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Psychology 2B > Psychobiology > Flashcards

Psychobiology Flashcards

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1
Q

Central Nervous System (CNS)

A

Made up of the brain and spinl cord which is encased in bone and communicates through sending electrical signal through neurons. The Brain acts as the Headquarter of the CNS.

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2
Q

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

A

includs the somatic nervous system which maintains homeostasis and consists of motor and sensory neurons and the Autonomic nervous system which includes the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous (controls the other muscles and visceral organs) system

Main function is to connect CNS to limbs and organs

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3
Q

Brain stem

A

supports basic life support functions (breathing and digesting) without conscious effort

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4
Q

Limbic system

A

A collection of highly specialised neural structures at the top of the brain stem which are involved in emotion regulation

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5
Q

Cerebellum

A

Is positioned at the ver back of the brain and is associated with a variety of thinking processes that coordinate action, movement, posture

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6
Q

cerebral cortex/cerebrum

A

The hemispheres make up the top part of the brain and are responsible for awareness, voluntary control (speaking, planning), primary sensory areas and are connected through the corpus callosum which are are bundle of nerves that span the right and left hemisphere allowing the connection between the two hemispheres

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7
Q

Frontal Lobe

A

-in charge of behaviour motor plans
primary motor cortex for voluntary movement
- planning (self0management, decision making)
- reward seaking behaviour
- personality, impulse control and memory

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8
Q

Temporal lobe

A
  • Primary auditory cortex, from ears: frequency, sound, pitch which it interprets
  • Wernicke’s and Broca’s areas: comprehension and production of language
  • Interacts with other structures of the limbic system Iamygdala and hippocampus): memory, learning attention
    It plays an important role in memory
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9
Q

Parietal lobe

A

Somatosensory processing
- touch, pain, temperature
- sensory info from the whole body
- somatosensory cortex: interprets and discriminates touch sensations

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10
Q

Occipital lobe

A

Visual processing
- perceiving distance, depth, colour, movement
- recognising objects and faces

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11
Q

Methods of studying the brain

A

Post mortem dissection, animal models, technology: Neuroimaging

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12
Q

Positron Emission Tomograph (PET)

A

Record metabolic activity in the brain detected by radioactive substances, has poor temporal resolution

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13
Q

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

A

Measures the natural occurring oxygen in the blood flow, has poor temporal resolution

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14
Q

Electroencephalography (EEG)

A

Measures electrical brain activity but has poor spatial resolution but good temporal resolution

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15
Q

Diffuse Optical Imaging (DOI)

A

Shining infrared light into the brain, the light properties change as they pass through oxygenated blood and active neurons
has good temporal and spatial resolution

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16
Q

Grey matter

A

the outer part of the brain that sits in the cortex, made up of mostly the cell bodies of neurons

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17
Q

white matter

A

colour through the myelin sheath of neurons that transmits signals

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18
Q

Function of a neuron

A
  • dendrites receive input from other neurons (via neurotransmitters)
  • this causes electrical changes that are interpreted in the cell body (soma)
  • if the signal is strong enough, it is passed on as an action potential down the axon
  • myelin helps to stop the action potential degrading
  • axon terminals receive the action potential and release neurotransmitters across the synapse to other dendrites
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19
Q

Action potential

A

Its the basis for electrical signaling within neurons
- When dendrites receive input from another neuron it can cause depolarisation of the neuron
- Repeated depolarisation causes the neuron to reach its threshold membrane potential (–55mV)
- channels open allowing positive sodium ions (Na+) across the membrane into the neuron (depolarisation)
- this triggers the electrical signal (action potential) to travel down the axon
- At the peak of the action potential, K+ channels open, allowing positive potassium to leave the cell across the membrane (repolarisation)
- the neuron overshoots the resting membrane potential, becoming hyperpolarised (difficult to cause neuron to fire again)
- the action potential travels down the axon can cause a release of neurotransmitters at the axon terminals to signal the next neuron

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20
Q

Brain development stages

A
  1. Neural induction
  2. Proliferation
  3. Migration
  4. Differentiation
  5. Synaptogenesis
  6. Cell death/stabilisation
  7. Synaptic rearrangement
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21
Q

Neural induction

A

Cells thicken to form the neural plate which folds in on itself and creates the neural tube, the inner cells will lead to the formation of the CNS while the outer cells will lead to the formation of the autonomic nervous system

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22
Q

Proliferation

A

Overproduction of neurons
cells from the ventricular zone multiply to form a second zone

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23
Q

Migration

A

Cells migrate from bottom layers towards the top level to their final destination

