Biospsychology Flashcards
Endogenous pacemakers
The main endogenous pace maker is the ______________ nucleus made up of a tiny cluster of nerve cells which lie in the ______________. It acts as the master clock with links to other brain regions that control ______ and arousal and has control over other biological _________ throughout the body. The SCN receives information about light levels via the optic _______. This happens even when our eyel lids are shut because light penetrates the _______
The main endogenous pace maker is the suprachiasmatic nucleus made up of a tiny cluster of nerve cells which lie in the hypothalamus. It acts as the master clock with links to other brain regions that control sleep and arousal and has control over other biological clocks throughout the body. The SCN receives information about light levels via the optic nerve. This happens even when our eye lids are shut because light penetrates the eyelids
The pineal gland
The SCN sends signals to the pineal gland, directing it to increase the production and secretion of the hormone _________ at night and decreases it as ________ levels increase in the morning. Melatonin induces sleep by inhibiting the brain mechanisms that promote _________.
The SCN sends signals to the pineal gland, directing it to increase the production and secretion of the hormone melatonin at night and decreases it as light levels increase in the morning. Melatonin induces sleep by inhibiting the brain mechanisms that promote wakefulness.
Light
Exogenous zeitbers
Receptors in the _____ are sensitive to changes in light levels during the day and use this information to _________ the activity of the body organs and glands. Lights reset the internal biological clock each day ,keeping it on __________. A protein called melanopsin which is sensitive to natural _______ is critical in this system. A small number or retinal cells contain melanopsin and carry signals to the SCN to set the _______ body cycle.
Receptors in the SCN are sensitive to changes in light levels during the day and use this information to synchronise the activity of the body organs and glands. Lights reset the internal biological clock each day ,keeping it on 24-hour cycle. A protein called melanopsin which is sensitive to natural light is critical in this system. A small number or retinal cells contain melanopsin and carry signals to the SCN to set the daily body cycle.
Morgan’s study of hamsters
Morgan bred a strain of hamsters so that they had abnormal ________rhythms of _________. SCN neurones from these abnormal hamsters were then transplanted into the _______ of normal hamsters. These normal hamsters then displayed the same abnormal circadian rhythm of 20 hours, showing that the transplanted ____ had imposed its pattern onto the recipients brains. Morgan then transplanted SCN neurons from normal hamsters into the brains of the _________hamsters. Rather than maintaining their abnormal circadian rhythm, the recipient hamsters then changed to a ________ pattern of 24 hours
Morgan bred a strain of hamsters so that they had abnormal circadian rhythms of 20 hours. SCN neurones from these abnormal hamsters were then transplanted into the brains of normal hamsters. These normal hamsters then displayed the same abnormal circadian rhythm of 20 hours, showing that the transplanted SCN had imposed its pattern onto the recipients brains. Morgan then transplanted SCN neurons from normal hamsters into the brains of the abnormal hamsters. Rather than maintaining their abnormal circadian rhythm, the recipient hamsters then changed to a circadian pattern of 24 hours
Suffer cave study
He lived in a cave for ____ months meaning he was isolated from natural light and other __________ pacemakers his sleep wake cycle maintained some regularity but extended to a ____-30 hour cycle. This shows that light is needed to reset the circadian rhythm to a 24 hour cycle.
He lived in a cave for 6 months meaning he was isolated from natural light and other exogenous pacemakers his sleep wake cycle maintained some regularity but extended to a 25-30 hour cycle. This shows that light is needed to reset the circadian rhythm to a 24 hour cycle.
Circadian rhythms repeat once every ___hours, the sleep wake cycle is an example of this as it repeats every 24 hours body _____also another example of this.
Ultradian rhythms are biological rhythms that repeat more than _______every 24 hours like the sleep cycle which consist of ____ minutes and has ___ stages , stage 1 sleep is when we’re just started and can be easily ________ up in stage 2 our heart rate starts too slow down and ________ begins to drop and between stage 3 and 4 we fall into deeper and deeper sleep and blood pressure and brain activity drop and stage 5 we go into _____ sleep.
Circadian rhythms repeat once every 24 hours, the sleep wake cycle is an example of this as it repeats every 24 hours body temperature also another example of this.
Ultradian rhythms are biological rhythms that repeat more than once every 24 hours like the sleep cycle which consist of 90 minutes and has 5 stages stage 1 sleep is when we’re just started and can be easily woken up in stage 2 our heart rate starts too slow down and temperature beings to drop and between stage 3 and 4 we fall into deeper and deeper sleep and blood pressure and brain activity drop and stage 5 we go into rem sleep.
