HP1000 Introduction To Psychology AY2024-25 Biopsychology & Neuroscience PDF

HP1000 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY AY2024-25 BIOPSYCHOLOGY & NEUROSCIENCE, AND CONSCIOUSNESS (I) Outline Nervous system Endocrine system Brain structures and functions Methods to study the living brain Biopsychology Branch of psychology that studies the interaction of biology, behavior, a...

HP1000 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY AY2024-25 BIOPSYCHOLOGY & NEUROSCIENCE, AND CONSCIOUSNESS (I) Outline Nervous system Endocrine system Brain structures and functions Methods to study the living brain Biopsychology Branch of psychology that studies the interaction of biology, behavior, and mental processes Neuroscience Biologists Neurologists Chemists Biopsychologists Computer scientists Cognitive psychologists Linguists How do our brain and its chemical and electrical processes Engineers affect how we think, feel, and behave? Eavesdropping on Brain Activity Turns Imagined Handwriting to Text (Willet et al., 2021) How a Brain Implant and AI Gave a Woman with Paralysis Her Voice Back (Metzger et al., 2023) NERVOUS SYSTEM Nervous system Network of neurons (nerve cells) that receive, process, and sends information to and from all parts of the body neuron nerve Structure of a neuron video Structure of a neuron Neurotransmission synapse Neurotransmitters Chemical messengers that relay neural messages across the synapse Excitatory (↑ cell firing) Inhibitory (↓ cell firing) Neurotransmitters Functions Acetylcholine (ACh) Excitatory or inhibitory; involved in arousal, attention, memory, and controls muscle contractions Norepinephrine (NE) Mainly excitatory; involved in arousal and mood Dopamine (DA) Excitatory or inhibitory; involved in control of movement and sensations of pleasure Serotonin (5-HT) Excitatory or inhibitory; involved in sleep, mood, anxiety, and appetite Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) Major inhibitory neurotransmitter; involved in sleep and inhibits movement Glutamate Major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in learning, memory formation, nervous system development, and synaptic plasticity Endorphins Inhibitory neural regulators; involved in pain relief Agonists and Antagonists Agonists: mimic or enhance the effects of a neurotransmitter on the receptor sites of the next cell, increasing or decreasing the activity of that cell Antagonists: block or reduce a cell’s response to the action of other chemicals or neurotransmitters Neurotransmitter reuptake reuptake dopamine Organization of the nervous system The spinal cord reflex Sensory (afferent) neurons carry messages from sense receptors toward the CNS Motor (efferent) neurons carry messages from CNS toward muscles and glands Interneurons carry messages between sensory and motor neurons video Organization of the nervous system  Autonomic nervous system “Rest and digest” “Fight or flight” ENDOCRINE SYSTEM Endocrine system Group of glands that secrete chemicals called hormones directly into the bloodstream Influence body functions, behaviors, emotions, and development BRAIN STRUCTURES & FUNCTIONS Hindbrain: Brain stem & cerebellum Limbic system  rat Cerebral cortex sheep human Cerebral cortex Cerebrum corpus callosum Occipital lobes and cortical areas Parietal lobes and cortical areas Homunculus (“little person”) Neurological map of brain areas dedicated to processing sensory and motor functions Temporal lobes and cortical areas Wernicke's Aphasia Frontal lobes and cortical areas Contralateral pathways Complementary processing of the two hemispheres In a typical right-handed person Left Hemisphere Right Hemisphere True or depends? Controls the right hand Controls the left hand Always true Spoken language Nonverbal Associated with handedness (Kencht et al., 2000) Written language/Reading Visual–spatial perception, Reading depends on pattern recognition lateralization of spoken language Mathematical calculations Music and artistic processing Depends on task (e.g., with symbols or not) and experience Logical thought processes Emotional thought and Generally true recognition Analysis of detail Processes the whole Generally true Hemispheric lateralization depends on the task Tendency for each brain hemisphere to exert control over different functions E.g., in a typical right-handed person Language processing: left-lateralized Perception of visual-spatial relations: right-lateralized Jia et al. (2022) Complementary processing of the two hemispheres Seydell-Greenwald et al. (2020) Split brain research and hemispheric specialisation Split-brain patients: Individuals with surgically severed corpus callosum Sperry Nobel 1981 Split brain patient W.J. Patient W.J. and Patient Joe Changes to synaptic connections in response to experiences or injury video Changes to synaptic connections Long-Term Potentiation Physical changes that strengthen the synapses in groups of neurons Based on the Hebbian principle: “neurons that fire together, wire together” Increased sensitivity and efficiency Changes to synaptic connections Neuroplasticity Ability of the brain to adapt or change the structure and function of cells in response to experience or trauma Famous studies on London taxi drivers Maguire et al. (2000) Wollett & Maguire (2011) Changes to synaptic connections Neurogenesis Formation of new neurons (and hence synapses) Pruning Process of trimming unused brain connections, making neurons available for future development METHODS TO LOOK INSIDE THE LIVING BRAIN Capitalize on brain lesion case studies Brain lesion An area of injury or disease within the brain that occurs naturally or through surgical intervention Phineas Gage (insights Lesion in Broca’s area (Patient Tan) into how frontal cortex is (necessary for speech production) associated with Dronkers et al. (2007) personality) Brain stimulation Mild electrical current that causes neurons to react as if they had received a message Can be invasive or non-invasive Transcranial electrical Transcranial magnetic current stimulation (tECS) stimulation (TMS) Stimulation of Face-Selective Region (“Fusiform Face Area”) Schalk et al. (2017) Computerized tomography (CT) Creates a digital structural image of the brain using computer-controlled X-rays Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) Uses brief, powerful pulses of magnetic energy and radiofrequency energy to create highly detailed pictures of structure Structural MRI: Studies anatomy Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) Uses brief, powerful pulses of magnetic energy and radiofrequency energy to measure changes in blood oxygen levels in the brain and then create a “movie” of changes in the activity of the brain Studies both structure and function Positron emission tomography (PET) Measures brain activity or function by sensing low-level radioactive glucose sugar that is injected Electroencephalography (EEG) Records electrical activity of cortical neurons, typically by electrodes placed on the scalp Intracranial EEG/ electrocortigraphy Using EEG to understand why note- taking by hand may be superior Van der Weel and Van der Meer (2024) Magnetoencephalography (MEG) Measures small magnetic fields produced by the electric activity of neurons Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) Uses near-infrared light to measure changes in blood oxygen levels in the brain, and hence brain activity