PSYCH 104 Midterm 2 (The brain) Flashcards

Question

Neuroplasticity (Job in learning)

Answer 1

Job in learning: - Long term potentiation of synapses ○ A long lasting enhancement in signal transmission between two neurons that results from stimulating them synchronously - Structural changes ○ Axonal growth ○ Dendritic branching / growth

Answer 2

Jobs in injury: (99% time damage is permanent) - Brain regions can sometimes take over functions previously formed by others - Researchers are searching for treatments to promote healing and prevent cell damage ○ Stem cell: a cell with the ability to specialize into any cell we need - Neurogenesis: creation of new neurons

Answer 3

Meninges - Three protective membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord ○ Dura matter § Thickest ○ Arachnoid matter ○ Pia matter

Answer 4

Cerebral ventricles: pockets in the brain that contain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which provide the brain with nutrients and cushion against injury - Note: CSF is also found in the subarachnoid space

Answer 5

Franz Joseph Gall - 1758 - 1828 - He stated that ○ All mental functions arise from the brain ○ Mind and body are not separate entities ○ Brain consists of functional regions § Also a proponent of phrenology unfortunately HE WAS LATER PROVED TO BE WRONG IN THAT THE BRAIN HAS REGIONS

Answer 6

Cerebral cortex: outermost part of the forebrain - Responsible for ○ Analyzing sensory information processing and higher brain functions

Answer 7

Cerebral hemispheres - Two halves of the cerebral cortex

Answer 8

Corpus collosum: - Large band of fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres

Answer 9

The frontal lobe: performs functions that coordinate other brain areas, motor planning, language, and memory.

Answer 10

- Primary motor cortex ○ Part of the frontal lobe responsible for bodily movement

Answer 11

- Prefrontal cortex ○ Part of the frontal lobe responsible for thinking, planning and language

Answer 12

- Broca's area ○ Language area in the prefrontal cortex that helps to control speech production and some aspects of speech comprehension

Answer 13

The parietal lobe - Processes touch information, integrates vision and touch ○ Primary somatic sensory cortex § Regions of the cerebral cortex that initially processes information from the senses

Answer 14

The temporal lobe - Processes auditory information, language, and autobiographical memory ○ Wernicke's area § Part of the temporal lobe involved in understanding speech

Answer 15

The occipital lobe - Back part of the cerebral cortex ○ Specialized for vision

Answer 16

The basal ganglia - A group of nuclei (clusters of neurons) located beneath the cerebral cortex ○ Involved in goal directed motor control ○ Contains dopamine neurons and is closely associated with reward and motivation

Answer 17

The limbic system - A loosely connected network of structures located roughly along the border between the cereberal cortex and deeper subcortical areas ○ Plays a role in olfaction (smell), memory, motivation, and emotion

Answer 18

The thalamus (like a relay station) - Gateway from the sense organs to the primary sensory cortex ○ All sensory information (except smell) is relayed through the thalamus

Answer 19

The hypothalamus - The part of the brain that regulates the pituitary gland and is responsible for maintaining a constant internal state ○ The four Fs (fleeing, fighting, fornification) ○ Body temp ○ Hunger and thirst ○ Sleep ○ Emotional behavior

Answer 20

The hippocampus: - The part of the brain that plays a role in spatial memory and may be necessary for new memories - We have one in our left and one in our right brain

Answer 21

He suffered from severe retrograde and anograde amnesia - He lost the ability to memorize written things

Answer 22

Amygdala: - Plays a role in fear, excitement, and arousal - We have one per hemisphere

Answer 23

The brain stem - Part of the brain between the spinal cord and cereberal cortex that contains the midbrain, pons, and medulla ○ Midbrain § Part of the brain stem that contributes to movement, tracking visual stimuli and reflexes triggered by sound

Answer 24

Cerebellum (not actually a part of the brain stem - hindbrain) - Hindbrain structure responsible for our sense of balance - Likely plays a role in other areas ○ Executive function ○ Spatial abilities ○ Aspects of language

Answer 25

Reticular formation - A complex network of about 100 tiny nuclei that occupies the central core of the brain stem ○ Contains the reticular activating system § The hypothetical System of the reticular formation § Responsible for arousal and conciousness

Answer 26

Spinal cord: - Thick bundle of nerves that conveys signals between the brain and the body

Answer 27

Interneurons: - Neuron that sends messages to other neurons nearby

Answer 28

Reflex: - An automatic motor response to sensory stimulus

Answer 29

The peripheral nervous system - Divided into two main functions ○ The somatic system § Controls voluntary movement ○ The autonomic nervous system § Automatic neural activity □ Sympathetic □ Parasympathetic

Answer 30

Phrenology: - Not a widely accepted view - Basically your brain can be divided into sections each responsible for their own psychological trait - They could examine these by looking at bumps on the skull - It was killed by the fact that when someone was injured things were not predictable by phrenology

Answer 31

Brain surgery is almost always done with the individual awake and alert

Answer 32

Brain damage: - Localized brain functions can be assessed by examining brain damage and seeing what behavioral issues arise from it ○ Via post-mortem examination or stereotaxic lesions in lab animals

Answer 33

Electrocochleograph (EEG) - Records the brains electrical activity at the surface of the skull ○ Pros § Used in human and non-human animals § Detects rapid changes in electrical activity § Non invasive ○ Cons § Shows only large aggregates of natural activity (has low spatial resolution)

Answer 34

- Computed tomography (CT) ○ A scanning technique using multiple X-rays to construct three dimensional images

Answer 35

- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) ○ Technique that uses strong magnetic fields to indirectly visualize brain structures § Better suites than CT scans for visualizing soft tissues like brain tumors

Answer 36

Functional brain scans - Positron emission tomography (PET) ○ An invasive imaging technique that measures consumption of glucose like molecules, yielding a picture of neural activity in different brain regions ○ You get a glucose injection beforehand and it measures the use of glucose

Answer 37

- Functional MRI (fMRI) ○ Technique that uses magnetic fields to visualize brain activity using the BOLD response ○ BOLD = Blood Oxygen Level Dependent ○ Highly sensitive to motion ○ Questions about data analysis ○ They work by collecting a baseline measure § They then take another measure when something is being done § The grey area is what saw no change in activity levels § A coloured area is when there's a difference

Answer 38

Magnetic stimulation - Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) ○ A technique that applies strong and quickly changing magnetic fields to the surface of the skull that can either enhance or interrupt brain function § Non invasive ○ It can actually depolarize or hyperpolarize neurons ○ Allows us to manipulate brain areas ○ May be known as a treatment for depression someday ○ Very new technology

Answer 39

Neuroanatomical techniques - Golgi stain ○ A neural stain that completely darkens a few of the neurons in each slice of tissue, thereby revealing their silhouettes Was actually discovered by accident

Answer 40

- Nissl stain A neural stain that has an affinity for structures in neuron cell bodies

Answer 41

- Electron microscopy ○ A microscopy technique used to study the fine details of cellular structure ○ They coat the tissue with electrons and magnify them