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Psychology - Paper 2 > Biopsychology > Flashcards

Biopsychology Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the CNS made up of?

A

Brain and spinal cord

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2
Q

What is the PNS made up of?

A

Autonomic and Somatic nervous systems

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3
Q

Is the autonomic nervous system voluntary or involuntary?

A

Involuntary

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4
Q

Is the peripheral nervous system voluntary or involuntary?

A

Voluntary

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5
Q

What is the autonomic nervous system made up of?

A

Sympathetic (excitatory) and parasympathetic (inhibitory) systems

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6
Q

What is the cerebrum made up of? (FOAM)

A

Frontal - thought
Occipital - vision
Auditory cortex - speech
Motor cortex - movement

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7
Q

What does the cereBelluM do?

A

Controls balance and motor skills

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8
Q

What does the diencephalon do?

A

Thalamus - nerves
Hypothalamus - memory, hunger and thirst

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9
Q

What does the brain stem do?

A

Autonomic functions e.g. breathing

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10
Q

What is the order of the neurons?

A

sensory, relay, motor

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11
Q

What is the structure of the sensory neuron and where are they found?

A

Long dendrites, short axons
Found in receptors

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12
Q

What is the structure of the relay neuron and where are they found?

A

Short dendrites, short axons
Found in the brain and spinal cord

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13
Q

What is the structure of the motor neuron and where are they found?

A

Short dendrites, long axons
Found in the CNS

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14
Q

What are the six stages in a synaptic transmission?

A

Action potential reaches axon terminal. Calcium channels open . Calcium causes vesicles to release neurotransmitter. Neurotransmitter crosses synapse. Neurotransmitter binds to receptors. Triggers impulse in post synaptic neuron.

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15
Q

What are four neurotransmitters and what do they do? (SAAD)

A

Serotonin - Mood stabilising, calming
Acetylcholine - Muscle contracting, attention
Adrenaline - Fight or flight
Dopamine - Motivation, reward and stimulation

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16
Q

What is the endocrine system?

A

Collection of glands that produce hormones.

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17
Q

What is an EPSP?

A

Excitatory post synaptic potential. Increase chance of an action potential firing

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18
Q

What is an IPSP?

A

Inhibitory post synaptic potential. Decreases chance of an action potential firing

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19
Q

What is a negative feedback loop?

A

Feedback from hormones secreted from target gland.
Hormones detected by hypothalamus which shuts down secretion of releasing hormones. Means pituary gland stops secreting stimulating hormones

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20
Q

What symptoms does the sympathetic nervous system show when activated?

A

Increases heart rate and blood pressure. Widens bronchi in the lungs. Release glucose into blood. Dilates pupils. Slows digestion. Saliva production inhibited.

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21
Q

What does the parasympathetic system do to somatic symptoms?

A

Rest and digest
Decreases heart rate
Decreases blood pressure
Narrows bronchi
Stores glucose in liver as glycogen
Contracts pupils
Return digestion to normal

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22
Q

How does the endocrine system work in response to danger?

A

Amygdala senses danger, the hypothalamus commands the autonomic nervous system to activate the sympathetic branch. This stimulates the adrenal medulla to release adrenaline and activate the flight or fight response.

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23
Q

What is the evaluation for the fight and flight response?

A

Beta bias: tend/befriend, assumes both do fight and flight

Reductionist: freeze response or look for best response not fight/flight

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24
Q

What is localisation of function?

A

The theory that different areas of the brain are responsible for different functions

