The Brain and Behavior

1. The Brain and Behavior McElhaney

2. “Beautiful Brains” The Teenage Brain National Geographic • How does David describe teenage behavior? • What was the previous understanding/explanation for teenage behavior? • What is his explanation for teenage behavior? • What new insight do we have regarding the physiology of the teenage brain? • Write a fat paragraph regarding your new understanding from reading this article.

3. Biopsychology= Bio explanation/cause for behavior. Or Physiological Psychology • Includes Electro/Chemical processes • Brain Anatomy • The Study of Biological Aspects of Behavior • Hormonal aspects of behavior • Hemisphere specialization • Genetic Aspects (Nature-Nurture) • Evolutionary Psychology

4. Phineas Gage- Frontal Lobe injury • Suffered brain injury that caused changes in his personality and behavior.

5. Brain Mapping“Localization of Function” • We know about the brain through experiments • Where portions of the brain are stopped, in order to identify locals of control. Brain mapping tells us Functions of the Brain Examples of Language Left and Right Side tendencies

7. What tools do Doctors have in determining Brain Function? • EEG • CAT Scan • MRI • PET Scan • Role of Glucose • Functional MRI

8. Tools for Viewing Brain Structure and Activity • EEG • Electroencephalogram • measures electrical currents across the brain • Measure brain activity • In Waves • And Location of different functions

9. Tools for Viewing Brain Structure and Activity • CT scan • Also called a CAT scan • Computerized axial tomography • X-ray of brain tissue • Shows brain Structure/Damage • Cross section images

10. Snapshots of the Brain • PET scan • Positron Emissions Tomography • Patients drinks radioactive glucose* and image shows areas of brain activity or as it’s working. *Measures location of glucose consumption. Glucose is the primary fuel of the Brain as it is working. More glucose in an area means brain is working.

11. Tools for Viewing Brain Structure and Activity • MRI • Magnetic Resonance Imaging • Exposes brain to magnetic field • Shows brain structure • Detailed soft tissue imaging.

12. (FMRI) Functional MRI • Measures oxygen laden blood flow. • “brain activity by detecting associated changes in blood flow.[1][2] This technique relies on the fact that cerebral blood flow and neuronal activation are coupled. When an area of the brain is in use, blood flow to that region also increases”

13. Neurons are the basic building blocks • AKA Nerve Cells – 100 Billion in brain • Carries and processes information • Connected via Chains of specialized information • Activate Muscles & Glands • None are identical

15. The Neuron and what it does • Dendrites= “Tree Roots” receives messages from other neurons • Soma – cell body, sends Nerve Impulses • Axon- Fibrous carrier of impulses • Axon Terminals- end of Axon • Myelin Sheath- insulating body surrounding the axon

17. Nerve Impulse- “Firing” of a nerve • Ions= sodium (Na) Electrical Charged molecules are in each neuron • Electrical charge of <-70> Millivolts • Threshold = trigger point for sending a message • Nerve Impulse- will be fired when <-50> Millivolts are reached =Action Potential • Gates open and allow flow of ions- sodium goes in Potassium out

19. Quiz Thursday: • Neuron and its components • Nerve Impulse and Action Potential • Synapse • Neurotransmitters

21. Action Potential

22. Synapses and Neurotransmitters • Info is transmitted chemically • Synapse = space between neurons • Between Axon terminals and Dendrites • Neurotransmitter=a chemical released by a neuron that stimulates nearby neurons and allows for nerve impulses to be passed throughout the body • Neurotransmitters are kept in vesicles, which fuse with the axon terminal’s membrane and travel into the synaptic cleft, ready to bind to receptors in the postsynaptic membrane

23. What a neurotransmitter looks like… Receptors are found at each end of the neuron- cell body and dendrite Neurotransmitters can slow or speed up firing of neuron There are over 100 transmitter chemicals

24. Facts and Such. • Everything you do or feel occurs due to communication between different neurons, which provide information throughout the nervous system. Within a single neuron, information travels through electrical signals, but when information is transmitted from one neuron to the next neuron, the transmission is considered ‘chemical’. • For two neurons to communicate neurotransmitters (messengers) are released into the synaptic cleft (an extremely tiny gap between neurons), where they then move to the next neuron and attach themselves to locations called receptorsites. • The result is an initiation of electrical current that moves through that neuron toward the next one. After the neurotransmitter does its thing, it is either destroyed by other chemicals in the synaptic cleft or is taken back into its original neuron. This action prevents the neurons from becoming ‘overstimulated’. • When neurons communicate, the effect can either help or hinder the next neuron. For example, when a person pays attention to one conversation and ignores others, the neurons in the brain are ‘listening’ to that information (helping) and ignoring the rest (hindering). Neurons come in different shapes and sizes, affecting many other neurons, and can have different numbers of synapses. Some neurons, called Purkinje cells, may have as many as 100,000 synapses.

