Neuroscience Basics: Myelin and Behavior

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Questions and Answers

What phenomenon occurs when a person cannot quite retrieve a word but can identify characteristics of it?

Coma

Tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon (correct)

Hyperactivity

Metacognition

Which term refers to an individual's awareness of their cognitive processes?

Phenomenology

Metacognition (correct)

Arousal

Psychoanalysis

What happens to meanings when a word is presented too briefly for conscious awareness?

The word is forgotten

Only one meaning is activated

No meanings are activated

Both meanings may be activated (correct)

Which state of arousal refers to a lack of responsiveness to stimuli?

Coma Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of experience does phenomenology focus on?

Individual, subjective aspects Signup and view all the answers

What is the main characteristic of a controlled process?

Performed serially and requires conscious awareness. Signup and view all the answers

What does blindsight refer to in the context of visual perception?

Ability to detect stimuli in regions where one is visually blind. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes the concept of vigilance?

A person's ability to attend to a field of stimulation over time. Signup and view all the answers

What evidence suggests that vigilance can be improved?

Vigilance can be enhanced through training. Signup and view all the answers

What impact does time have on controlled processes according to the content?

They deteriorate after prolonged observation. Signup and view all the answers

What are the small gaps in the myelin coating along the axon called?

Nodes of Ranvier Signup and view all the answers

Which part of the nervous system is responsible for voluntary movements?

Somatic nervous system Signup and view all the answers

What mechanism does adaptation refer to in the context of evolution?

Behaviors or traits enhancing reproductive success Signup and view all the answers

What is the main function of the terminal buttons in neurons?

To release neurotransmitters Signup and view all the answers

What type of recording provides very good temporal resolution in studying brain activity?

ERP Signup and view all the answers

Which part of the nervous system maintains body functions during restful states?

Parasympathetic nervous system Signup and view all the answers

The brain is most directly involved in controlling which of the following?

Thoughts, emotions, and motivations Signup and view all the answers

What are the small gaps that serve as a junction between terminal buttons and dendrites called?

Synapse Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of cochlear implants and implanted electrodes?

To enable paralyzed patients to move devices outside their body Signup and view all the answers

Which heuristic involves making judgments based on immediate examples that come to mind?

Availability heuristic Signup and view all the answers

What aspect does cognitive neuroscience help understand in the context of eyewitness testimony?

The accuracy of their memories Signup and view all the answers

What is indicated by the relationship between attention and consciousness?

No attention means no consciousness Signup and view all the answers

How can researchers improve the capabilities of computing devices?

By studying the brain and its functionalities Signup and view all the answers

What role does the scientific method play in the study of the brain?

It provides a systematic approach to avoid biases Signup and view all the answers

What do modern neuroscientific findings suggest about criminal punishment?

They can inform social policies regarding treatment and punishment Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of artificial neural networks in relation to brain activity?

They are used to recognize patterns of brain activity Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference between search and vigilance in attention processes?

Search involves actively seeking a target, while vigilance involves passively waiting. Signup and view all the answers

What does automization refer to in cognitive processes?

The transition from controlled processes to automatic ones. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of habituation in sensory processing?

To lessen responses to a consistent stimulus. Signup and view all the answers

Which type of search requires looking for a specific combination of features?

Conjunction search Signup and view all the answers

Which theory posits that similar distracters make it harder to detect target stimuli?

Similarity Theory Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of the process used in shadowing?

Repeating back one message after hearing multiple messages. Signup and view all the answers

What function does the selective filter serve in Moray's Selective Filter Model?

It allows some salient messages to bypass sensory filtering. Signup and view all the answers

How does sensory adaptation differ from habituation?

Sensory adaptation occurs at the organ level; habituation is a perception change. Signup and view all the answers

What occurs during the parallel stage of Guided Search Theory?

Simultaneous activation of potential targets. Signup and view all the answers

What effect does a change in a familiar stimulus have according to dishabituation?

It prompts renewed attention to the stimulus. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Nervous System and Brain Function

Myelin gaps along axons enhance conduction speed.
Evolution shapes brain structure, affecting thoughts and behaviors.
Terminal buttons are small structures at axon branches' ends responsible for neurotransmitter release.
Synapses are junctions between terminal buttons and dendrites, facilitating communication between neurons.

Nervous System Organization

Central Nervous System (CNS) consists of the brain and spinal cord, controlling thoughts and emotions.
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) includes all nerve cells outside the brain and spinal cord.
PNS has two parts: Somatic (voluntary sensory and motor nerves) and Autonomic (involuntary functions) with subdivisions of sympathetic and parasympathetic systems.

Cognitive Neuroscience Methods

EEG measures electrical brain activity as waves of varying heights and widths.
Event-Related Potentials (ERP) focus on EEG waves linked to specific events, offering excellent temporal resolution.
Biases and heuristics, like availability and affect heuristics, can hinder accurate perception and conclusions regarding brain processes.

Artificial Cognition and Neural Networks

Researchers are developing artificial neural networks to improve computer functions using insights from brain activity.
Brain interface devices can restore functions to paralyzed individuals, such as through cochlear implants.

Attention and Consciousness

Attention is essential for consciousness; without attention, consciousness is altered.
Different arousal levels affect awareness and responsiveness (e.g., sleep, coma).

Metacognitive Awareness

Metacognition involves reflecting on cognitive processes and being aware of one's thoughts.

Psychological Phenomena

Blindsight occurs when individuals with visual cortex lesions can guess locations and orientations in a "blind" region despite claiming blindness.
The tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon illustrates retrieval failures despite partial memory access.

Attention Mechanisms

Vigilance involves actively detecting specific stimuli over time.
Search processes include feature search (looking for distinctive features) and conjunction search (seeking combinations of features), both of which can be influenced by distractors.

Search and Processing Theories

The Feature-Integration Theory posits that we maintain a mental map of features for efficient searching.
Similarity Theory highlights that increased similarity between targets and distractors makes detection harder.

Attention Models

Broadbent's model suggests filtering occurs at the sensory level, impacting information registration.
Moray’s selective filter model accommodates salient messages that can penetrate attention filters.
Movement-Filter Theory indicates that attentional biases are influenced by movement and the dynamic nature of stimuli.

Implications in Real-Life Applications

Cognitive neuroscience research informs social policies regarding addiction treatment and criminal rehabilitation.
Understanding attention enhances methods in criminal justice, especially related to eyewitness reliability.

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Description

Explore how small gaps in myelin coating affect nerve conduction speed and the relationship between brain anatomy and behavior. This quiz delves into the evolutionary aspects of the brain and how these factors shape our thoughts and actions.