Biological Psychology Overview

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary focus of biological psychology?

To explore how psychological phenomena produce biological changes.

To investigate purely anatomical aspects of the brain.

To understand how biological fundamentals produce psychological phenomena. (correct)

To develop pharmaceuticals based on psychological theories.

Which technique is NOT commonly used in biological psychology?

Animal brain dissection

Phrenology assessments (correct)

Neuroimaging techniques

Behavioral observations of personality

What is the condition where a patient is awake but unaware of themselves or their environment?

Locked in syndrome

Coma

Conscious awareness

Vegetative state (correct)

What type of neuroimaging technique assesses brain function?

EEG Signup and view all the answers

Which part of the brain is primarily responsible for auditory perception and emotion?

Temporal lobe Signup and view all the answers

What is contralateral organization in terms of brain function?

The left hemisphere controls the right side of the body. Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the corpus callosum?

It connects the two hemispheres of the brain. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about locked-in syndrome is true?

Patients are awake and aware but cannot respond due to paralysis. Signup and view all the answers

What role do the basal ganglia primarily serve in the nervous system?

Control of movement Signup and view all the answers

How does damage to the amygdala affect emotional responses?

Impedes fear conditioning Signup and view all the answers

Which neurotransmitter is primarily associated with voluntary movement and is affected in Parkinson's disease?

Dopamine Signup and view all the answers

What occurs during depolarization in a neuron?

Sodium ions enter the neuron Signup and view all the answers

What is an agonist in the context of drug action?

A drug that facilitates neurotransmitter action Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is the primary result of physical dependence on a substance?

Tolerance to the drug's effects Signup and view all the answers

What changes occur in an individual like Phineas Gage after frontal lobe damage?

Diminished emotional regulation and increased impulsivity Signup and view all the answers

What is a common misconception about the reliability of a polygraph test?

It accurately measures truthfulness Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes psychoactive depressants?

They suppress bodily processes Signup and view all the answers

Which part of the neuron is primarily responsible for receiving information from other neurons?

Dendrites Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Biological Psychology: A Bridge Between Psychology and Neuroscience

Biological psychology explores how biological factors influence psychological phenomena like learning, memory, emotion, and perception.

History of Biological Psychology

Phrenology (19th Century): Founded by Gall, phrenology proposed that personality and abilities could be determined by skull bumps.

Techniques in Biological Psychology

Observations of behavior after head injuries: Studying how brain damage affects behavior.
Animal brain dissection: Examining animal brains to understand brain structure and function.
Post-mortem dissection of human brains: The examination of a dead person's brain after death.
Microscopic examination of nerve cells: Investigating the structure and function of neurons at a cellular level.
Neuroimaging techniques: Advanced methods for studying brain structure and function.

Neuroimaging Techniques

Brain Structure:
- CT scan (Computerized Tomography): Uses X-rays to create cross-sectional images of the brain.
- MRI scan (Magnetic Resonance Imaging): Creates detailed images of brain structure using magnetic fields.
Brain Function:
- EEG (Electroencephalography): Measures electrical activity in the brain via electrodes on the scalp.
- PET scan (Positron Emission Tomography): Measures brain activity by detecting radioactive substances injected into the bloodstream.
- fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging): Measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow.
- MEG (Magnetoencephalography): Measures magnetic fields produced by electrical activity in the brain.
- TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation): Uses magnetic pulses to stimulate or inhibit brain activity.

Disorder of Consciousness

Coma: No wakefulness or awareness, no response to commands.
Vegetative State: Awake but unaware, can display sleep-wake cycles and reflexes but no response to commands.
Locked-in Syndrome: Awake and aware, but unable to respond due to paralysis, only able to communicate via eye movements.
EEG recording can investigate brain activity in vegetative patients. Healthy brains exhibit complex and interconnected networks which support awareness, some vegetative patients maintain well-preserved neural networks.
Clinical assessments based on behavioral responses might not reveal residual awareness if motor skills are highly impaired.
fMRI can detect signs of cognitive function and awareness consistent with locked-in syndrome in such patients. This offers these patients a means of communication with the outside world.

