neurotransmittters
glutamate
excitatory; thinking, learning, memory
SWS sleep and waves
slow wave sleep; high amplitude and low frequency
REM sleep behavior disorder
sleep disorder- movements in sleep in reaction to dream
sonic hedgehog
protein secreted from mesoderm beneath spinal cord
plasticity
ability of brain to change itself
glycine
inhibitory; controlling hearing, pain transmission, metabolism
orexin
excites other arousal systems, stop sudden transitions to sleep
nightmare disorder
sleep disorder- recurrent nightmares
making connections
since neurons are in their final locations, they now need to make synaptic connections
aging - mental stimulations and social networks
social environment and communication with others helps perform better overall; cognitive stimulation increases neural plasticity
acetylcholine
excitatory; muscle contractions, memory, motivation, sleep, learning
homeostatic system
time spent awake; adenosine increases time awake/SWS waves, as you sleep, adenosine decreases, and SWS waves decrease too
parasomnia
sleep disorder- unusual behaviors during sleep
overall aging properties
frontal and parietal lobes more myelinated; frontal lobe last to mature
myelination
insulation that covers axons that protects them and helps speed up saltatory conduction of electrical signals
epinephrine
excitatory; affects heart; adrenaline for fight or flight response, increases heart rate and breathing, blood pressure, blood sugar
cataplexy
sleep disorder- brief loss of muscle control → paralysis during waking hours
anterior pituitary
neurons release hormones here; inhibit/stimulate release of a second hormone
synaptic pruning
too many brain cells develop early on and form too many connections as a result and so they are pruned down as synaptic pathways form (ie brain removes neurons it doesn't need)
aging - chemical changes
neurotransmitters/receptors decline with age; less dopamine and serotonin synthesized
serotonin
inhibitory; regulate mood, sleep patterns, anxiety, appetite, pain
insomnia
sleep disorder- sleep difficulty (can't fall asleep), leading to negative effects during the day
effect of stress on pregnancy
hormones can cross into placenta and shift baby's development; chronic stress can change markers on DNA molecules
normal vs. pathological aging
dementia- decline in cognitive ability interfering with function; losing a lot of cognitive ability while aging is not normal; aging is just subtle changes in brain structure, chemistry, function
average weight of adult brain
3 lb