30 Questions
What is the primary function of the somatosensory cortex in the brain?
To interpret sensory information from the body
What is the term for the cognitive awareness of one's body in space?
Proprioception
What type of receptors are sensitive to both heat and pain?
TrypV1 receptors
What is the purpose of stimulating different parts of the cortex during neurosurgery?
To map the topological representation of the body
What is the term for the sensation of pain?
Nociception
What type of sensors are found in muscles and provide information about stretching and contraction?
Proprioceptors
What is the primary purpose of the shadowing task in understanding selective attention?
To identify the mechanisms that filter out irrelevant information
What is the main issue with Broadbent's Early Selection Theory?
It fails to explain how we can identify our own name in the unattended ear
What is the main difference between Deutch and Deutch's Late Selection Theory and Broadbent's Early Selection Theory?
The location of the selective filter in the processing stream
What is the function of the attenuator in Treisman's Attenuation Theory?
To weaken but not eliminate input from the unattended ear
What is the primary advantage of Treisman's Attenuation Theory over Broadbent's Early Selection Theory?
It is more consistent with the idea of limited attentional resources
What is the main reason why Deutch and Deutch's Late Selection Theory may seem inefficient?
It assigns meaning to all information before selecting what to attend to
What is the primary purpose of deliberately making brain lesions in animals?
To observe changes in the animal's behavior
Which type of lesion is used to destroy tissue on the surface and deep inside the brain?
Radiofrequency lesion
What is the advantage of cortical cooling compared to other lesion techniques?
It is a temporary and reversible technique
What is the primary limitation of EEG in studying brain activity?
It can only measure the sum total of brain activity
What is the purpose of using kainic acid in lesion studies?
To cause an influx of calcium that kills neurons
What is the advantage of MEG compared to EEG?
It has a better resolution
What is the primary function of the reticular activating system in response to stress?
To control arousal and alertness levels
Which hormone is strongly linked to estrogen and plays a key role in the tend and befriend response to stress?
Oxytocin
What is the result of the body's resistance to stress if not followed by recovery?
Tissue damage and susceptibility to illness
Which stage of the general adaptation syndrome is characterized by the body's initial response to stress, including an increased heart rate?
Alarm
What is the effect of chronic stress on blood vessels?
They distend and become more rigid
What is the primary function of the sympathetic nervous system in response to stress?
To increase heart rate and respiration and prepare the body for 'fight or flight'
Which defence mechanism involves transforming unwanted impulses into something less harmful?
Sublimation
What is the term for the process of attributing one's own feelings of inadequacy to another person?
Projection
According to the psychosexual development theory, what is the result of fixation at a particular stage?
Lifelong conflicts
Which part of the mind is responsible for seeking long-term gratification and is involved in our perceptions and judgements?
Ego
What is the term for the natural energy source that fuels the mechanisms of the mind?
Libido
At what age does the superego typically develop?
Around 4 years old
Study Notes
Somatosensory Homunculus
- The brain has a map of the body, located in the sensory cortex, which receives information from the body
- Neurosurgeons can stimulate different parts of the cortex to identify what part of the body is affected by a brain tumor
- This process creates a topological map of the body in the cortex
Proprioception and Kinaesthesia
- Proprioception is the sense of balance and position, reliant on tiny sensors in muscles that send signals to the spinal cord and brain
- Kinaesthesia is the sense of movement of the body, not including sense of balance
- Proprioception is cognitive awareness of the body in space, while kinaesthesia is more behavioral
Pain and Temperature
- Pain is known as nociception, and temperature is thermoception
- The TrypV1 receptor is responsible for sensing temperature and is also sensitive to pain
- Heat causes a conformational change in the protein, allowing for temperature sensing
Responding to Stress
- The autonomic nervous system (ANS) works with the limbic system and reticular activating system to allow us to experience and understand emotions
- The reticular activating system controls arousal and alertness levels
- Stressors trigger the fight or flight system, increasing heart rate and respiration, and releasing epinephrine and norepinephrine
- The tend and befriend response is a stress response that involves social support, powered by oxytocin
- There are three stages of stress: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion
Physical Effects of Stress
- Chronic stress can damage heart tissue, increasing blood pressure and making blood vessels more rigid
- Inattentional blindness and change blindness can occur when attention is focused elsewhere
Theories of Selective Attention
- Broadbent's Early Selection Theory: all information goes into a sensory register, then a selective filter, and finally perceptual processes
- Deutsch & Deutsch's Late Selection Theory: a selective filter is placed after perceptual processes
- Treisman's Attenuation Theory: an attenuator weakens but doesn't eliminate input from unattended channels
Lesion Studies and Experimental Ablation
- Lesion studies involve deliberately making brain lesions to observe changes in behavior
- Techniques include surgical removal, surgical aspiration, nerve cuts, radiofrequency lesions, and neurochemical lesions
- Cortical cooling is a reversible and temporary technique
Modern Ways of Studying the Brain
- CAT scans (CT scans) and MRI are used to study brain structure
- EEG and MEG (SQUID) are used to study brain activity
- Cortical cooling is a reversible and temporary technique
Psychoanalysis
- Sigmund Freud's theory involves the concept of libido, or natural energy that fuels the mind
- Fixation at various stages of psychosexual development can lead to lifelong conflicts
- The mind consists of the conscious, unconscious, and id, ego, and superego
This quiz covers the concept of the somatosensory cortex, which is a part of the brain that maps the body, and the homunculus, a representation of the body within the brain. It also touches on how neurosurgeons can stimulate different parts of the cortex to identify brain tumor locations. Test your understanding of this complex topic!
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