Psych Unit 3

refractory period

in neural process, a brief resting pause that occurs after a neuron has fired; subsequent action potentials cannot occur until axon returns to its resting state

autonomic

part of pns that controls the glands/muscles of the internal organs (heart). Its sympathetic arouses and parasympathtic calms -involuntary and self-regulating

peripheral nervous system

pns: the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body (gather and transmit)

occipital lobe

portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas the receive information from visual fields

parietal lobe

portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position

frontal lobe

portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgements

dual processing

principle that info is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks (we know more than we know we know) conscious=deliberate "high road" and unconscious= automatic "low road" -brain=device for converting conscious into unsconscious knowledge

sperry and gazzaniga

roger sperry, ronald myers, michael Gazzaniga divides cat and monkey brains, severing the corpus collosum to see if effects: no serious ones -vogel and bogen used experimental to see if epileptic seizures could be shipped in this way (worked and acted normal)

action's surface

selectively permeable (lets some things in, not others) -positive outside (=Na ions) and negative inside (- proteins and + k ions) state=resting potential -deporalization=loss of inside/outside charge difference when +Na move inside when gates open -temporary inflow of + ions= neural impulse=action potential

Parasympathetic

the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving energy -rest and digest -the 2 autonomic work together to keep in homeostasis

somatic

the division of the pns that controls the body's skeletal muscles (aka skeletal nervous system) -voluntary control

cognitive neuroscience

the interdisciplinary study of brain activity, linked w/cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language) -trying to relate brain state and conscious experiences (that arise from synchronized brain activity) -if don't stimulate strong enough, will not be conscious perceived; how synchronized activity produces awareness/ how matter makes mind is unknown

synpase

the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron. The tiny gap at this junction is called the synaptic gap or synaptic cleft.

brainstem

the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions -all need in order to breath and heart to beat -brainstem=cross over point where nerves from each side of brain connect w/opposite side

temporal lobes

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory aspects, each receiving information primarily from opposite ear

heroin

when flood brain w/heroin, brain maintains chemcial blance so must supress natural opiates, when drug gone, brian deprived of any form of opiate=discomfort

structure

wrinkles allow less surface area, cerebral cortex= 20-23 billion nerve cell and 300 trillion synapses -each cortex divided into 4 loves separated by fissures (folds)

double track

-unconscious= 80-90% of what we do: consciousness sometimes arrives late to the decision-making policy -brain activity ebbs and flows: actual decision to move occurs when activity crosses threshold that coincides w/average time of awareness of interaction to move (0.15 sec before movement)

action potential

a neural impulse, a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon -nerve impulse moves slower than electrically through wire (elephant slow reflexes)

all or none response

a neuron's reaction of either firing (with a full-strength response) or not firing; strong can trigger more neurons to fire but does not affect action potential strength/speed

reuptake

a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron -some anti-depressants work by blocking reuptake

adrenal glands

a pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine, aka (nor)adrenaline, that help arouse the body in times of stress -surge of energy=fight/flight response (increase heart rate, blood pressure/sugar)

hippocampus

a reward center located in limbic system; helps process for explicit (conscious) memory of facts and events -football players w/concussions experience shrinkened hippocampus and loss of memory

ct scan

a series of x-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice of the brain's structure (aka cat scan) -computed tomography

MRI

a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue; MRI scans show brain anatomy -magnetic resonance imaging -have revealed enlarged ventricles (fluid-filled brain areas) in some w/schizophrenia

PET scan

a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task -positron emission tomography -brain consumes 20% of calorie intake

ach

acetylcholine -enables muscle action, learning, memory -with alzeimer's, ach producing neurons deterioate

hemispheres

each hemisphere has specialized function even for undivided= perpetual task=right and math/speech=left -left=language(both spoken and signed stroke can affect) find language area by injecting and if left will stop speech and right will still speak *quick, literal, interpretations -right= make inferences (copy, recognize face, notice differences, perceive/express emotion=on left side of face), modulate speech (make meaning clear), help orchestrate self-awareness

old brain

animal capacity comes from brain structure (ex. shark-not complex so only basics) -complexity arises from new system built on top of old -older brain functions occur w/out conscious effort: we are only aware of the results

association areas

areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor and sensory functions; rather they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking (stimulation won't trigger observable response, area makes us human)

lesion

early on, brain function was localized by case studies -now, scientists selectively LESION w/rest unharmed -LESION= tissue destruction. a brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally causes destruction of brain tissue

broca/wernicke

french physcian PAUL BROCA and german investigator CARL WERNICKE discovered specialized language area -broca's area=speech -wernicke's area= understanding -our mental experiences arise from coordinated brain activity

gaba

gamma-aminobutyric acid -a major inhibitory nt -undersupply=seizures, tremors, and insomnia

heredity

genetic transfer of characteristics from parents to offspring

glial cells

glia; cellls in nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons; also play a role in learning, thinking, and memory (chat w/neurons to transmit info/memory) -more glia:neuron ratio= more complex (einstein)