Infradian rhythms are biological rhythms that repeat less than once every 24 hours for instance the _______cycle is a 28 day cycle that controls a females ________ and ovulation by realising varying levels of oestrogen and __________ across the cycle
Another example is seasonal affective disorder is where people experience low ______ in winter when the days are shorter and darker but better mood in summer when the days are longer and ______.
Infradian rhythms are biological rhythms that repeat less than once every 24 hours for instance the menstrual cycle is a 28 day cycle that controls a females fertility and ovulation by realising varying levels of oestrogen and progesterone across the cycle
Another example seasonal affective disorder is where people experience low mood in winter when the days are shorter and darker but better mood in summer when the days are longer and brighter.
Keitman research suggested that in the day we also go through ____minute cycle.
Keitman showed that in the day we go from feeling super alert to feeling more tired and Keitman argued this is why ______break up there working days with coffee breaks in the middle of the morning or with naps in the middle of the afternoon. Keitman called this the basic rest activity cycle.
Keitman research suggested that in the day we also go through 90 minute cycle.
Keitman showed that in the day we go from feeling super alert to feeling more tired and Keitman argued this is why workers break up there working days with coffee breaks in the middle of the morning or with naps in the middle of the afternoon. Keitman called this the basic rest activity cycle.
Individual differences in circadian rhythms ______ found morning people who wake up at 6am and go to bed at ___ and evening people wake up at 10am and go to bed at 1 pm these individuals differences were accompanied with the timing of there other _______ rhythms like body temperature.
There are also individuals differences in the timing of ultradian rhythms in a controlled observation tucker et al found _________ differences in the amount of time people spend in each sleep stage with the most pronounced difference in _____ sleep.
The length of _______ rhythms can also vary from person to person like the menstrual cycle that varies from 23 to 36 days in adult females and _____ to 45 days in teenagers
Individual differences in circadian rhythms duffy found morning people wake up at 6am and go to bed at 10pm and evening people wake up at 10am and go to bed at 1 pm these individuals differences were accompanied with the timing of there other circadian rhythms like body temperature
There are also individuals differences in the timing of ultradian rhythms in a controlled observation tucker et al found individual differences in the amount of time people spend in each sleep stage with the most pronounced difference in deep sleep.
The length of infradian rhythms can also vary from person to person like the menstrual cycle that varies from 23 to 36 days in adult females and 21 to 45 days in teenagers
Invasive post mortems involve dissecting and examining the brain of __________ patients to look for evidence for brain ____________ which can be linked back to abnormal behaviour the patient displayed when they were ______
MRI generates an image of the inside of the persons brain they show the _________ of the brain but not brain _________. FMRI uses standards MRI to generate a image but also activity it does this by ________the changes in blood flow that occur in parts of the brain whilst people perform task ,this measure works because when a brain region in more _____ it requires more _______so more blood flows to that brain region
Invasive post mortems involve dissecting and examining the brain of deceased patients to look for evidence for brain abnormalities which can be linked back to abnormal behaviour the patient displayed when they were alive
MRI generates an image of the inside of the persons brain they show the structure of the brain but not brain activity. FMRI uses standards MRI to generate a image but also activity it does this by measuring the changes in blood flow that occur in parts of the brain whilst people perform task this measure works because when a brain region in more active it requires more oxygen so more blood flows to that brain region
EEGS is technique that measures neural activity in the brain it uses _________ placed on the scalp to pick up electrical activity from a group of ________ located under the electrodes below the scalp on the cortex
ERPS are small electrical signals the brain produces in response to a _______ there measured by presenting the same stimulus across hundreds of trails and recording ______ on each trial the recorded EEG are averaged across all trials to identify ERPS which can be related back to the stimulus and _________on the participants.
EEGS is technique that measures neural activity in the brain it uses electrodes placed on the scalp to pick up electrical activity from a group of neurones located under the electrodes below the scalp on the cortex
ERPS are small electrical signals the brain produces in response to a stimulus there measured by presenting the same stimulus across hundreds of trails and recording EEGS on each trial the recorded EEG are averaged across all trials to identify ERPS which can be related back to the stimulus and behaviour on the participants.
Post mortem evaluation allow us to examine the brain in ______ and identify small abnormalities however with postmortem we can’t be sure there is a cause and effect relationship between the brains ________ and the participants abnormal behaviour this is because we don’t know when the brain abnormality occurred in the patients life and it’s difficult to control _________ or extraneous variables like medication which might also _______ the patients brain.
One pro of FMRI is that researchers can look at _________in the brain whilst people are behaving this means we can look more closely between the relationship __________brain activity and behaviour however just because a brain region is ________ during a particular task doesn’t mean there’s a causal _______between that activity in that brain region and behaviour in addition blood flow is an _________ measure of neural activity this is a problem as it assumes neural activity is the the only thing affecting the amount of ________ flow to a brain region but we can’t be sure that true and changes in blood flow are much slower than neural activity so FMRI measurements may be to slow to pick up all the _______ happening in the brain.
