PSYCHOLOGY

(8th Edition) David Myers

PowerPoint Slides Aneeq Ahmad Henderson State University

Worth Publishers, 2006

Neuroscience and Behavior

Chapter 2
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Neuroscience and Behavior

Neural Communication The Nervous System The Endocrine System The Brain

History of Mind
Phrenology In 1800, Franz Gall suggested that bumps of the skull represented mental abilities. His theory, though incorrect, nevertheless proposed that different mental abilities were

Bettman/ Corbis

The Nervous System

It starts with an individual nerve cell called a NEURON.

Neural Communication
Cellular Level (Interconnected Neurons)

We are a biopsychosocial system.

Ethnic Level (Culture) Community Level (Society)

Organ Level (Brain)

Group Level (Family)

System Level (Information Processing)

Individual Level (Human Being)

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Neuron
A nerve cell, or a neuron, consists of many different parts.

Parts of a Neuron
Cell Body: Life support center of the neuron. Dendrites: Branching extensions at the cell body. Receive messages from other neurons. Axon: Long single extension of a neuron, covered with myelin [MY-uh-lin] sheath to insulate and speed up messages through neurons. Terminal Branches of axon: Branched endings of an axon that transmit messages to other neurons.
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How does a Neuron fire?

Resting Potential: slightly negative charge. Reach the threshold when enough neurotransmitters reach dendrites. Go into Action Potential. All-or-none response. Transfer of ions across axons membrane causes electrical charge.

Action Potential-Sodium Potassium Pump

-A neural impulse. generated by the movement of positively charged atoms in and out

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Depolarization & Hyperpolarization

Depolarization: Depolarization occurs when positive ions enter the neuron, making it more prone to firing an action potential.

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Threshold
Threshold: Each neuron receives depolarizing and hyperpolarizing currents from many neurons.
When the depolarizing current (positive ions) minus the hyperpolarizing current (negative ions) exceed minimum intensity (threshold) the neuron fires an action potential.

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Refractory Period & Pumps

Sodium-Potassium Pumps: Sodiumpotassium pumps pump positive ions out from the inside of the neuron, making them ready for another action potential. Refractory Period: After a neuron fires an action potential it pauses for a short period to recharge itself to fire again.

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Action Potential Properties

All-or-None Response: When the depolarizing current exceeds the threshold, a neuron will fire. If the depolarizing current fails to exceed the threshold, a neuron will not fire

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(http:// outreach.mcb.harvard.edu/animations/actionpotential.swf)

Synapse

Synapse [SIN-aps] a junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron. This tiny gap is called the synaptic gap or cleft.

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Neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters (chemicals) released from the sending neuron travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing it to generate an action potential.
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Reuptake
Neurotransmitters in the synapse are reabsorbed into the sending neurons through the process of reuptake. This process applies the brakes on neurotransmitter action.
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How Neurotransmitters Influence Us?

Serotonin pathways are involved with mood regulation.

From Mapping the Mind, Rita Carter, 1989 University of California Press

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Dopamine Pathways

Dopamine pathways are involved with diseases such as schizophrenia and Parkinsons disease.
From Mapping the Mind, Rita Carter, 1989 University of California Press

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Neurotransmitters

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Acetylcholine (ACH)
Deals with motor movement and memory.

Lack of ACH has been linked to Alzheimers disease.

Too much and you will. Too little and you will

Dopamine
Deals with motor movement and alertness. Lack of dopamine has been linked to Parkinsons disease. Too much has been linked to schizophrenia.

Serotonin
Involved in mood control. Lack of serotonin has been linked to clinical depression.

Endorphins
Involved in pain control. Many of our most addictive drugs deal with endorphins.

Lock & Key Mechanism

Neurotransmitters bind to the receptors of the receiving neuron in a key-lock mechanism.

