BRAIN AND NEURO Flashcards
(29 cards)
What does lateralization of function mean
It means that each hemisphere of the brain has different jobs or roles
Describe the basic structure of the brain
-brain is divided into two hemisphere (right and left)
-Upper part of the brain is called the cerebrum and has an outer cortex
-The cortex is like a ‘shell’ that has a lot of folds to increase its surface area
-large surface=more nerve cells=controls more functions
-bumps=gyri
-creases=sulci
Function of frontal lobe
-decision-making and impulse control
-control problem-solving skills
-concentrate and pay attention
-Towards the back of the frontal lobe is the
motor cortex which is a large area just in
front of the central sulcus
-Controls voluntary movements
Function of the temporal lobe
-helps with hearing and understanding sounds, understanding speech and creating speech
-has areas to produce sound and understand sound
-contains auditory cortex=controls hearing
Function of parietal lobe
-perception=understand the world around us
-gives the ability to recognize faces
-somatosensory cortex=sense of touch
—-located at front of parietal lobe, just
behind the central sulcus
Function of occipital lobe
-ability to see
-process visual information
-visual cortex=controls all things related to process visual info
Function of cerebellum
-movement, coordination, balance
-It takes information from senses, spinal cord and other parts of the brain and combines them to coordinate behavior
Describe Asymmetrical function
and role of corpus callosum
-two hemispheres are not identical
—->asymmetrical
-each hemisphere controls the opposite side of the body
-corpus callosum is a thick layer of nerve fibers connecting the hemispheres
-allows two sides of the hemispheres to communicate with eachother
Role of the left and right hemisphere
Left=processing of language
-contains the brocas area
-controls production of speech
Right=play a role in spatial awareness
-has parts to recognize and perceive faces
-more creative=process music
What are some sex differences in brain lateralization
males- said to be more right brain dominated
–better at spatial skills
females-said to be more left brain dominated
—better at language tasks
Strengths and weaknesses of lateralization as explanations of difference between male and female
S- Some studies have provided evidence to show male and female brains works differently
—-Harasty et al= part of brain for language is slightly better in female than in male
S- Plenty of evidence using scientific methods like brain scan and lab experiments to show difference in male brain and female brain
W- Rilea et al study
-some females did better in spatial tasks than male
-not all spatial tasks require right hemisphere
W-Sommer et al
-no strong evidence to show females used both hemispheres
Describe the CNS
CNS= central nervous system
-made of the brain and spinal cord
-helps the brain and body communicate by passing messages back and forth
-information is passed around within a fraction of a second
Role of the spinal cord
-connection between brain and rest of the body
-activates the peripheral nervous system which makes the body do the actions the brain is telling it to do
Role of the following neurtransmitters
-Dopamine
-GABA
-Serotonin
Dopamine-plays a role in attention and learning
-without it its hard to concentrate
GABA= gamma amino butyric acid
-calms us down when we feel stressed
Serotonin-play a role in mood
-too little can make someone feel depressed
Describe Synaptic Transmission
-it is when messages are passed from one neuron to another
-Synapse is a tiny gap across which nerve impulses pass through
-an electrical impulse is triggered in the cell body of the neuron and passes through the axon
-Reaches the end of the nerve called terminal button which has vesicles containing neurotransmitters
-impulse causes vesicles to release neurotransmitters into synapse which is then grabbed by the receptors on the next neuron.
What is Agnosia
Problem in the way brain processes sensory information
Visual Agnosia
-The person can see perfectly but cannot understand what they are seeing
-result of damage to parietal lobe
Symptoms:
-cannot recognize color of object
-cannot name objects
-cannot recognize familiar places
Prosopagnosia
-AKA face blindness
-unable to recognize faces even though they can be seen
-caused by damage to the fusiform face area
Symptoms:
-difficult to identify people from face
-all faces seem to look the same
-cannot recognize face of close people
What happens when the pre frontal cortex is damaged
-Pre frontal cortex helps to controls impulses
-helps to keep our emotions balanced
-damage causes people to become impulsive and aggressive
-difficult for the person to control their emotions
+Adriane Raine et al
-found murders had less activity in
pre frontal cortex compared to
others
Aim of Damasio et al
-To create a 3D model of Phineas Gages skull and the holes made by the iron rod
-Identify which parts of the brain more most likely to be damaged after the accident
Procedure of Damasio et al
-Pictures and measurements of the skull were taken
-3D model was then built using this
-Measurements of the rod were also taken
-Possible entry and exit points were noted and short listed to 20 entry points and 16 exit points
-five likely paths were found
Result and Conclusion
of Damasio et al
-There was damage in the left and right hemispheres
-damage to the underlying white matter
-ventromedial area of the frontal lobe is important to make sensible decisions and controlling impulses
Strengths and weaknesses of Damasio study
S-Modern day technology so evidence could be seen from the 3D model
S-Predictions can be made about changes in behavior due to brain damage.
W-Information got was based on reports in the past which is not very reliable
W-This experience was unique to Phineas Gage so lacks generalizability and cant be applied to all people with brain damage.
What was Sperrys aims
He wanted to see how the split brain worked compared to a normal brain
