PSYCHOLOGY(UNIT 3A+REVIEW )MR PUSTAY

NATURE-NURTURE DEBATE

• This debate within psychology is concerned with the extent to which particular aspects of behavior are a product of either inherited (i.e. genetic) or acquired (i.e. learned) characteristics.

NATURE-NURTURE

• Depression is the disorder of the brain and thought

ROMANTIC LOVE

• The attachment bond is the term for your first interactive love relationship—the one you had with your primary caregiver as an infant, usually your mother.

• This mother-child attachment bond shapes an infant's brain, profoundly influencing your self-esteem, your expectations of others, and your ability to attract and maintain successful adult relationships

PRUNING PROCESS

• Beginning in the earliest embryonic stage and lasting until approximately 2 years of age, new neurons and synapses are formed at an amazing rate, at times reaching 40,000 new synapses formed per second

• By the end of this process individuals are left with far more neurons and synapses than are functionally needed and/or preferred.

PRUNING PROCESS

• Synaptic pruning is the process by which these extra synapses are eliminated thereby increasing the efficiency of the neural network.

• The entire process continues up until approximately 10 years of age by which time nearly 50% of the synapses present at 2 years of age have been eliminated

YERKES-DODSON

• Arousal is a major aspect of many learning theories and is closely related to other concepts such as anxiety, attention, agitation, stress, and motivation.

• The arousal level can be thought of as how much capacity you have available to work with

• One finding with respect to arousal is the Yerkes-Dodson law (named after the researchers who discovered it) which predicts an inverted U-shaped function between arousal and performance

2-DIMENSIONS OF EMOTION"Fear is that little darkroom where negatives are developed."

• Dimensional models of emotion attempt to conceptualize human emotions by defining where they lie in two or three dimensions.

• Most dimensional models incorporate valence and arousal or intensity dimensions. – Dimensional models of emotion suggest that a

common and interconnected neurophysiological system is responsible for all affective states

Edward Titchener

Biological Psychologist• Focuses on the application of the

principles of biology to the study of mental processes and behavior.

• A psycho-biologist, for instance, may compare the imprinting behavior in goslings to the early attachment behavior in human infants and construct theory around these two phenomena

• Biological psychologists may often be interested in measuring some biological variable, e.g. an anatomical, physiological, or genetic variable, in an attempt to relate it quantitatively or qualitatively to a psychological or behavioral variable

CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

Principle

• Everything psychological is simultaneously biological

• Every idea, every mood, every urge is a biological happening– You love, laugh and

cry with your body– Without your body –

your genes, brain and appearance – you are nobody

• Point to remember:– To think, feel or act

without a body would be like running without legs!

GIVE CELLS GIVE CELLS ENRGYENRGY

Demyelination

Image of Brain with MS

HEALTHY HUMAN BRAIN

Image of Brain with MS

Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)

Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)

• is an acute, autoimmune, polyradiculoneuropathy affecting the peripheral nervous system (PNS), usually triggered by an acute infectious process.– West Nile Virus

• It is frequently severe and usually exhibits as an ascending paralysis (weakness in the legs that spreads to the upper limbs); face along with complete loss of deep tendon reflexes.

The NEURON

How Neurotransmitters Function• Neurons that carry messages from the sense

organs to the brain or spinal cord are called sensory (afferent) neurons.

• Neurons that carry messages from the brain or spinal cord to the muscles and glands are called motor (efferent) neurons.

• Interneurons (association neurons) carry messages from one neuron to another

• The resting potential of a neuron is its stable, negative charge when the cell is inactive.

– -70mV– Approximately 1/20th of the voltage of a flashlight battery

ENDOCRINE SYSTEM

Neurotransmitters and Behavior• An AGONIST is a

chemical that mimics the action of a neurotransmitter– It EXCITES

• An ANTAGONIST is a chemical that opposes the action of a neurotransmitter– It INHIBITS

Agonists

Antagonists

Neurotransmitters and Behavior• An ANTAGONIST is

a chemical that opposes the action of a neurotransmitter– It INHIBITS– EXAMPLE: beta-

blockers, such as propranolol

– Beta blockers work by blocking the effects of the hormone epinephrine, also known as adrenaline

REUPTAKE

Clinical ObservationClinical observations have shed light on a

number of brain disorders. Alterations in brain morphology due to neurological and

psychiatric diseases are now being catalogued.

Tom

Landers/ B

oston Globe

Electroencephalogram (EEG)An amplified recording of the electrical waves

sweeping across the brain’s surface, measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.

AJ P

hoto/ Photo R

esearchers, Inc.

EEG

• A diagnostic test which measures the electrical activity of the brain (brain waves) using highly sensitive recording equipment attached to the scalp by fine electrodes

• A diagnostic test of brain electrical activity; helpful in diagnosing epilepsy.

PET Scan

PET (positron emission tomography)

Scan is a visual display of brain

activity that detects a radioactive form of glucose while the

brain performs a given task.

Courtesy of N

ational Brookhaven N

ational Laboratories

PET SCAN

• Positron emission tomography scan. A procedure in which a small amount of radioactive glucose (sugar) is injected into a vein, and a scanner is used to make detailed, computerized pictures of areas inside the body where the glucose is used.

• Because cancer cells often use more glucose than normal cells, the pictures can be used to find cancer cells in the body.

MRI ScanMRI (magnetic resonance imaging) uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among different types of brain tissue. Top images show ventricular enlargement in a schizophrenic patient. Bottom image shows brain regions when a participants lies.

Both photos from Daniel Weinberger, M.D., CBDB, NIMH

James Salzano/ Salzano Photo Lucy Reading/ Lucy Illustrations

MRI SCAN

• MRI is a diagnostic procedure that uses a combination of a large magnet, radio frequencies, and a computer to produce detailed images of organs and structures within the body.

• Like a CT scan, MRI is performed in a special area of the hospital.

• It is often done to examine the brain stem, spinal cord, and soft tissues. – Can be used on a baby, but the baby will

need a sedative medication so that he/she will be motionless for the exam.

COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY

• A special X-ray test which creates a cross-sectional picture of any part of the body.

• This X-ray can distinguish among tissue, fluid, fat, and bone, and, after intravenous injection of a dye, will show an acoustic neuroma unless the tumor is very small.

– ACOUSTIC NEUROMA is a benign, slow growing tumor that forms on the sheath of the eighth cranial nerve. This tumor can cause hearing loss, balance problems, and facial palsy.