Terms
What are some differences between neurotransmitters and hormones? (list at least 2)
-hormones are slower acting, while neurotransmitters act fast.
-neurons are produced by neurons when triggered by an electrical impulse, while hormones are released by endocrine glands
Functions of the prefrontal cortex (list 2)
-planning and decision-making
-reasoning
-personality expression
-moderating social behavior
External magnetic field picks up energy (in pulses) admitted from hydrogen atoms (atomic nuclei)
A scanner reads pulses and created a map based off of relative distribution of hydrogen atoms
What is MRI?
Tested three different groups of rats, one was injected with scopolamine, which blocks acetylcholine receptor proteins, and the second was injected with physostigmine, which prevents the “cleaning up” of acetylcholine, so it does not reach “resting potential,” and the third group was not injected at all. They were then placed in a maze individually and timed. The first group took the longest amount of time while the second took the least, with the third group being in the middle. Suggested that higher levels of acetylcholine can lead to more productive memory formation.
What is Martinez and Kesner (1991)?
29 patients with Seasonal Affective Disorder were studied during their sleep, measuring brain waves and seeing the response to artificial light. Increasing the use of artificial light showed the best results.
SAD happens most in winter months due to the lack of melatonin production in the body.
What is Rosenthal (1987)?
How does evolutionary psychology expand on Darwin's theory of natural selection?
Our ancestors evolved psychological advantages that were beneficial to reproduction/survival.
Functions of the hippocampus (list 2)
-holds short-term memories and transfer them to long-term storage
-emotional processing
-spatial navigation
Uses blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal (BOLD) to track the blood flow/activity to parts of the brain
What is fMRI?
Estrogen has the potential to protect memory
Two groups:
One is given pill with estrogen (Improved memory somewhat)
Control is given placebo (No effect on memory)
What is Sherwin (1999)?
rats were willing to walk across an electrified grid to get to the "pleasure lever" and preferred it to eating and drinking
What is Robert Heath/James Olds?
Erin gets absolutely demolished by a paper cut, and Kate flinches despite not being the one who was cut. Why is this?
Mirror neurons. The same neurons that fire in response to pain, also fires when we see someone else in pain.
Functions of the amygdala (list 1)
-regulates emotions
-tying emotional components to our memories
-activation of flight or flight
-decision-making
A moving scan sends xray beams through the head which is picked up by a detector on the other side
Bone and hard tissue absorb beams better than soft tissue
Multiple beams result in a map of the structure of the beam
What is CAT?
Analyzed autopsies of patients who had trouble understanding and producing language, finding areas of the brain that had the lesions.
Brocas- understanding language
Wernicke- producing language
What is Broca and Wernicke?
Using MRI, experimenters found that native languages and second languages are spatially separated in the brain. However, if the second language was acquired in early language acquisition stage, then both native and second languages are represented in the same area.
What is Karl Kim and Joy Hirsch?
I rip out half of Anna's brain, but after a few months, she is able to function close to normal. Why is this?
Plasticity. The ability of neural networks to change through growth and reorganization.
Functions of the thalamus (list 1)
-relaying sensory and motor signals
Measures electric potentials generated by neural circuits
Electrodes attached to scalp in predetermined points to pick up changes in electric potential of scalp areas
What is EEG?
Two testing groups: one group of rats were given a stimulating environment while the control group was not. The rats with the stimulating environment were examined to have larger prefrontal cortexes and increased neural activity.
What is Rozenweig and Bennett (1972)?
Studied a group of Buddhist monks who went on a 72-hour pilgrimage to a holy mountain in Japan, they did not consume food or water, they did not speak, and were exposed to cold weather. After about 48 hours they began to have hallucinations, seeing ancient ancestors, they also took blood samples before the trek and immediately after reports of hallucinations. Found that serotonin levels increased in the monks’ brains and activated the hypothalamus and frontal cortex, resulting in hallucinations.
What is Tokyo University (1999) (Kasamatsu and Hirai)?
What is the difference between Broca's aphasia and Wernicke's aphasia?
Patients with Wernicke's aphasia can say full, complete sentences with correct grammatical structure, yet they are meaningless. For example: "You know that smoodle pinkered and that I want to get him round and take care of him like you want before."
Patients with Wernicke's aphasia have poor or absent grammar. For example: "cup, me" instead of "I want the cup."
What were the two pathways for emotional regulation that LeDoux proposed?
Short route- goes from the thalamus to the amygdala (hardwired and instinctual)
Long route- passes from the neocortex and the hippocampus, then to the amygdala (used for analyzing threats that are not of immediate danger to you)
Injects radioactive tracker (short half-life and binds to molecules in the brain like glucose) into blood stream and scanner picks up radio frequencies
Greater radio frequencies, more active because requires more blood flow
What is PET?
A group of subjects were analyzed by MRI while watching movie clips with certain emotions. The brain would replicate those emotions.
What is Marco Lacoboni (2004)?
496 pregnant women from all 3 trimesters were shown 32 disgusting scenarios (like maggots, worms, etc). They were then asked to rank them in the level of disgust. Women in the first trimester experienced greater disgust. In addition, women experiencing morning sickness had higher levels of disgust.
Conclusion: Natural selection has allowed pregnant women to have heightened feelings of disgust to protect them from diseases, especially foodborne diseases.
What is Fessler (2006)?