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25
What is Broca's area and where is it located?
For speech production - if damaged then speech is slow, laborious and lacks fluency. Located in frontal lobe
26
What is Wernicke's area and where is it located?
For language comprehension - can produce language but cannot understand. Fluent but meaningless speech. In the temporal lobe
27
What is the motor cortex and where is it located?
Responsible for voluntary movement. Different areas coordinate different muscles. Located at the back of frontal lobe
28
What is the somatosensory cortex and where is it located?
Receives incoming sensory info from skin and produces sensations (pain). Located in front of parietal lobe. Different areas receive different messages from different locations
29
What is the visual centre and where is it located?
Visual info. Info on right received in left hemisphere. Located in occipital lobe.
30
What is the auditory centre and where is it located?
Acoustic info. Info on left primarily received in right hemisphere. Located in temporal lobe
31
What is the evaluation for localisation of function?
Peterson - Brain scans show Wernicke's area during listening and Broca's during reading. Clive Wearing - Only episodic memories lost not semantic or procedural Nomothetic - Assumes same for all but extent of damage is different
32
What is hemispheric lateralisation?
Certain mental processes and behaviours are controlled or dominated by one hemisphere rather than the other
33
What does the left hemisphere of the brain deal with?
Sensory stimulus from the right side, motor control of right side, speech, time, recognition of words, letter and numbers, calculations
34
What does the right hemisphere of the brain deal with?
Sensory stimulus from left side, motor control of left side, creativity, spatial ability, perception, recognition of faces, places and people
35
What is the corpus callosum?
Middle bit of brain. Connects the two hemispheres and allows them to be used together
36
Who did split brain research?
Sperry
37
What is physically 'wrong' with split brain patients?
Corpus callosum's have been cut. No communication between hemispheres
38
What is the procedure of split brain research?
Quasi experiment 11 split brain patients compared against control group. Blindfold one eye and asked to focus on a point on the screen. Then project a stimulus on either left or right side of point for 1/10th of a sec
39
What were the three main findings from Sperry's research?
1. Patients can verbalise an image shown on right visual field (as left hemisphere contains speech centres) 2. Patients cannot verbalise an image shown on left visual field but can draw it with the left hand 3. If patient shown image in both visual fields , then will say they have seen the one in the right hemisphere (draw with left hand)
40
What is the evaluation of Sperry's research?
+ Well designed, used standardised procedures - screen to make all procedure the same and allows for repetition (validity) - Small sample so not generalisable, disorder acts as a confounding variable - split brain studies rarely carried out anymore as few patients so cannot do large scale study
41
What is the evaluation of lateralisation?
+ Sperry (standardised), provides valid research - Lateralisation changes with age, past 25yrs, tend to be bilateral, use both hemispheres for all functions - Biological reductionism - Reduce down to biological, could be due to cognitive or environmental factors
42
What is plasticity?
The brains ability to adapt and change as a result of experience. Creates new neural pathways and alters existing ones
43
What is plasticity as a result of life experience?
Constantly adapt to changing environment. New experiences = stronger neural pathways. If not used then they die. Suggested decline in cognitive ability due to age Boyke - taught 60yr olds juggling and found an increase of grey matter
44
What does playing video games mean for plasticity?
Increase plasticity due to many complex cognitive and motor demands. Kuhn - pps played Mario for 30mins a day for 2 months and found a significant increase in grey matter. Due to new neural pathways and increase in spatial navigation, strategic planning and working memory
45
What does meditation mean for plasticity?
Davidson - 8 monks and 10 volunteers (asked to meditate). Found higher gamma rays from monks as more coordination in neuron activity. Meditation effects brain in both short and long term
46
How can plasticity be negative?
Prolonged drug use leading to poorer cognitive functioning. Old age being associated with dementia
47
What is the evaluation for plasticity?
Research support from Maguire - London taxi drivers have increased grey matter and neural activity in hippocampus Research support from Kempermann - Rats in complex environments had increased activity in hippocampi compared to rats in cages Nomothetic - One set of rules generalised, too broad an assumption, could be other factors
48
What is the evaluation for Maguires taxi study?
+ Control group means can see difference between taxi drivers and normal people + Scientific and objective (MRI) + Real world application - Can't be sure difference is due to the 'knowledge' as not tested before. Could be other reasons
49
What is functional recovery?
Following trauma, unaffected areas in the brain take over lost functions. Brain forms new synaptic connections and there are structural changes in the brain
50
What are the three mechanisms of recovery after trauma?
Axon sprouting Denervation supersensitivity Stem cells
51
What is axon sprouting?
New nerve endings grow and connect with undamaged areas
52
What is denervation supersensitivity?
Axons that do a similar job to those that are damaged become more sensitive to allow them to do that job (compensate for lost connections)
53
What are stem cells and how could they be used to help functional recovery after trauma?
