The Brain and the Mind (Week 8 part 1, part 2) Flashcards
What are the main brain structures (3)?
Hindbrain
- primitive
- functions essential for life
Midbrain
- connects hindbrain and forebrain
- impt for sensory and motor functions
Forebrain
- higher functioning (thinking and decision making)
Describe the main parts of the Hindbrain
Brain stem
- extension of spinal cord
- comprise of:
–> medulla (HR, resp)
–> pons (zzz= sleep, wake, dream)
Reticular formation:
- nerve network from hindbrain through midbrain and forebrain
- control arousal and attention (conciousness) - RF supressed during sleep
Cerebellum (aka little brain):
- movement coordination and balance (motor learning)
- some cognitive function
Describe the Forebrain and it’s main parts.
Comprise of:
Limbic system (inner part of brain)
- emotions
- motivation
- memory
- learning
Cerebrum (largest brain structure)
- sensory
- motor
- cognitive processes
–> Cerebral hemispheres
–> Cerebral cortex
What makes up the limbic system (5) and what are each individual function?
Thalamus:
- sensory control centre (recieve info from all senses (except smell) and routes to higher brain regions
- responsible for vision, hearing, taste, touch
Hypothalamus (tiny little peepee):
- regulate survival needs
–> thirst
–> hunger
–> sleeping
–> body temp
- emotions (control pituitary gland)
Hippocampus:
- form LONG TERM memories
Amygdala:
- arousal and regulate emotion
- initial response to sensory info (IMPT FOR FEAR)
Cingulate cortex (found in cortex):
- influence emotional and cognitive processing
(kind impt in fear too)
What makes up the Cerebrum and what are the areas’ functions?
Cerebral hemispheres:
- connected by corpus callosum (bundle of nerve fibres)
Cerebral cortex:
- outer layer of cerebrum (gray matter) - covers the cerebral hemis
- most in humans is considered neocortex
–> frontal lobes: complex decision making, planning, memory, personality, and social judgement
(include: motor cortex and broca’s speech production area)
–> temporal lobes: auditory cortex + wernicke’s area (meaning of words)
–> parietal lobes: sensory touch and body position (somatosensory cortex)
–> occipital lobes: visual cortex
What are the brain hemisphere’s roles and how do they communicate?
LATERALISATION:
each hemi specialise in particular operations
Right (sweet emotional artistic boy, does his best for everyone, tries not to judge before he knows the whole picture):
- pattern and face recognition
- music and artistic processing
- control left side
- emotional processing
- visual- spatial perception (for his art)
- nonverbal
- looks at whole (before he judges)
Left (logical, studies linguistics 2nd major in math, loves reading and analysing:
- control right side
- written and spoken language
- math calculations
- logical thought process
- analysis of detail
- reading
What is the biological perspective of psychology?
stimulating environments increases synaptic connections; unused connections are
trimmed
neuro Plasticity: brain’s ability to adapt to new circumstances
Gender differences in brain
- some anatomical and functional differences
- BUT no clear significance
brain difference NOT= behaviour difference
(rather, is attributed to experiences)
What is cognitive neuroscience? What are the 2 processes under cognitive neuroscience?
study of brain activity linked to mental processes
relate specific brain site to conscious experience
- study of consciousness (generated by action potentials in communication among neurons produce specific perception, memory, experience in awareness)
2 types of processing:
Dual processing
- info often processed by BOTH conscious and unconscious
Parallel processing (brain natural mode)
- process many aspects of a problem simultaneously
–> selective attention: conscious awareness focus on only one stimulus
Define Sleep, biological rhythm and what the circadian rhythm is controled by.
It is the periodic loss of conscious ness (distinct from unconscious)
it is a biological rhythm: natural cycle of activity body goes through
(sleep wake cycle is circadian rhythm)
–> controlled by Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SN) in hypothalamus
- respond to light and dark
- regulate hormone and neurotransmitters
–> melatnonin (pineal gland) ^ in dark
–> serotonin (^ awake)
What is a sleep cycle?
consist of REM and NREM stages
a sleep cycle happens 4 to 5 times a night, lasts about 90 min (1hr 30 min)
What are the sleep stages? Describe them.
Sleep stages are defined by EEG brain-wave activity.
nREM: low Frequency, High amplitude (think of leisure skipping)
REM: high frequency, low amp (Think of sprinting)
N1: light sleep (~10min)
- (in and out of consciousness)
- Low HR and Resp
- relax muscles
N2: slightly deeper sleep
- decrease body temp
- further slow HR and Resp (shallow)
small noises won’t wake
N3 and N4: Deep sleep (~20 to 40 min)
(hard to wake)
- further slow HR and Resp
- muscles relax
(sleep walking and sleep disorders)
REM: Paradoxical sleep
- active brain, body inactive
- dreams
- deepest sleep
What are the 2 theories of sleep and why do we need sleep?
1) Adaptive: sleep patterns evolved to avoid predators (sleep when predators active)
2) Restorative: bodily restoration and normal functioning (replenish chemicals and repair cell damage)
What are the short term effects of sleep deprivation?
one night, reduced
- attention and concentration
- mental flexibility
- creativity
Few nights:
- mental and physical consquences
- emotional symptoms (irritable, depressed)
What are the long term effects of sleep deprivation?
Cognitive: hallucinations and delusions
Emotional: mood disorders (depression and anxiety)
Physiological: risk of diabetes and heart disease
What are some common sleep disorders? (5)
Insomnia:
recurring problems falling or staying asleep
Sleep Apnea:
breathing periodically stops (≥10secs) causing choking or
gasping
Narcolepsy:
irresistible and unpredictable day time attacks of sleepiness
or actual sleep, lasting 5-30mins
Night Terrors:
high arousal & appearance of being terrified, during N3 sleep (unlike nightmares), seldom remembered
REM behaviour disorder:
sleepwalking; dream-enacting behaviour; physically act out vivid, often unpleasant dreams with vocal sounds and sudden, often violent arm
and leg movements during REM sleep
