Cogni Psychology

• What is cognitive neuroscience?


  The study of the physiological basis of cognition.
• What are the main components of cognitive neuroscience?


  • Levels of Analysis
  • Neurons: Basic Principles
  • Representation by Neural Firing
  • Localized Representation
  • Distributed Representation
  • Neural Networks
• What does the concept of levels of analysis imply in cognitive neuroscience?


  It implies that a topic can be studied in various ways, each contributing to our understanding.
• How can measuring behavior be compared to measuring a car's performance in cognitive neuroscience?


  Measuring behavior is analogous to measuring the car's performance.
• What is the analogy used to describe studying physiological processes in cognition?


  It is analogous to looking under the hood of a car to understand its workings.
• What levels can the physiology of cognition be studied at?


  • Whole brain
  • Structures within the brain
  • Chemicals creating electrical signals
• How can the physiological processes involved in perception be described?


  They can be described at levels ranging from chemical reactions to groups of structures in the brain.
• What is the significance of staining techniques in understanding the brain's microstructure?


  They were limited in resolving small details, leading to the perception of a continuous nerve net.
• What was the belief about the nerve net in the 19th century?


  It was believed to be a continuous network like a highway system.
• What did the nerve net provide for conducting signals?


  A complex pathway for conducting signals uninterrupted through the network.
• Why is it necessary to look within the brain to understand the relation between the brain and the mind?


  To observe the small units called neurons that create and transmit information.
• What is the weight of the human brain?


  1. 5 pounds.
• How does the brain differ from other organs like the heart and lungs?


  The brain is static tissue with no moving parts and does not expand or contract.
• Who developed a staining technique in the 1870s to study neurons?

  Camillo Golgi.
• What was the purpose of Golgi's staining technique?


  To increase the contrast between different types of tissue within the brain.
• What was the result of staining fewer than 1 percent of the cells?


  It allowed the stained cells to stand out from the rest of the tissue.
• Why did Cajal study tissue from newborn animals?


  Because the density of cells in the newborn brain is smaller than in the adult brain.
• What did Cajal discover about the nerve net?


  It was made up of individual units called neurons, not continuous.
• What is the neuron doctrine?


  The idea that individual cells transmit signals in the nervous system and are not continuous with other cells.
• What are the main components of a neuron?


  • Cell body: Metabolic center
  • Dendrites: Receive signals
  • Axons: Transmit signals
• What is the role of a neuron with a specialized receptor?


  To respond to stimuli from the environment, such as pressure.
• What is a synapse?


  A small gap between the end of a neuron's axon and the dendrites or cell body of another neuron.
• How do neurons form connections?


  They form connections only to specific neurons, creating neural circuits.
• What are receptors in the context of neurons?


  Neurons specialized to pick up information from the environment.
• What prestigious award did Cajal receive for his discoveries?


  The Nobel Prize in 1906.
• What was a significant advancement in understanding neuron signals in the 1920s?

  Edgar Adrian recorded electrical signals from single sensory neurons.
• What are microelectrodes?


  Small shafts of hollow glass filled with a conductive salt solution used to pick up electrical signals.
• What is the typical setup for recording from a single neuron?


  • Recording electrode inside the neuron
  • Reference electrode located away from the neuron
  • Difference in charge displayed on a computer
• What is the resting potential of a neuron?


  It is a difference in potential of 270 millivolts between the inside and outside of the axon.
• What happens to the charge inside the neuron when a nerve impulse is transmitted?


  The charge becomes more positive as the impulse passes.
• What is an action potential?


  An impulse that lasts about 1 millisecond as it travels down an axon.
• What happens to the action potential as it travels down the axon?


  It travels without changing its height or shape.
• What occurs at the synapse when the action potential reaches the end of the axon?


  A neurotransmitter is released to transmit the signal across the gap.
• How did Adrian study the relation between nerve firing and sensory experience?


  By measuring how the firing of a neuron changed as pressure was applied to the skin.
• What remained the same as pressure increased during Adrian's experiments?


  The shape and height of the action potential remained the same.
• What happens to the size of the signal as it travels down an axon?


  The signal remains the same size when it reaches the other end.
• What chemical is released at the synapse at the end of the axon?


  A neurotransmitter is released.
• What role does the neurotransmitter play in neural communication?


  It allows the signal to be transmitted across the gap between neurons.
• What does each vertical line represent in the action potential graph?


  Each vertical line represents an action potential.
• How does the firing of a neuron change with increased pressure applied to the skin?


  The rate of nerve firing increases, but the shape and height of the action potential remain the same.