The Biology of Psychology

1. The Biology of Psychology

2. Question (20 point) • General Electric, Hughes Aerospace, and Intel are working on a project that, if successful, will radically change government investigations. They plan to build a handheld device that will be able to scan the human mind. They claim that their device will be able to read a person’s thoughts with 95% accuracy. The opening price for such a device will be $300,000.

3. Question: Should this device be legal for the government to use? Answer with a short essay that contain two points of support for your position.

4. Your Nervous System • The parts of your body responsible for your behavior (physical and mental) are known collectively as your nervous system. • The nervous system is split into two parts: • Central Nervous System • Peripheral Nervous System

5. Central Nervous System • The Central Nervous is composed of two parts: • Brain • Early civilizations (Greeks, Egyptians) believed that the brain was an unimportant part of the body • Most adult brains are comparable in size • Brains do not feel pain 2. Spinal Cord - Most information from the outer parts of the body are transmitted to the brain from the spinal cord • Cord protected by the vertebrae • Injury to the cord can lead to paralysis

6. The Brain • The brain is composed of two hemispheres, which are connected by a band of fibers known as the corpus callosum. • Our brains are cross-dominant, which means that the left hemisphere controls the right side of the body, and vice-versa. • Evidence of cross-dominance can be seen with stroke victims.

7. Possible Brain Disorders • Most common reason people lose brain function: stroke • alexia: inability to read language, but can write • Agraphia: inability to write • Apraxia: inability to perform a learned motor skill (e.g. combing your hair). Dyspraxia is a lack of motor coordination

8. Brain disorders 4. Broca’s aphasia: inability to form sentences. Can understand speech. 5. Wernicke’s aphasia: Inability to understand speech 6. Global aphasia: combination of both Wernicke’s and Broca’s

9. Brain Disorders 7. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE): Progressive degeneration of the CNS due to repeated head trauma • Associated with collision/contact sports • Symptoms include memory loss, aggression, confusion, and depression

10. Plasticity Issue: Can the brain shift where particular functions be controlled if need be, due to injury/disease? Answer: Depends. It is known that both healthy and damaged brains show signs of neuroplasticity, where the brain can be constantly remolded. In cases of brain damage, work done in areas that have suffered damage may shift to remaining healthy areas. Key: Exercising the brain

11. Brain Anatomy • Besides being separated by hemispheres, the brain is also separated into three separate units: • Hindbrain • Cerebellum (voluntary movements, balance) • Sleep, autonomic functions • Midbrain - RAS (sleep/wake, awareness of incoming signals) • Forebrain • Sensory information received • Control of hunger, thirst, sex • The ability to think, formation of personality • Research shows development continues into the early 20s

12. Studying the brain • Electroencephalograph (EEG) • Can measure activity of the entire brain • Measures electrical activity • Used to determine dream activity • Electrodes - Through artificial electrical current, brain is stimulated 3. Imaging: used to provide info on possible injury and/or function of brain Types: PET, MRI, CAT, fMRI, MEG New methods of imaging confirm theories of brain function

13. Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) • Neurons outside of the brain and spinal cord compose the PNS. • PNS has two separate parts: • Somatic: controls voluntary muscles • Autonomic: controls involuntary muscles

14. The Neuron • Neurons are the method that information (aka stimuli) are carried to and from the brain. • Each neuron contains an action potential that will fire a message to the next neuron in the chain only if the neuron’s threshold is reached. • Neurons are all-or-none in action. • All neurons have the same structure (see image) • Neurons do not touch each other; instead, neurotransmitters bridge the the gap known as the synapse.

15. The Endocrine System • Send chemical messages known as hormones to the brain • Hormones are secreted through glands that release the hormones into the bloodstream • Hormones move slower than neurotransmitters, and the consequences of their release may take months to realize

16. Gland Activity • Pituitary • “Master Gland” • Located in the brain • HGH B. Adrenal • secretes adrenaline • “Fight or flight” • Release cortical steroids for extra energy needs C. Thyroid - control metabolism: body’s energy level • Sex • Males: Testes (testosterone) • Females: Ovaries (progesterone/estrogen)

17. Gland Activity E. Pancreas -secretes insulin, which regulates glucose prod.

18. Epigenetics • Traditional view: the genetic package that you were given by your parents will be exactly the same that you pass on to your children. • New view: the environmental decisions/impacts that you choose/receive (e.g, smoking, child abuse) not only effect the person you become, but can alter your genetic material that you pass on to future generations. • Example: Research indicates that child abuse changes genetic markers within the hippocampus. These changes are related to people who commit suicide (Szyf (University of Montreal, 2008).