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Agonists

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Antagonists

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Types of Neurons
Efferent (Motor) Neurons Interneurons Afferent (Sensory) Neurons

The Nervous System

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Central Nervous System

The Spinal Cord and Reflexes

Simple Reflex

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Central Nervous System

The Brain and Neural Networks Interconnected neurons form networks in the brain. Theses networks are complex and modify with growth and experience.

Complex Neural Network

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Central Nervous System

The Brain and spinal cord CNS

Peripheral Nervous System

All nerves that are not encased in bone. Everything but the brain and spinal cord. Is divided into two categories.somatic and autonomic.

Somatic Nervous System

Controls voluntary muscle movement. Uses motor (efferent) neurons.

Autonomic Nervous System

Controls the automatic functions of the body. Divided into two categoriesthe sympathetic and the parasympathetic

Sympathetic Nervous System

Fight or Flight Response. Automatically accelerates heart rate, breathing, dilates pupils, slows down digestion.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Automatically slows the body down after a stressful event. Heart rate and breathing slow down, pupils constrict and digestion speeds up.

Reflexes
Normally, sensory (afferent) neurons take info up through spine to the brain. Some reactions occur when sensory neurons reach just the spinal cord. Survival adaptation.

The Endocrine System

Endocrine System = Post Mail Nervous System = Text Messaging

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Hormones
Hormones and Neurotransmitters are chemically similar; HORMONES last longer

Epinephrine : adrenaline Norepinephrine : noradrenalin

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Pituitary Gland
Is called the master gland. The anterior pituitary lobe releases hormones that regulate other glands. The posterior lobe regulates water and salt balance.

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Lesions
Cutting into the brain and looking for change.

Brain tumors also lesion brain tissue.

Less Invasive ways to study the Brain

Electroencephalogram (EEG) Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Functional MRI

Older Brain Structures

Act with out conscious effort It is responsible for automatic survival functions. Evolutionary Trend?

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Brain Stem
The Brainstem is the oldest part of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells and enters the skull
Feeds cognitive regions (Thinking Cap)

Brain Stem
The Medulla [muhDUL-uh] is the base of the brainstem that controls heartbeat and breathing. Reticular Formation plays an important role in controlling arousal.
Tic-Toc
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Pons
Connects hindbrain, midbrain and forebrain together. Involved in facial expressions.

Brain Stem
The Thalamus [THAL-uh-muss] is the brains sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem.
It directs messages Receives smell?

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The little brain helps coordinate voluntary movements and balance. Active during classical conditioning, learning, and information processing

Cerebellum

Habitual/Involuntary responses

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Midbrain
Involved with Hormones, memory, and sensory inputs LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION

Thalamus Cerebellum Limbic System Hypothalamus

The Limbic System

The Limbic System associated with emotions such as fear, aggression and drives for food and sex.

Only in mammals Reptiles and amphibians rely on pre-set genetic

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Hypothalamus
Fighting, feeling, feeding Mating- Sexual Arousal (libido) Endocrine System Survival-Pleasure Connection???

Reward Center
Rats cross an electrified grid for self-stimulation when electrodes are placed in the reward (hypothalamus) center
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Sanjiv Talwar, SUNY Downstate

Hippocampus and Amygdala

Hippocampus is involved in long term memory processing.

Amygdala is vital for our basic emotions.

The peripheral nervous system consists of:

A. B. C. D. association areas. the spinal cord. the reticular formation. sensory and motor neurons.

After suffering an accidental brain injury, Kira has difficulty walking in a smooth and coordinated manner. It is most probable that she has suffered damage to her:
A. B. C. D. amygdala. angular gyrus. cerebellum. corpus callosum.

Which region of the brain appears to have the oldest evolutionary history?
A. B. C. D. frontal lobes limbic system brainstem corpus callosum

What disease is related to degeneration of the neurons myelin sheath?

A. B. C. D. Parkinsons disease multiple sclerosis Alzheimers disease schizophrenia

The Cerebral Cortex

The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres. It is the bodys ultimate control and information processing center.