25. Neurotransmitters Chemicals that influence the firing of nerve cells Can “excite”-make firing more likely Or “inhibit” make firing less likely

26. Your Brain on Drugs Neurotransmission link

28. Mayo Clinic Video http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/antidepressants/MM00660

29. Effects of Drugs + Meds on Neurotransmitters • Alcohol- Increases GABA, Increases Dopamine • Prozac- Increases Serotonin levels • Same with Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa, Luvox • Opiates- Increases Dopamine, Mimics Endorphins • Morphine and heroin • Nicotine- Imitates Acetylcholine

30. Psych Jeopardy Review • Choose group of 5 people • Divide Key Terms from reading (part 2 recommended) • Make questions/answers on flashcards (at least 10) • Play Jeopardy monday

31. Endorphins • Endorphins are a group of small proteins naturally occurring in the brain around nerve endings that bind to opiate receptors • Natural opiates produced in the brain which function as the body’s own natural painkillers and Elevate mood. • Endorphins respond to morphine • Enkephalins= opiate like neural regulators relieve pain & stress similar to endorphins

32. Drugs and Neurotransmitters • Psychoactive medications: • Imitate • Duplicate • Or blocks Neurotransmitters

33. Curare = poison • Prevents Acetylcholine- up take • And causes paralysis

34. Organization of the Nervous System

35. Central Nervous System

36. Peripheral Nervous System • Controls the voluntary behavior • Carries information to and from the Central Nervous System • Peripheral nervous system is made up of: • Somatic System • Autonomic System • Sympathetic Branch • Parasympathetic Branch

37. Peripheral Nervous System • Somatic System- controls voluntary behavior • Sense organs and skeletal muscles

38. Autonomic Nervous System

39. Sympathetic and Parasympathetic • Both systems work together: • Emotional responses and Involuntary behavior Parasympathetic= quiets body, returns to lower level of arousal, after emotional event Vital functions, heart rate, breathing, digestion

40. Types of Neurons • Sensory Neurons – Afferent Neurons • Carry the message from the sense organs to the CNS • Inter neurons • Make up the CNS • Motor Neurons – Efferent Neurons • Carry the message from the CNS to the muscles or glands • Remember – SAME (sensory = afferent, motor = efferent)

42. Simple-Pain Reflex • “When your finger touches a flame… Sensory neurons (afferent) to interneurons in spinal cord to motor neuron in your arm. • (p. 89) • Simple pain reflex runs to spinal cord then arm before it gets to the brain. • “Your hand jerks away from candle’s flame before your brain receives and responds to the information that causes you to feel pain.”

43. Hind Brain = Brain Stem • Medulla– where spinal cord meets the skull; controls heartbeat and breathing • Reticular formation– bundle of nerves running through the brainstem; • Reticular Activating System: • controls arousal and attention; filters incoming stimuli and relays important information to the brain.

44. Cerebellum • Controls balance and coordination • In the rear of the head, behind the brainstem

45. Cerebellum • Physical Movement • Coordination • Dancing • Musical Instruments • Athletics • Divided into two hemispheres (mini brain) • More neurons than rest of brain • Muscle tone

47. ,, Limbic System= Amygdala, Thalamus Hippocampus, Hypothalamus Thalamus (Processes Sensory info) • Relays signals from spinal cord • Relays signals from eyes & other SENSE organs • Hypothalamus: (Hypo = Under) • Lies under the Thalamus • Regulating Hunger, Thirst, Sex Drive

48. Thalamus Thalamus • Pair of egg-shaped organs above the brainstem; receives information from the senses (EXCEPT FOR SMELL) and relays it to the rest of the brain. • Hypothalamus –(below the thalamus; regulates hunger, thirst, body temp, sex, fight-or-flight (the “master gland”); reward center • Monitors the blood for: • hormones • Blood Sugar • Triggers the Pituitary Gland

49. Limbic System=Thalamus, Hypothalamus, Amygdala, Hippocampus • Amygdala – two almond shaped structures; • Influence fear and aggression Emotion • PTSD= Amygdala

50. Hippocampus • Formation of Memories • Damage to hippocampus can result in Anterograde Amnesia • Retrograde Amnesia • Not able to remember old memeories Memory Ability is associated with size of the hippocampus Small hippocampus = memory problems • Aneterograde Amnesia • Not able to remember new events (50 First Dates)