Norepinephrine

helps control alertness and arousal -undersupply suppress mood

hormones

chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues (act on brain to inluence sex, food, aggression interest) -hormones=chemical identical to nt's but work much slower b/c go into bloodstream -endocrine messages tend to outlast effects of neurons: "endocrine hangover"= from lingering emotion-related hormones

neurotransmitters

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons. When released by sending neuron, nt's travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on receiving neuron, thereby influenceing whether that neuron will generate neural impulse (released when action potential reaches end of axon

central nervous system

cns: brain and spinal cord (decision maker)

Sequental processing

conscious; processing one aspect of a problem at a tome; generally use to process new information or to solve difficult problems - in everyday life, we mostly function automatically, but with a manual (conscious) override -conscious jeeps us from thinking and doing everything at once

laterilzation

different hemisphere have different functions -left damage=writes, speak, read, math reason, understanding but right not as dramatic effects

reticular formation

a nerve network that travels through the brainstem and thalamus and plays an important role in controlling arousal ("netlike)

consciousness

our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment -promotes survival and reproduction and thinking long-term and anticipates

serotonin

-affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal -undersupply=depression, some drugs that raise serotonin levels are used to treat depression

dna

-every celled nucleus carried genetic code, each have 46 chromsomes (23 from each parent -CHROMOSOMES=thread like structures made of DA molecules that contain genes= chapters -DNA=deoxyribonucleic acid= a complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes -GENES=the biochemical units of heredity that make up chromosomes; segments of DNA capable of synthesizing proteins (protein molecules= building blocks

environment

-every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to ppl/things around us

bio

-everything psych is simultaneously bio: body/brain influence by experience, nurture works on what nature provides

motor function

-frtisch and hitzig found stimulation moves body and stimulate causes movement of opp site of body - can research motor in wide=awake patients b;c no sensory receptors on brain -can read brain w/computer to reenact thoughts and allow use of prosthetic: also tried to do computor tralck thoughts to speech=cognitive neural prosthetics

phrenology

-hippocrates correctly located brain while aristotle blieved mind was in heart -Gall proposed: phrenology (bumps on skull reveal bran size/traits)= not true but focussed on localization of function=brain regions have specific locations -HUmans=biopsychosocial systems that adapt brain based on experiences, nerve cells talk to one another, specific brain systems have specific functions we integrate info in brain

thresholds

-if excitatory exceed inhibitory, signal by threshold combine signals trigger action potrential -threshold=level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

connect

-now trying to study brain connectivity to learn about psych disorders -diffusion spectrum: mri tech that maps out long distance brain fiber connetions (show uniqueness in ppl)

association

-prefrontal cortex= forward part of frontal love enable judgement, planning, and processing -frontal love damage can alter personality and moral judgements (phineas gage incident) -pariteal love findings suggest perception of moving flow not from movement itself but from intentions and results expected -on right temporal=face recognition (remeber not 1 area for 1 function tho)

leaves

-we are each unique but also leaves of one tree w/ a common biological heritage and common behavioral tendencies and social behaviors

brain damages

1) severed brain and spinal neurons (unlike skin) usually do not regenerate 2) some brain function seem preassigned but some of brian' neural tissue can reorganize to respond to damage -plasticity can occur after damage: blind ppl visual cortex is involved by sense of touch bc of brail -disease/damage can free up brain areas: if lose a finger then other fingers become more sensitive

hypothalamus

A neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion and reward -keeps homeostasis -rats hypothalamus=pleasure/reward center: in dolphins/monkeys their nucleus accumbens reward center is found in front of hypothalamus -human hedonic hotspots (reward circuts)=produce desire over joy

fMRI

A technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. Fmri scans show brain function and structure -functional mri -blood follows activity in brain -when brain unoccupied, blood flow to default network that supports daydreaming

cerebral cortex

The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center. =as cerebral cortex expands= increase adaptability: mammals more adaptable than amphibians

pituitary gland

The endocrine system's most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands. -ex growth hormone or oxytocin (birth/milk flow or pairing bonging and social trust) -pituitary secretes direct other glands to release hormones-master gland(who's master is hypothalamus) -feedback system where nerves direct endocrine that affect nerves (brain=controller_ *brain-pitiutary-other glands-hormones-body/brain

split brains

a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain's 2 hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly corpus collosum) connecting them

blindsight

a condition where a person can respond to a visual stimulated without consciously experiencing it -ex. can only consciously be aware of 1 visual field at a time (left or right) but blindsight displays other -double track: visual perception=think about world; visual action= guide moment-to-moment movement

myelin sheath

a fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons, enables vastly greater transmisssion spreed for neural impulses, hop from node to the next -laid down until about age 25, degeneration of sheath=multiple scolerosis b/c communication with muscles slow