Basic Brain Anatomy

Cerebral Cortex:
- Frontal Lobe: Motor activity, speech, planning, impulse control.
- Parietal Lobe: Integrating sensory information, spatial tasks.
- Temporal Lobe: Auditory perception, memory, emotion.
- Occipital Lobe: Visual perception.
Lateralization of Function (Sperry, 1981):
- Left Hemisphere: Language, computation, logic.
- Right Hemisphere: Spatial reasoning, face recognition, music.
- Corpus Callosum: Connects the two hemispheres.
Contralateral Organization: Visual processing, muscle and limb control are organized on the opposite side of the brain.
Effects of Brain Injuries (e.g., stroke): Injuries can affect various functions like face, arm, speech, and time perception.
Split-Brain Patients: Patients with surgically severed corpus callosums. Information presented to one visual field is processed by the opposite hemisphere.

Nervous System

Basal Ganglia: Includes caudate nucleus, putamen, and globus pallidus; involved in movement control, damaged in Parkinson's disease.

Emotion

Emotional Responses: Measured via polygraph (lie detector), which measures galvanic skin response, heart rate, and blood pressure, although error rates are high (25-75%).
Phineas Gage Case (Harlow, 1848): Accident caused damage to his frontal lobe (orbitofrontal cortex). His personality changed drastically, from well-balanced to impulsive.
Biological Psychology of Emotion:
- Cortex: Inhibits and directs emotions.
- Sub-cortical Structures (Limbic System): Generates emotional responses.
Amygdala: Crucial for fear conditioning and recognition of facial expressions of fear. Damage can cause a lack of fear. Criminal psychopaths show less activation in the amygdala.
Psychopaths exhibit poor emotional development and reduced ability to feel, read, and learn from emotions.

Neuron

Neuron (Nerve Cell): The fundamental unit of the nervous system.
- Cell Body: Contains the nucleus.
- Dendrites: Receive signals from other neurons.
- Axon: Sends signals towards other neurons.
- Axon Terminals: Synaptic sites, ends close to other neurons.
Electrical Conduction: Positive sodium ions enter the neuron, causing depolarization (brief positive charge); then, potassium ions exit to restore negative charge.
Myelination: Speeds up action potential propagation. Myelination continues into adolescence.
Cell Firing: Excitatory influences lower firing threshold (more likely to fire); inhibitory influences raise threshold (less likely to fire).

Major Neurotransmitters

GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid): Primarily inhibitory.
Acetylcholine (ACh): Associated with memory, muscular movement, and Alzheimer's disease.
Serotonin: Influences mood, sleep, and eating (implicated in depression and OCD).
Dopamine (DA): Involved in voluntary movement, pleasure, and schizophrenia (implicated in Parkinson's disease).
Endorphins: Neuromodulators playing a role in pain sensitivity.

Dopamine (DA) System

DA neurons originate from two midbrain nuclei (substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area), projecting to various brain regions (nigrostriatal, mesocortical, mesolimbic pathways).

Drug Action

Agonists: Facilitate neurotransmitter action.
Antagonists: Reduce neurotransmitter action.

Psychoactive Drugs

Depressants: Suppress bodily processes (alcohol, valium).
Opiates: Pain relievers (morphine, heroin).
Stimulants: Increase bodily processes (methamphetamine, cocaine).
Hallucinogens: Produce sensory distortions (LSD, cannabis).

Substance Use Disorders (DSM-5 Criteria)

Diagnosis based on criteria like hazardous use, social/interpersonal problems, neglect of roles, tolerance, withdrawal, misuse of substance, persistent efforts to quit, or give up social/occupational/recreational activities. Also including physical and psychological problems related to substance use and craving.

Physical Dependence: Tolerance

Repeated drug use leads to decreased responsiveness at the site of action (fewer receptors, decreased binding efficiency, less responsive receptors).

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Description

This quiz covers the foundational concepts of biological psychology and its historical background. Explore key techniques used in the field, including neuroimaging and the study of brain injuries. Test your understanding of how biological factors influence psychological phenomena.