Biopsychology

1. Biopsychology

2. What makes you, you? What makes you unique from every other person?

3. The Mind is what the Brain does • Specific areas of the brain and specific systems in the body are responsible for • Learning and Memory • Sensing and perceiving • Emotion • Personality • Planning • Attention and arousal • Motivation • Etc.

4. The building blocks of the brain The Neuron

5. The Neuron • Types of Neurons • Sensory neurons (carry messages from sense receptors towards the CNS) • Motor neurons(carry messages from CNS toward muscles and glands) • Interneurons (carry messages between nerve cells)

6. The Structure of a Neuron

7. Neural Communication • Two states • Resting Potential  Negatively charged ions on inside; positively charged ions on outside; cell is negatively charged on inside relative to outside • Action Potential • Based on summation of excitatory and inhibitory signals • Cell depolarizes; i.e., cell becomes positively charged • Voltage change (electrical surge) travels down axon and causes release of neurotransmitter into the synapse

8. Neural Communication • All or None Law • Neurons either fire or they don’t • Require a minimum amount of excitation or stimulation in order to fire • Once the minimum threshold has been reached, the neuron will fire • Regardless of the intensity of stimulation, the neuron will fire with the same intensity

9. Neural Communication • If neurons always fire with the same intensity, how do we discriminate intensity of the stimulus? • The # of neurons stimulated by a single stimulus • Rate of firing (up to a maximum)

10. Neural Communication • Once the neuron fires, it releases its Neurotransmitter into the synapse • Neurotransmitter  Chemical messengers that relay neural messages across the synapse • Neurotransmitter fits in receptor like a key fits in a lock • Neurotransmitter either excites or inhibits the post-synaptic cell by binding to its receptors

12. Neuron Demonstration

13. Neural Communication • Methods to stop neural transmission • Reuptake • Degradation • Presynaptic autoreceptors

14. Seven Important Neurotransmitters Dopamine Serotonin Norepinephrine Acetylcholine GABA Glutamine Endorphins

15. Normal Function: Produces sensations of pleasure and reward; used by CNS neurons in voluntary movement Dopamine Serotonin Norepinephrine Problems with Imbalance: Schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease Acetylcholine GABA Substances that Affect: Cocaine, amphetamines, Ritalin, alcohol Glutamine Endorphins

16. Normal Function: Regulates sleep and dreaming, mood, pain, aggression, appetite and sexual behavior Dopamine Serotonin Norepinephrine Problems with Imbalance: Depression, certain anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder Acetylcholine GABA Substances that Affect: Prozac, hallucinogenics (e.g. LSD) Glutamine Endorphins

17. Normal Function: Controls heart rate, sleep, sexual responsiveness, stress, vigilance and appetite Dopamine Serotonin Norepinephrine Problems with Imbalance: High blood pressure, depression Acetylcholine GABA Substances that Affect: Tricyclic antidepressants, beta blockers Glutamine Endorphins

18. Dopamine Normal Function: Pleasurable sensations and control of pain Serotonin Norepinephrine Problems with Imbalance: Lowered levels resulting from opiate addiction Acetylcholine GABA Substances that Affect: Opiates: opium, heroin, morphine, methadone Glutamine Endorphins

19. Plasticity • Plasticity – • Ability of the nervous system to adapt or change as the result of experience; sometimes helps the nervous system adapt to physical damage

20. Peripheral nervous system Central nervous system (CNS) Autonomicnervous system Somaticnervous system Sympatheticnervous system Parasympathetic nervous system The Organization of the Nervous System Nervous system

21. Divisions of the Nervous System • Central Nervous System (CNS) • Brain and spinal cord • Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) • Connects brain and spinal cord with the rest of the body

22. Peripheral Nervous System • Somatic Nervous System • Carries incoming messages from sense organs • Carries outgoing messages to skeletal muscles; mobilizes voluntary movements • Autonomic Nervous System • Carries signals from the CNS to the internal organs • regulates involuntary functions such as digestion, respiration, heart rate

23. Autonomic Nervous System • Sympathetic Division • Mobilized under stress – (e.g., controls 4 F’s) • Increases heart rate and respiration, increases muscle tension, shuts off digestion • Parasympathetic Division • Responsible for basic processes or homeostasis • Slows heart rate and respiration, increases digestive functioning

24. Example • Hear rattlesnake • Somatic NS orients eyes to sound to locate snake • Sympathetic Division of ANS  mobilizes fight or flight response (i.e., blood to skeletal muscles; increases respiration) • Somatic NS  initiates skeletal muscles to escape • Once escaped, Parasympathetic NS initiates relaxation response

25. The Endocrine System (the body’s chemical messenger system)

26. The Endocrine System • Pituitary gland • Master gland; i.e., produces hormones that influence the secretions of all other endocrine glands • Attached to and controlled by hypothalamus

27. The Endocrine System • Endocrine glands release hormones into bloodstream; circulate through body until target organ is reached • Non-stress conditions  supports parasympathetic nervous system in maintaining basic processes or homeostasis • Stress conditions  supports sympathetic nervous system through release of epinephrine (adrenaline)

28. Example Revisited • Hear rattlesnake • Somatic NS orients eyes to sound • Sympathetic Division of ANS  mobilizes fight or flight response • Somatic NS  initiates skeletal muscles to escape • Parasympathetic NS  initiates return to resting state, But, … • Endocrine system  release of adrenaline, explains why you feel edgy for a long time afterward

29. The Endocrine System

30. The brain is composed of many specialized modules that work together to create mind and behavior How Does the Brain Produce Behavior and Mental Processes?

31. Film on Structures of the Brain

32. Three Layers of the Brain • Brain stem and cerebellum • Drive vital functions, such as heart rate, breathing, digestion • Limbic system • Adds emotions, complex motives, increased memory abilities • Cerebrum • Enables reasoning, planning, creating, problem solving

33. The Brain Stem and Cerebellum • Thalamus • Pons • Cerebellum • Medulla • Brain stem

34. The Limbic System • Hypothalamus –Serves as the brain’s blood-testing laboratory, constantly monitors blood to determine the condition of the body

35. The Limbic System • Amygdala –Involved in memory and emotion, particularly fear and aggression

36. The Limbic System • Hippocampus –Involved in establishing long-term memories

37. The Cerebrum • Cerebrum –Topmost layer of the brain; the bulbous cap over the limbic system • Cerebral cortex –Thin gray-matter covering of the cerebrum; carries on thinking and perceiving • Cerebral hemispheres –The two walnut shaped halves of the cerebrum, connected by the corpus callosum

38. 04.15 W. W. Norton

39. Phineas Gage

42. Specialization of the Cerebral Hemispheres Right Hemisphere Left Hemisphere • Repetitive but not spontaneous speaking • Spontaneous speaking and writing • Responses to simple commands • Responses to complex commands • Facial recognition • Word recognition • Memory for shapes and music • Memory for words and numbers • Spatial interpretation • Sequences of movements • Emotional responsiveness • Feelings of anxiety • Negative emotion • Positive emotion

43. Film on Split-Brain