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Structure of the Cortex

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Frontal Lobe
Deals with planning, maintaining emotional control and abstract thought. Contains Brocas Area. Brocas Aphasia. Contains Motor

Parietal Lobes
Deciphers Sensory Stimuli LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION Contains the somatosensory cortex. Rest are association areas.

Temporal Lobes
Process sound sensed by ears. Contains Wernickes area. Wernickes Aphasia.

Occipital Lobes
In the back of our head. Handles visual input from eyes. Right half of each retina goes to left occipital lobe and vice versa.

Functions of the Cortex

The Motor Cortex is the area at the rear of the frontal lobes that control voluntary movements. The Sensory Cortex (parietal cortex) receives information from skin surface and sense organs.

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Auditory Function

The functional MRI scan shows the auditory cortex is active in patients who hallucinate.

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Language
Aphasia is an impairment of language, usually caused by left hemisphere damage either to Brocas area (impaired speaking) or to Wernickes area (impaired understanding).

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Following massive damage to his frontal lobes, Phineas Gage was most strikingly debilitated by:
A. B. C. D. irritability. memory loss. auditory hallucinations. a reward deficiency syndrome.

A visit to a phrenologist would have resulted in an analysis of the persons:

A. B. C. D. heart beats. skull bumps. neurotransmitter function. endocrine system.

Jack accidentally touches a hot stove. Such a strong stimulus:

A. increases the intensity of a neurons action potential. B. affects the speed that a neuron fires. C. triggers more neurons to fire. D. does not affect how often a neuron fires.

Association Areas
More intelligent animals have increased uncommitted or association areas of the cortex.

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The Brains Plasticity

The brain is sculpted by our genes but also by our experiences. Plasticity refers to the brains ability to modify itself after some type of injury or illness.

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Hemispheres
Divided into a left and right hemisphere. Contralateral controlledleft controls right side of body and vice versa.

Splitting the Brain

A procedure in which the two hemispheres of the brain are isolated by cutting the connecting fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) between them.
Corpus Callosum
Courtesy of Terence Williams, University of Iowa

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Martin M. Rother

Split Brain Patients

With the corpus callosum severed, objects (apple) presented in the right visual field can be named. Objects (pencil) in the left visual field cannot.

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Divided Consciousness

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Critical Thinking Questions

A new superhero emerges on the scene. This superhero is able to stay awake and vigilant for extended amounts of time. He helps the intelligence community by being able to stay in surveillance for extended amounts of time without losing concentration and can always be paying attention to what is happening. A study of this superheros brain might show that the ____________ is more advanced and developed than a non-superheros.

A. B. C. D.

frontal lobe amygdala reticular formation occipital lobe

You are a neurologist in a large hospital. The wife of a construction worker visits you and describes that her husband has experienced a serious injury to his frontal lobe. She is perplexed by his behavior. Which of the following would you tell her is normal behavior for a person with frontal lobe damage? A. B. C. D. not much decline in memory or intelligence poor judgment irritability and other personality changes ALL of these are commonly seen in frontal lobe damage

Which of the following activities is NOT primarily a function of the left hemisphere?
A. B. C. D. listening to a piano concerto reading your psychology book reading junk mail listening to a poetry reading

As Allison reaches for a box in her garage, out jumps a big spider. Her heart immediately begins to race as she withdraws her hand, but soon she realizes that the spider is harmless, and she begins to calm down. Which part of her nervous system is responsible for brining her back to a normal state of arousal? A. B. C. D. sympathetic nervous system somatic nervous system parasympathetic nervous system skeletal nervous system

If Dr. Barnes wanted to cause a cat to take on an attack posture, which of the cats brain structures should he electrically stimulate?
A. B. C. D. amygdala hypothalamus hippocampus cerebellum

A split-brain patients right hemisphere is presented with a key. How is he most likely to respond?
A. say the word key B. select a key from a group of objects presented to his left hand C. select a key from a group of objects presented to his right hand D. he will not be able to say key or to pick out a key from a group of objects with either hand