Stem cells are unspecialised cells that can take on characteristics of different cells 1. Stem cells planted directly into brain to replace the dead cells 2. Transplanted stem cells secrete growth factors that 'rescue' damaged cells
54
What is the evaluation for functional recovery after trauma?
Research support from animal studies - Tajiri - Rats with brain damage given stem cell treatment. Development of neuronal cells 3 months later. Supported by evidence the stem cells headed directly to injured site. Age difference in functional recovery - Functional recovery reduce with age. Adult recovery need more training as less capacity for neural reorganization Biological determinism
55
What are the four ways of studying the brain?
fMRI - functional magnetic resonance imaging EEG - electrocephalogram ERP - event related potentials Post Mortem Examinations
56
What do fMRI's (functional magnetic resonance imaging) do?
Measure brain activity in specific areas by detecting associated changes in blood flow. When brain is active, blood is flowing to the working area. Produces a 3D image and helps us understand localisation of function
57
What do EEG's (electroencephalogram) do?
Measures electrical activity in brain via electrodes fixed to a skull cap. Records brain wave patterns generated. A record of brain wave patterns produced by thousands of neurone, providing an overall account of brain activity. Often used as a diagnostic tool
58
What do ERP's (event related potentials) do?
Measures the type of brainwaves that are triggered by particular events linked to cognitive processes
59
What do post-mortem examinations do?
Analyse brain after death. Likely to have rare disorder/unusual defect if subject to post mortem. Areas of damage in brain established to be the most likely cause of application
60
Which of the four ways of studying the brain looks at structure as well as function?
fMRI
61
What are the strengths of fMRIs?
Does not rely on radiation Risk free Non-invasive Easy to use Provide clear picture
62
What are the weaknesses of fMRIs?
Expensive Poor temporal resolution Only measure blood flow in the brain, cannot tell the type of brain activity
63
What are the strengths of EEGs?
High temporal resolution Invaluable in the diagnosis of conditions Non-invasive
64
What are the weaknesses of EEGs?
Information received is generalised Cannot pinpoint exact source of neural activity
65
What are the strengths of ERPs?
Excellent temporal resolution Cheaper than other methods
66
Which two of the four ways of studying the brain looks only at the function of the brain?
EEGs ERPs
67
Which of the four ways of studying the brain looks at structure?
Post Mortem Examinations
68
What are the weaknesses of ERPs?
Lack of standardisation in methodology Difficult to eliminate background noise and extraneous material
69
What are the strengths of post mortem examinations?
Improve medical knowledge Help generate hypotheses for further studies
70
What are the weaknesses of post mortem examinations?
Hard to establish causation Ethical issues requiring consent before death
71
What are circadian rhythms?
A biological rhythm that takes about a day (24hrs)
72
What are endogenous pacemakers?
Internal biological clock
73
What are exogenous zeitgebers?
External changes in the environment
74
What hormones are used in the sleep-wake cycle?
Cortisol in the morning - feel good, positive, relaxation Melatonin at night - lethargic, sleepy-state, restful
75
What is the case study of Michel Siffre?
Stayed in a cave for 6 months - no clock, artificial light After 179 days he thought it was 151 days Cycles naturally set around 25 hours (up to 48 hours)
76
What is the evaluation of Circadian Rhythms?
Individual differences - sleep cycles may vary e.g. Duffy - some early bed early wake some late bed late wake. Change due to age Siffre - Set around 25 hours. HOWEVER small sample, poor control, not generalisable Biological determinism - Believe SCN controls cycles - no free will. HOWEVER some people work nights sleep during day
76
What is an ultradian rhythm?
Biological rhythm that takes less than a day to complete
77
How long does a sleep stage take?
90mins
78
How many cycles are there in sleep stages?
5
79
What is the Basic Rest Activity Cycle (BRAC)?
Klietman - Same 90 min period during the day. Characterised by a period of alertness followed by a spell of fatigue
80
What are infradian rhythms?
Biological rhythm that takes more than 24 hours to complete
81
What are the endogenous pacemakers during the menstrual cycle?
Oestrogen and progesterone LH and FSH
82
What are the exogenous zeitgebers during the menstrual cycle?
Diet Exercise Stress Syncing with other women
83
What is the evaluation of ultradian and infradian rhythms?
Individual differences in sleep stages - significant variation. Determined by hormones, age, activity levels Role of exogenous cues in the menstrual cycle - may mean variety but it's still longer than 24hours Nature vs nurture - role of both - interactionist approach
84
What are examples of endogenous pacemakers?
The Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN) The Pineal Gland
85
What is the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus?
Lies in the hypothalamus Obtain info from light even when eyes closed via optic nerve Stimulate pineal gland to secrete either melatonin or cortisol
86
What is the Pineal Gland?
SCN passes light info to pineal gland. At night increase melatonin. During day decrease melatonin
87
What are some examples of exogenous zeitgebers?
Light (key) as can reset endogenous pacemakers - direct influence on key processes (blood and hormone circulation) Social cues - influenced by norms of people around us e.g. yawning
88
What is the evaluation of EP and EZ?
Research into role of SCN - Destroy SCN connections in 30 chipmunks, 20 control. Tracked for 30 days, found more SCN damaged chipmunks died as sleep patterns affected Jet lag study - air travellers adjust quicker if outside more as exposed to social cues Nature vs nurture - both have an impact, interactionist

Psychology - Paper 2 (4 decks)

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