PSY 340 chapter 1

Neuroscience

Neuroscience addresses the structures and functions of the nervous system in cases of both health and disease.

Dr. Baskin wants to study the brain activity of people while they observe photos of tigers versus other types of animals. Which of the following technologies might she use? Please select all that apply.

PET, SPECT, Functional MRI

microtome

device used to make very thin slices of tissue for histology

single-cell recording

measure of the activity of individual neurons through microelectrodes implanted in the area of interest extracellular - placed outside of cell (ex: living animals behavior) intracellular - impale single cell with microelectrode (ex: study ionic bases of action potentials)

magnetoencephalography (MEG)

technology for recording the magnetic activity of the brain - faster than fMRI and PET (moment-by-moment picture of brain activity) - quieter than MRI (study brain responses to sound) SQUIDS convert magnetic energy into electrical impulses not for anatomical data - used alongside MRI helps locate abnormal activity (ex: seizures)

Golgi stain

stain developed by Camillo Golgi used to observe single neurons

horseradish peroxidase

stain used to trace axon pathways from their terminals to points of origin

Nissl stain

stain used to view populations of cell bodies

histology

study of cells and tissues at the microscopic level

behavioral neuroscience/biological psychology

study of the bodily foundations of actions, emotions, and mental processes

ablation

surgical removal of large areas of brain tissue

Synaptic neuroscience

synaptic neuroscientist is interested in the communications that take place between cells and might ask questions about how learning changes those processes

microdialysis

technique for assessing the chemical composition of a very small area of the brain implanted micropipettes purpose: find which neurochemicals are active at a precise location and approximate quantity of these chemicals

optogenetics

technique that allows the activity of neurons to be controlled by light (certain molecules inserted into specific neurons) light can turn on/off living neurons effective treatment for virus and psychological disorders

repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)

technique used for temporarily changing brain activity immediately below the administered pulses (changes activity of cortex under stimulator) doesn't affect deeper parts of brain used to treat depression and motor diseases, also enhance memory/attention

The naked eye can perceive objects that are at least _____mm in size.

0.2

Timika is in the lab studying the axons of neurons. Which method provides the least amount of magnification that she would need to get a clear image?

A light microscope

After the car accident, doctors were concerned that Allen had hit his head on the steering wheel. To check for an injury, Allen is most likely to be given a(n) ____ scan.

CT Scan

Replace

Dont use animals if there is another method

event-related potential (ERP)

EEG but with stimuli technique used to correlate brain activity recorded through scalp electrodes with stimuli presented to participant responses are averaged over many trials because brain's electrical activity in response to stimulus is small

True or False: All microscopic methods may be used to study living tissue.

False

True or False: Modern neuroscientists can be described as adhering to Descartes' dualism.

False

True or False: Repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation involves the application of electricity to focused areas of the brain.

False

True or False: The early Egyptians believed that nervous system damage could heal.

False

True or False: Using the newly developed light microscope, 18th century scientists discovered that the brain was made of separate cells.

False

True or False: When an animals cerebral cortex is removed, it becomes very calm and easy to handle.

False

True or False:Repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation has little potential for therapeutic applications.

False

True or false: As long as you're putting the same type of chemical in your body, such as nicotine or cocaine, the actual way you administer it has little effect on the outcomes.

False

Which of the following are important principles of research ethics involving human participants? Please select all that apply.

Informed consent,Confidentiality, Volunteerism

In the United States, the Common Rule applies to:

Researchers supported by federal funding who study human participants.

Which is not one of the "three Rs" of conducting animal research?

Reuse animals as many times as possible.

Except for the sample shock given to the "teacher," nobody actually gets shocked in the Milgram experiments.

True

The vast majority of participants in both the Milgram experiment and the re-enactment administered the highest possible shocks to the learner.

True

True or False: Both stimulation and lesion methods help us determine the functions associated with a particular place in the brain.

True

True or False: Dr. Yoda wants to know what genes are different in Mandalorians and Ugnaughts. You are most likely to recommend an forward genetic screen.