glutamate

a major excitatory Nt, involved in memory -oversupply can overstimulate brain, producing migraines and seizures (why some ppl avoid MSG (monosodium glutamate) in food)

antagonist

a molecule that blocks/inhibits a NT's action -occupy receptor site but not similar enough to stimulate receptor

agonist

a molecule that increases a neurotransmitter's action (opiates) -increases production/release of NT, block uptake, or mimic nt so bind to receptor

neurons

a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system (new are born and unused wither away)

stimulate

also can stimulate (electric, chemical, magnetic) that cause behavior/feeling changes -modern microelectrodes can detect a single neuron impulse: use optogenetics: light controls individual neuron activity to examine fear, smell, memory, disease

neurogenesis

although repair normally by reorganizing exisiting, sometimes neurogenesis occurs (formation of new neurons) -700 new hippocampus neurons daily (2% annual turnover) -also research stem cells resembling human neurons trying to replace damaged brain

Somotosensory cortex

an area at the front of the parietal loves that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations (receives messages that motor cortex senses) -more sensitive the body region, larger cortex area devoted to it (ex. lips=big) - other than touch: have visual senses in occipital and auditory senses in frontal

motor cortex

an area at the reer of the frontal loves that contain voluntary movements -fingers and mouth= most precise control and biggest area of cortex - together w/sensory= 1/4 of brain control

neural networks

brain enables humanity: thinking, feeling acting -brain's neurons cluster into work groups=neural networks: neurons that fire together wire together

self-reflection

brain self-reflectively analyzes the brain but still need body: brain, behavior, and cognition=integrated as whole

nerves

bundled axons that form neural "cables" connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs (ex. optic nerve-eye to brain)

Dopamine

influence movement, learning, attention and emotion -oversupply=schizophrenia, undersupply=trmors and decreased mobility in parkinson's

corpus collosum

large bond of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them

MEG

magnetoencephalography; a brain imaging technique that measures magnetic fields from the brain's natural electrical activity -speed/strength of field help understand how tasks influence brain activity

neural communication

nervous system of humans/animals-similar so easy to study on simple animals

limbic system

neural system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives. -between old and new -does not include cerebral hemispheres (2 halves of brain) that is newest and highest region

axon

neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons more muscles or glands

dendrites

neuron's often bushy, branching extensions that receive and integrate messages, conducting impulses toward the cell body

sensory

neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord -afferent neurons

motor

neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands -efferent neurons

Interneurons

neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs (the majority of complexity/nerves are this_

newer

newer= cerebrum= 2 hemispheres contributing 85% of brain's weight that enable perceiving, thinking, speaking: cerebral hemispheres come in pairs like other parts above brianstem

not alone

nt's don't operate alone, they interact and affect receptors -ach=actylcholine=plays role in learning/memory but also messangers of every junction between mototr neurons to cause muscle to contract -endorphine= "morphine-within"= natural opiate like nt's linked to pain control and pleasure

endorphin nt

nt's that influence the perception of pain or pleasure -oversupply w/opaite drugs can suppress the body's natural endorphin supply

EEG

others look at whole brain: -Electroencephalogram -An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.

cell body

soma, part of the neuron that contains nucleus; cell's life support-center

reflexes

spinal cord= 2 way highways that connects PNS and brain: ascending send up sensory info and descending send back motor info -REFLEXES= a simple, autonomic response to sensory stimulus, such as a knee-jerk response ex. pain reflex goes from sensory to spinal cord to motor so move before signal reaches brain -to produced bodily pain/pleasure, sensory info must reach brain

cerebellum

the "little brain" at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance, an enabling nonverbal learning and memory (coordinates voluntary movement w/pons)

medulla

the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing -above it is the pons that coordinates movement and sleep

endocrine system

the body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream (interconnected w/nervous system)

nervous system

the body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems

plasticity

the brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience -our flexible brain changes so we can adapt to changing world (not same brain born with)

thalamus

the brain's sensory control center, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla -hub for traffic flow, pair of egg-shaped structures)

genome

the complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all genetic material in that organism's chromosomes (nearly the same for all) -environmental effects "turn on genes": we are formed by environmental influences -human & chimp= 96% identical genetically and functionally important dna= 99.4% the same -variations show uniqueness: differing genes fro "many genes from small effect

sympathetic

the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy -expends energy (fight or flight) -increases heart rate, blood pressure/sugar, slows digestion, cools with perspiration

behavior genetics

the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior -weights effects of heredity and environment

Amygdala

two lima bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion. (especially fear and rage/aggression)

parallel processing

unconscious processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; generally used to process well-learned info to to solve easy problems

visual field

visual field each side receives sensory info for entire field but info from left side sent to right hemisphere and vice versa -w/out split brain sends info to other side but w/split brain= like "2 separate minds" each side can do opposite things (button and unbutton shirts at once) -when 2 minds at odds, left side tries to rationalize: brain runs on autopilot (acts then explains)