Psychology: Brain Structures, Disorders, and Treatments PDF

According to the diathesis-stress model, the creation of a disorder requires both an existing diathesis to a disorder and a trigger, or stress. Transdiagnostic risk factors: factors that increase risk for psychological problems Cerebral cortex (outer layer of cerebrum) Subcortical structures (und...

According to the diathesis-stress model, the creation of a disorder requires both an existing diathesis to a disorder and a trigger, or stress. Transdiagnostic risk factors: factors that increase risk for psychological problems Cerebral cortex (outer layer of cerebrum) Subcortical structures (under cerebrum): Thalamus: directs information from sense receptors to cerebrum Hypothalamus: regulates eating, drinking, and processing basic emotions Limbic system: structures that regulate behaviors Amygdala: emotions Hippocampus: memory Reuptake: initial neurons releasing neurotransmitters into the synapse reabsorb the neurotransmitters, decreasing the amount left in the synapse Degradation: receiving neurons release an enzyme into the synapse that breaks down the neurotransmitter into other biochemicals Serotonin Dopamine Norepinephrine (coke and amphetamine prolong its action by slowing its reuptake process) GABA (inhibits action of other neurotransmitters) Pituitary gland: produces largest number of different hormones Polygenic: critical number of altered genes come together Epigenetics: environmental conditions that affect the expression of heritable genes Antipsychotic drugs: reduce the symptoms of psychosis Antidepressant drugs: reduce symptoms of depression SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) SNRI (selective serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) Side effects: diarrhea, nausea, headache, tremor, agitation, sexual dysfunction, daytime sedation Lithium: mood stabilizer Side effects: nausea, blurred vision, diarrhea, tremors, twitches. Anticonvulsants: treatment of mania Antianxiety drugs: benzodiazepines Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT): brain seizure is induced by passing electrical current through the brain Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS): high-intensity magnetic pulses focused on particular brain structures. Psychosurgery: prefrontal lobotomy (frontal lobes are severed from lower centers) Behavioral approaches: Focus on the influence of reinforcements and punishments in producing behavior. - Classical conditioning: US -> stimulus that naturally produces a response UR -> response created by the US. CS -> previous neutral stimulus CR -> response that the previous elicits - Operant conditioning: behaviors followed by a reward are strengthened (law of effect). Continuous reinforcement schedule (behaviors are continuously paired with a reward/punishment). Partial reinforcement schedule: only sometimes in response to behavior. Extinction: eliminating a learned behavior Modeling: learn behaviors from imitating behaviors modeled by important people Observational learning: a person observes the rewards and punishments that another person receives for their behavior and then imitates it. Systematic desensitization therapy: gradual method for extinguishing anxiety responses to stimuli Causal attribution: answer to why an event happened Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): cognitive + behavioral techniques Id: system from which libido emerges, and its drives and impulses seek immediate release (pleasure principle) Ego: force that seeks to gratify our wishes and needs within constraints (reality principle) Superego: rules and regulations for conducting behavior Oedipus complex: boys become sexually attracted to their mother and hate their father as a rival Electra complex: girls develop attraction for their father in hopes he will provide the penis they lack (HELLO????) Object relations: early relationships create unconscious mental images Classic psychoanalysis - 3/4 sessions a week over many years (interpretation of transferences and resistances Modern psychodynamic therapy - years or even 12 weeks (current situations in client’s life and symptom relief) Dialectical behavior therapy focuses on difficulties in managing negative emotions and controlling impulsive behaviors