Post mortem evaluation allow us to examine the brain in detail and identify small abnormalities however with postmortem we can’t be sure there is a cause and effect relationship between the brains abnormalities and the participants abnormal behaviour this is because we don’t know when the brain abnormality occurred in the patients life and it’s difficult to control confounding or extraneous variables like medication which might also affect the patients brain.
One pro of FMRI is that researchers can look at activity in the brain whilst people are behaving this means we can look more closely between the relationship between brain activity and behaviour however just because a brain region is active during a particular task doesn’t mean there’s a causal relationship between that activity in that brain region and behaviour in addition blood flow is an indirect measure of neural activity this is a problem as it assumes neural activity is the the only thing affecting the amount of blood flow to a brain region but we can’t be sure that true and changes in blood flow are much slower than neural activity so FMRI measurements may be to slow to pick up all the changes happening in the brain.
One strength of the EEGs technique is that it provides a __________of the brains activity in real time rather than a still image of the ________ brain
Also useful in clinical diagnosis like recording the _________ neural activity associated with epilepsy
A limitation is that EEGs can only detect the activity in _________ regions of the brain it cannot reveal what is going on in the deeper regions such as the _________ or hippocampus.
Also the electrical activity can be picked up by serval neighbouring electrodes, therefore the ______ signals is not useful for pinpointing the exact source of an ______.
One strength of the EEGs technique is that it provides a recording of the brain s activity in real time rather than a still image of the passive brain
Also useful in clinical diagnosis like recording the abnormal neural activity associated with epilepsy
A limitation is that EEGs can only detect the activity in superficial regions of the brain it cannot reveal what is going on in the deeper regions such as the hypothalamus or hippocampus.
Also the electrical activity can be picked up by serval neighbouring electrodes, therefore the EEG signals is not useful for pinpointing the exact source of an activity.
A strength of ERPs is that it provides a continuous measure of processing in response to a _________ stimulus, it makes it possible to determine how processing is affected by a specific _______ manipulation, for example during presentation of different visual stimuli. Also ERPs can measure the processing of stimuli even in the ______ of a behavioural response.
A limitation is that ERPs are so _____ and difficult to pick out from other electrical activity in the ______, it requires a large number of traps to gain meaningful data. Also ERP technique is that only sufficient strong _______ changes generated across the scalp are recordable.
A strength of ERPs is that it provides a continuous measure of processing in response to a particular stimulus, it makes it possible to determine how processing is affected by a specific experimental manipulation, for example during presentation of different visual stimuli. Also ERPs can measure the processing of stimuli even in the absence of a behavioural response.
A limitation is that ERPs are so small and difficult to pick out from other electrical activity in the brain, it requires a large number of traps to gain meaningful data. Also ERP technique is that only sufficient strong voltage changes generated across the scalp are recordable.
Brain plasticity is a result of life ________because nerve pathways that are frequently used develop stronger connection, where neurons that reflect or never used _________. By developing new connections and ______ away weak ones, the bran. Is able to constantly adapt to a changing environment.
Videos games make different complex and motor demands. Kuhn compared control group with video ______ group that trained for two months for at least 30 mins per day. They found a significant increase in grey matter in various brain areas including the cortex, ________and cerebellum. This was not seen in the control group that did not play video games.
Researchers working with Tibetan monks have been able to demonstrate that ________ can change the inner workings of the brain. Davidson compared eight participants of Tiebetan meditation with 10 students volunteers with no previous meditation. Both groups were fitted volunteers with no previous meditation experience and fitted with ________ sensors and asked to meditate for short proms the electrodes picked up much greater _______ of gamma waves in the monks but a slight increase in gamma wave activity in the students.
Brain plasticity is a result of life experiences because nerve pathways that are frequently used develop stronger connection, where neurons that reflect or never used eventually die. By developing new connections and pruning away weak ones, the brain Is able to constantly adapt to a changing environment.
Videos games make different complex and motor demands. Kuhn compared control group with video game group that trained for two months for at least 30 mins per day. They found a significant increase in grey matter in various brain areas including the cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum. This was not seen in the control group that did not play video games.
Researchers working with Tibetan monks have been able to demonstrate that meditation can change the inner workings of the brain. Davidson compared eight participants of Tiebetan meditation with 10 students volunteers with no previous meditation. Both groups were fitted volunteers with no previous meditation experience and fitted with electrical sensors and asked to meditate for short proms the electrodes picked up much greater activation of gamma waves in the monks but a slight increase in gamma wave activity in the students.
