Physiological Psychology 41363
Outline 2
I. Review of last time
II. Structure and function of the nervous system
Nervous System
1. CNS - protected by:
A. 3 protective membranes (meninges)
1. Dura mater
2. Arachnoid membrane
3. Pia mater
B. CSF
1. Ventricles - lateral, 3rd, and 4th
2. Produced by choroid plexus
2. PNS - relay info to and from external receptors and CNS
3. Somatic NS - conscious movements
4. Autonomic NS - “self-governing”
5. Parasympathetic - saves energy
6. Sympathetic - uses energy
Brain
A.orientation
lateral medial-
rostralcaudaldorsalventralB. forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain, neural tube
C. gray vs white matter
D. convolutions
1. fissures
2. sulci (sulcus)
3. gyri (gyrus)
E. 2 hemispheres
I. Forebrain
A. Cerebral cortex - thinking and mental processes: planning
- left hemisphere deals with analysis of serial/sequential processes
- right hemisphere is predominantly synthesis-oriented: perception of wholes
-contralateral vs ipsilateral
-corpus callosum: split brain patients
1. Lobes
-frontal lobe - primary motor cortex
-parietal - primary somatosensory cortex
-temporal - primary auditory cortex
-occipital - primary visual cortex
-association cortex - integrates info from primary cortices
2. Broca’s area
3. Wernicke’s area
B. Limbic system - emotion, motivation and learning/memory
1. Amygdala - anger, aggression, reproduction
2. Hippocampus - learning and memory formation
3. Septum - anger, fear
C. Basal ganglia - control of movement
D. Thalamus - conductor
E. Hypothalamus - survival
II. Midbrain
A. Reticular formation - regulation of consciousness
B. Superior and inferior colliculi - vision and hearing
C. Substantia nigra - movement
III. Hindbrain
A. Cerebellum - coordinates and smooths movements
B. Pons - relay station
C. Medulla (oblongata) - heart rate, breathing, digestion, crossover
Spinal cord - routes sensory and motor info to and from the brain
I. Dorsal horn - sensory
II. Ventral horn - motor
III. Simple reflex
Research Methodology
I. Experimental ablation - lesion studies
A. Producing brain lesions
- surface lesions
- subcortical regions
- excitotoxic lesions - uses kainic acid
- 6-hyroxydopamine
- sham lesions
-reversible lesions
B. Stereotaxic surgery
C. Determining pathways of communication
1. Anterograde labeling - PHA-L -immunocytochemical technology
2. Retrograde labeling - fluorogold
D. How do we find out about the brain?
1. Electroencephalogram (EEG)
2. X-rays or angiograms
3. Computerized axial tomography (CAT) scan
4. Magnetic resonance imaging - (MRI)
5. Positron emission tomography (PET)
6. Functional MRI