Psychological Effects of Drugs and Aphasia

Psychological Effects of Drugs

• Cocaine: Intense feelings of euphoria, increased energy, and alertness. Heightened confidence and sociability. Anxiety, paranoia, and irritability can follow as effects wear off. Highly addictive.
• Marijuana: Affects mood and perception. Enhances sensory experiences but may distort time perception and impair motor skills. Can relieve anxiety but can also worsen it.
• Alcohol: Induces feelings of relaxation and euphoria. Lowers shyness and increases sociability but impairs cognitive functions and decision-making as consumption increases. Can lead to physical dependence with chronic use.

Aphasia

• Aphasia: A language disorder that results when a part of the brain involved in language is affected (lose the ability to speak). Located in the left hemisphere of the brain.
• Broca's aphasia: Limited language ability; difficulty with speech production. Damage to the Broca's area makes it hard to speak.
• Wernicke's aphasia: Jumbled speech; difficulty with speech comprehension. Damage to the Wernicke's area makes it hard to understand language.

Parasympathetic/Sympathetic

• Parasympathetic: Parachute, resting, calming, slowing heartbeat.
• Sympathetic: High blood pressure, adrenaline, fast heartbeat.

4 Classifications of Drugs

• Information on 4 classifications of drugs is not included in the provided text.

Depressants

• Brain effects: Slows messages between the brain and the body.
• Body effects: Relaxation and less inhibition.
• Duration: 10 minutes to 8 hours.
• Risks: Slurred speech, loss of motor coordination, and weakness.

Hallucinogens

• Brain effects: Relaxation.
• Body effects: Feelings of euphoria and relaxation.
• Duration: Lasts hours or less.
• Risks: Disorientation and poor judgment.

Opioids

• Brain effects: Euphoria and reduced pain.
• Body effects: Drowsiness, confusion, and slowed breathing.
• Duration: 2-4 hours.
• Risks: Slowed breathing and heart rate that can lead to death.

Stimulants

• Brain effects: Heightened sense of well-being, excitement, and alertness.
• Body effects: Increased heart rate and blood pressure.
• Duration: 3-6 hours or up to 12.
• Risks: Loss of appetite, dizziness, and tremors.

Sleep Malfunctions/Conditions

• Narcolepsy: Sudden and uncontrollable "sleep attacks" often into REM sleep.
• Insomnia: Difficulty falling or staying asleep leading to fatigue and impaired functioning during the day.

Review

• Case studies: In-depth examination of an individual or a small group (often focusing on unique or rare circumstances).
• Experimental research: Involves manipulating one or more independent variables to observe the effect on a dependent variable (to determine a causal relationship).
• Correlational research: a research method used to examine the relationship between two or more variables without manipulating them.

Parts of the Brain

• Cerebellum: Located in the back of the brain; important for motor control, coordination, and precision.
• Limbic system: Located in the temporal lobe; includes the amygdala and hippocampus, crucial for emotions, memory, and arousal.
• Hippocampus: Located in the temporal lobe; integral for memory formation and spatial navigation.
• Medulla: Found in the brainstem; responsible for controlling autonomic functions such as heart rate and breathing.
• Thalamus: Part of the limbic system; involved in regulating sleep, alertness, and consciousness.
• Hearing: Loss of hearing impacts balance.

What is Reputake?

• The reabsorption of neurotransmitters by the synaptic cleft after transmitting a nerve impulse across a synapse. (Neurotransmitters are then released back into the synapse when needed).

What is Brain Plasticity

• Also known as neuroplasticity. The ability of the brain to change and adapt in response to experiences, learning, and environmental factors. The brain reorganizes its structure and function throughout life. It can form new neural connections and pathways.

What is the Circadian Rhythm

• A 24-hour biological clock that regulates sleep, wakefulness, and other bodily functions.

Presentation about Sensations: Different Thresholds, JND (Just Noticeable Difference)

• Absolute thresholds: Minimum intensity of a stimulus detectable by an individual 50% of the time. For example, the faintest sound or the least amount of light.
• Difference thresholds : The smallest change in a stimulus that can be detected 50% of the time. For example, the smallest change in volume on a radio.

Vision

• Cornea: Transparent outer layer of the eye that helps focus light entering the eye.
• Pupil: Adjustable opening in the center of the eye that controls the amount of light entering the eye; regulates how much light enters the eye.
• Lens: Flexible, transparent structure that changes shape to focus light on the retina.
• Retina: Layer at the back of the eye; contains photoreceptor cells that convert light into electrical signals.

