The Brain
The part of the brain responsible for voluntary movement and decision-making.
What is the frontal lobe?
What is the spinal cord?
What is the biopsychosocial/biological psychology model?
A prolonged pathologically low mood that interferes with functioning (clinical diagnosis)?
What is major depressive disorder?
What is the brain and spinal cord?
The deep brain structure that is the "homeostasis control centre" - regulates hunger, thirst, sleep, and hormones.
What is the hypothalamus?
These three membrane layers protect the spinal cord.
What are dura, arachnoid, and pia mater?
The brain's ability to reorganise itself and form new connections after injury or learning.
What is neuroplasticity?
This class of drugs treats depression by blocking serotonin reuptake.
What are SSRIs (e.g. fluoxetine)?
What is the somatic nervous system?
The hemisphere where Broca's area & Wernicke's area are found in most right-handed people.
What is the left (dominant) hemisphere?
Sensory information enters through these horns, and motor information leaves through these horns.
What are the dorsal (sensory) and ventral (motor) horns?
According to evolutionary psychology, emotions and behaviours evolve to increase this.
What is survival/adaptive advantage/fitness?
This theory suggests low serotonin causes depression, though recent evidence challenges it.
What is the monoamine hypothesis?
A rapid, involuntary response to a stimulus that does not require conscious thought.
What is a reflex arc?
This gyrus, anterior to the central sulcus, controls voluntary motor movement.
A lumbar puncture is safely performed below this vertebral level because the cord ends above here.
What is L1-L2 (puncture performed at L3-L4)?
Who is Phineas Gage?
Activation of these immune molecules during illness produces behaviour similar to depression.
What are cytokines?
What are upper motor neurons (UMN)?
Damage here can cause ataxia.
What is the cerebellum?
The condition that is caused by compression of multiple lumbosacral nerve roots, requiring urgent treatment.
What is cauda equina syndrome?
Humans overestimate rare events clinically (e.g. cancer risk), which is explained by this behavioural economics theory.
What is prospect theory (Kahneman & Tversky)?
This drug shows rapid antidepressant effects via glutamate.
What is ketamine?
These sensory maps on the skin correspond to spinal nerve roots.
What are dermatomes?