True

True or False: Hippocrates realized that seizures were caused by the brain.

True

True or False: MEG provides superior localization of activity than EEG because the skull bones are basically transparent to magnetism.

True

True or False: The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) currently has about 40,000 members.

True

True or False:Hodgkin and Huxley investigated neural signaling in the giant axon of a squid.

True

True or false: In this video, repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation interfered with the participants' ability to speak, but not their ability to sing.

True

True or false: Thinking about whether the glass is half empty or half full has the potential to influence your biology

True

reduce

Use the lowest amount of animals per study

Refine

Use the most humane way

When conducting research with human subjects, what is one of the biggest drawbacks to relying on volunteer participation?

You might lose the ability to generalize to certain populations.

myelin stain

a stain used to trace neural pathways

heritability

amount that a trait varies in a population due to genetics still influenced by environment (explains adoptive parents' environment provided to adopted child)

Molecular neuroscience

asks questions about the molecules that make up the brain and nervous system such as the RNA and DNA and the proteins they produce

Behavioral neuroscience

attempt to find correlations between observable behaviors and the underlying activity of the brain and nervous system

The phrenologists were correct in assuming:

functions were localized in the brain.

knockout gene

gene used to replace a normal gene that doesn't produce the protein product of the normal gene (defective on purpose)

placebo

gold standard is double blind study ethical issues: deceptive to some degree & can cause changes in body

ethical guidelines

humans: no coercion, informed consent, confidentiality animals: necessity, excellent housing/food/vetcare, avoid pain/distress

According to Reicher, Haslem, and Smith, participants' willingness to administer the highest shocks was best predicted by their level of:

identification with the experimenter.

Position Emission Tomography (PET)

imaging technique that provides information regarding the localization of brain activity not good for structural detail - good for relative brain activity.

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

imaging technique that provides very high resolution structural images

Computerized Tomography (CT)

imaging technology in which computers are used to enhance X-ray images (structural detail) doesn't pick up activity - can't distinguish a dead brain from a living brain studies structure and diagnoses structural damage

genetic screen

method for correlating genotypes with phenotypes forward - phenotype to underlying genes (understanding development of a phenotype) reverse - genotype to phenotype (testing one gene at a time)

optical imaging

method for preparing a brain for examination that literally makes it transparent

phrenology

misguided effort to correlate character traits with bumps in the skull

Network neuroscience

network neuroscientist is interested in patterns of activity in the brain and nervous system for example we'll learn in chapter 11 that a distinct network participates in daydreaming and that this network shows disturbances and Alzheimer's disease and a number of psychological disorders

lesion

pathological or traumatic damage to tissue (study: deliberate lesions to find functions of the brain)

monism

philosophical perspective of the neurosciences in which the mind is viewed as the product of brain activity

mind-body dualism

philosophical perspective, put forth by Rene Descartes, that mental phenomena are, in some respects, non-physical

electroencephalogram (EEG)

recording of the brain's electrical activity through electrodes placed on the scalp (nerve cells generate electrical charges) computerized - capture source of abnormal activity brain activity during sleep/wake/seizure

3 R's for animal research

replace: animals w other options refine: methods to ensure most humane treatment reduce: number of animals used

neuroscience

scientific study of the brain and nervous system in health and in disease

voxel

smallest distinguishable box-shaped part of a three-dimensional image

Cellular neuroscience

the cellular neuroscientist looks at the structure and functions of the cells that make up the brain and nervous system such as the differences between a motor neuron and a neuron found in the retina of the eye

concordance rate

the statistical probability that two cases will agree; usually used to predict the risk of an identical twin for developing a condition already diagnosed in his or her twin

diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)

use of f/MRI technology to trace fiber pathways in the brain by tracking flow of water (constructs maps of fiber pathways in the brain) cannot tell us direction of information flow

fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging)

uses series of high resolution images to assess the activity of the brain/nervous system. a technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. MRI scans show brain anatomy; fMRI scans show brain function.