Photoreceptors

• Cells in the retina (rods/cones) that detect light and color.
• Optic nerve: The nerve that transmits visual information from the retina to the brain for processing.
• Visual cortex: Part of the brain that interprets signals and creates images.

Color Blindness

• Color blindness: Impacts the eye since the person will have trouble discerning the difference between specific colors/shades and also perceive changes in brightness of colors. Damages the photoreceptor cells (rods and cones).

Psychoactive Drugs

• Antagonist: Substances that bind to specific receptors but do not activate them; they block the action of agonists and prevent neurotransmitters from exerting their effects. Used to reverse opioid overdoses.
• Agonist: Substances that bind to specific receptors and activate them; mimicking the action of naturally occurring neurotransmitters or hormones. Used for pain relief by binding to opioid receptors in the brain and inducing euphoria.

Four Lobes of the Brain

• Occipital lobe: Visual perception (color, form, and motion).
• Frontal lobe: Voluntary movement, cognitive skills, and planning/organizing.
• Parietal lobe: Sensory input processing, specifically of touch.
• Temporal lobe: Auditory processing, language comprehension, and memory.

The Two Basic Sleep Stages

• REM: Rapid eye movement; paradoxical sleep where the brain is active while the body is paralyzed. Associated with vivid dreams, important for memory consolidation and plays a key role in memory consolidation especially for skills and information learned during the day.
• NREM: Non-rapid eye movement sleep. This has multiple stages of progressively deeper sleep, with varying stages of relaxation and brain activity: stage 1, stage 2, stage 3. NREM sleep is crucial for physical restoration.

Dream Theories

• Activation-Synthesis Theory: Dreams result from the brain's interpretation of random neural activity.
• Consolidation Theory: Dreams help to process and store memories.

Sensory Processes

• Thresholds:
  • Absolute threshold: Minimum level of stimulus detected 50% of the time.
  • Difference threshold (Just Noticeable Difference): The minimum noticeable difference between two stimuli detected 50% of the time.
• Sensory Adaptation: Diminished sensitivity to a constant stimulus over time.

Sensory Systems

• Vision (Occipital Lobe):
  • Cornea: Focuses light.
  • Pupil: Regulates light.
  • Lens: Changes shape to focus on retina.
  • Retina: Contains photoreceptors (rods and cones).
• Hearing (Temporal Lobe):
  • Cochlea: Converts sound waves into neural signals.
  • Hair cells: Detect sound vibrations.
  • Theories of pitch: (Frequency Theory: Explains low-pitch sounds. Place theory: Explains high-pitch sounds).
• Touch (Parietal Lobe): Specialized nerve endings in the skin detect different types of touch stimuli; including pressure, temperature, and pain.
• Taste (Frontal Lobe and Insula) - Gustation: Receptors (taste buds) on the tongue detect chemicals in food, detecting basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami.
• Smell (Temporal Lobe/Limbic System) - Olfaction: Odor molecules bind to receptors in the nasal cavity, bypassing the thalamus and connecting directly to the limbic system.
• Kinesthetic sense (Cerebellum): Proprioceptors in muscles, tendons, and joints detect body position and movement.
• Vestibular sense (Cerebellum): Semicircular canals in the inner ear detect balance and spatial orientation.

Key Brain Structures and Functions

• Cerebral cortex: Responsible for higher-level thinking, sensation, and movement.
• Frontal lobe: Decision-making, executive functions. Voluntary movements.
• Parietal lobe: Sensory input processing (somatosensory cortex).
• Occipital lobe: Visual processing.
• Temporal lobe: Auditory processing and language comprehension.
• Limbic system: Group of interconnected brain structures that regulate emotions and behaviors.
• Thalamus: Relays sensory information.
• Hypothalamus: Regulates basic drives, homeostasis.
• Amygdala: Processes emotions like fear and aggression.
• Hippocampus: Memory formation.

Brain Stem

• Brain Stem: Controls life-sustaining functions. (Medulla: Manages breathing and heart rate, Reticular Activating System (RAS): Regulates alertness and sleep/wake cycles.

Cerebellum

• Cerebellum: Coordinates voluntary movements and balance.

Neurotransmitters

• Serotonin: Regulates mood, sleep, and appetite.
• Endorphins: Natural pain relievers, promote pleasure.
• Dopamine: Involved in reward, pleasure, and motor control.

Operational Definitions

• Clear, measurable definitions of variables in research. For example, defining "aggression" by the number of punches thrown.