is the pain pathway?
Afferent to spinal cord laminae I & II - Cross midline to contralateral anterolateral column - Thalamus - Primary somatosensory cortex (S1) - Secondary somatosensory cortex (S2) - Anterior Cingulate Cortex, Insula, Amygdala
39
What controls the emotional response of pain?
Anterior cingulate cortex, ínsula and amygdala
40
What are the two central mechanisms for pain?
Sensory discriminative and emotionally aversive
41
Describe the features of sensory discriminative mechanisms for pain
Low level sensory processing of pain Somatosensory cortex Mediate perception of location, intensity, and 'quality' of painful stimuli
42
Describe the features of emotional aversive mechanisms for pain
Mediate perception of fear, anxiety, and unpleasantness of painful stimuli High level cognitive processing This means that there is not one single area but an entire pain matrix
43
What is the purpose of the vestibular system?
Stabilisation of the head in space
44
Define gyroscopic stabilisation
Spinning wheel or disc in which the axis of rotation is free to assume any orientation by itself
45
Where is the vestibular system located?
Inside the inner ear
46
What are the two organs that comprise the vestibular system?
Semicircular canals - head angular acceleration | Otoliths - head linear acceleration gravity
47
Vestibular organs lie on which bone?
The temporal bone
48
Semicircular canals sense what?
Sense head rotations (angular acceleration)
49
Semicircular canals are filled with liquid, what is it called?
Endolymph
50
The rotation of the head causes the liquid to move in what direction?
Opposite to the rotation
51
When the liquid moves, what happens?
It bends the jelly-like cupola, causes embedded vestibular hair cells to bend and fire APs
52
The liquid works in a push/pull way which results in what?
Balances the organisation of the two organs Brain gets information in a highly synchronised way Super fast in sending info to the brain (25m/s)
53
What do otoliths sense?
Linear acceleration & gravity
54
What does linear acceleration (e.g. tilting the head) cause?
The crystals to pull the gelatinous substance downward, bending hair cell stereocilia and causing depolarisation
55
Moving the hair cells allows the brain to know what?
That the head has moved in function of the gravitational acceleration
56
The otoliths consist of hair cells embedded in a jelly-like substance, covered with what?
Heavy calcium carbonate crystals (which balance on the hair cells)
57
Which is the longest hair?
Kinocillium
58
Vestibular signals travel through the what to the brain?
Medial Longitudinal fasciculus
59
Outline the vestibular pathway
Vestibular nerve - brainstem - (cerebellum) - thalamus - vestibular areas
60
Outline the vestibular brain areas
Somatosensory cortex, premotor cortex, anterior insular, posterior parietal cortex, temporo-parietal junction, hippocampus
61
What are the 3 vestibular-driven reflexes?
Vestibular-ocular Vestibular-collic Vestibular-spinal
62
What does the vestibular-ocular reflex do?
Keeps the eyes still in space when the head moves
63
What does the vestibular-collie reflex do?
Keeps the head still in space (or on a level plan when you walk)
64
What does the vestibular-spinal reflex do?
Adjusts posture for rapid changes in body position
65
In VOR the semicircular canals measure what?
Rotation of the head and provide a signal for the oculomotor nuclei of the brainstem, which innervate the eye muscles
66
Smell and taste involve what type receptor?
Chemoreceptors
67
Chemoreceptors respond to what?
Chemicals in aqueous solutions
68
Where are smell receptors located?
In the root of the nasal cavity
69
What is the lifespan of cilia?
30-60 days
70
Each olfactory receptor only has one type of ...
Receptor protein
71
What are the 4 stages of smell receptors?
1. Odorants bind with receptors 2. Olfactory receptor cells are activated and send APs 3. Signals are relayed in glomeruli 4. Signals travel to brain
72
How many odour molecules can the brain analyse
~400
73
How many odours can we recognise?
Over 1 trillion
74
Where do signals from the olfactory nerve travel travel to?
The pyriform cortex
75
What do neurons in the pyriform cortex respond to?
Odours
76
Define taste buds
Receptors with hairs covered
77
What is the lifespan of taste buds?
7-10 days
78
What are the 5 basic tastes?
1. Sweet 2. Sour 3. Salty 4. Bitter 5. Savoury
79
What is the taste pathway?
Signals from the taste receptors - medulla - thalamus - gustatory cortex (in insular)

PS1060 - Intro to Biological Psychology (10 decks)

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