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24
Q

Differentiation

A

Cells mature and differentiate into what they will become

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25
Synaptogenesis
Neurons grow more axons, and dendrites, over producing synapses
26
Cell death/stabilisation
Pruning of synapses
27
Synaptic rearrangement
synapses become more efficient and others are pruned
28
Environmental stressors on brain development
Prenatal tobacco exposure prenatal maternal tress prenatal maternal depression socio economic stress neglect
29
Retrogenesis
later developed areas degrade faster, while the early developed areas are more robust to effects of ageing
30
self-control
the ability to resist temptation and override impulsive responses in order to behave consistently with our long-term goals
31
top-down
abstract, rational, goal-directed thinking brain structures involved: cerebral cortex, PFC, amygdala
32
bottom-up
reflexive, emotionally driven, uses more primitive brain structures brain structures involved: Brain stem, basal ganglia, limbic system
33
ventral striatum
contains nucleus accumbens, which is associated with reward behaviour in dietary control is a subcortical area, associated with reward, reinforcement and addiction it receives input from the limbic system - amygdala, hippocampus, and ventral tegmental area Important in rewards and decision making
34
imbalance model of brain development
reward-related subcortical areas interact differently across development and motivational and emotional subcortical connections develop earlier than connections supporting prefrontal control. greater reliance on subcortical regions than on prefrontal regions during adolescence
35
delayed gratification
classic paradigm for young children: marshmallow test shows individual differences in self-control, independent of age and can persist throughout lifespan
36
Perception Network
Performing the sensory processes involved in detecting, decoding and interpreting social signals from others in the context of past experience and current goals brain areas: ventrolateral amygdala + lateral orbital frontal cortex
37
Affiliation Network
important for the processes associated with motivating prosocial or affiliative behaviours, such as comforting a loved one in distress brain areas: nuclei in medial amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex connect to subgenual anterior cingulate cortex and ventromedial striatum
38
Aversion network
important for the process of enabling avoidant behaviours, such as avoiding an untrustworthy appearing stranger Brain areas: nuclei in the rostrodorsal amygdala and caudal anterior cingulate cortex connect to pain-sensitive targets
39
Psychological altruism
reaction to the signals and situation of another individual and involves attempt to alleviate other's negative state without benefit to self
40
Autonomic nervous system
contains the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system
41
Sympathetic nervous system
rapid burst of energy to respond to perceived danger
42
parasympathetic nervous system
calms the body down after the danger passes
43
Amygdala
region of brain primarily associated with emotion processing
44
Hypothalamus
area in brain that produces hormones that control body temperature, heart rate, hunger
45
Adrenal glands
two small organs that sit on top of each kidney, make hormones to regulate functioning
46
Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis
communication system, crucial for managing stress response, regulates body processes: digestion, immune response, mood
47
Transactional model of stress
model suggests that stress occurs when (1) an individual is exposed to a challenging event (2) the person appraises the demands of hte event and appraises their own resources for adjusting to those demands (3) the person initates a strategy for coping
48
cognitive appraisal
primary and secondary appraisal - dynamic process, appraisal and reappraisal
49
chronic stress
repeated/prolonged exposure to stressors
50
allostatic load/overload
long-term effects on the body of continued exposure to stress
51
PTSD
exposure to traumatic event followed by a range of symptoms, reexperiencing trauma
52
Polysomnography
measurement of sleep
53
two process model of sleep regulation
homeostatic sleep related process S integrates input from circadian system process C
54
Suprachiasmatic nucleus
brain's pacemaker - control centre for sleep-wake specialised group of hypothalamic cells, receives info about light exposure from cells in retina, activates melatonin secretion by pineal gland
55
Process C
circadian rhythms daily biological 24 hour cycle regulated by environmental cues (zeitgebers)
56
process S
neurochemical process that begins upon waking - sleep wake homeostasis/sleep pressure
57
melatonin
sleep promoting hormone, released by pineal gland at night, suppressed by light exposure marker of circadian phase
58
social jet lag
circadian preference misaligned with schedule
59
perfect storm model
characterised by 1. bioregulatory pressure (sleep pressure rise slowed, circadian phase delay, shifts in timings) 2. psychosocial pressure (bedtime autonomy, academic pressure, screen time, social networking) 3. societal pressure (school start times, insufficient sleep on weekdays)
60
shift work sleep disorders
affect people who frequently alternate shifts or work at night, contrary to natural circadian rhythm, affects health negatively
61
Health Belief Model (HBM)
4 constructs: perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers
62
Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA)
Behavioural Beliefs shape attitude to behaviour and normative beliefs shape subjective norms. these two shape intention which shapes behaviour
63
Theory of Planned Behaviour
modification of TRA, introudces construct of self efficacy control belief shape perceived behavioural control which both also influence intention and behaviour
64
self-efficacy
faith in ones own ability to abstain from a behaviour which is associated with activation in the rostral medial prefrontal cortex
65
intention behaviour gap
why do people not behave in alignment with their intentions? influence of self-efficacy
66
vegetative state (VS)
wakefulness without awareness - no evidence of sustained, reproducible, purposeful, voluntary behavioural response to visual, auditory, tactile, or noxious stimuli (challenged by testing with neuroscience)
67
minimally conscious state
inconsistent, but reproducible evidence of awareness
68
Parahippocampal gyrus
involved in complex emotive processes, connected to limbic system, amygdala
69
Posterior parietal lobe
important role in planned movements, spatial reasoning, attention -> spatial navigation
70
Lateral premotor cortex
selects specific movements, preparing and executing movements of the limbs -> spatial navigation
71
supplementary motor area (SMA)
motor imagery contributes to control of movements, involved in planning, coordination, initiation of movement, particularly of complex hand motions and action sequences that involve both sides of the body
72
dual system model
during adolescene, an increase in dopaminergic activity while structural development of the PFC is more slow
73
temporal gap
period of heightened sensitivty to risk taking
74
BPS guidelines for Animals (Act 1986)
Replacement Reduction Refinement

Psychology 2B (5 decks)

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