Bio Psych

• The Central Nervous System (CNS) allows us to think, use symbols and language, and to adapt to our environment.
• The brain, the star of the CNS, is the size of the brain does not equal one’s IQ level.
• The forebrain consists of the hypothalamus, which secretes hormones that stimulate secretion of hormones by the pituitary gland, and is involved in basic drives such as hunger, sex, thirst and aggression, and regulates body temperature, motivation and emotion.
• The hypothalamus is located below the thalamus and if stimulated it produces a sense of pleasure.
• Dreams begin with arousing stimuli generated within the brain.
• Circadian Rhythms, also known as the Biological Clock, are free running rhythms that occur when no stimuli reset or alter it.
• Jetlag is the disruption of circadian rhythm due to crossing timezones, characterized by sleepiness at night and impaired concentration.
• Rhythms of waking and sleep are endogenous, generated from within (Endorphin).
• SUPRACHIASMATIC NUCLEUS (SCN) is a part of the hypothalamus, the main control of the circadian rhythm for sleep and temperature, and is genetically controlled and independently generates circadian rhythm.
• Stimulation is combined with recent memories and current sensory stimulation.
• Most people can adjust to a 23 or 25 hour day but not to a 22 or 28 hour day.
• The human circadian clock generates a rhythm slightly longer than 24 hours when it has no external cue to set it.
• The purpose of circadian rhythm is to keep our internal workings in phase with the outside world.
• Light is critical for periodically resetting our circadian rhythm.
• Endogenous Circadian Rhythms are internal mechanisms that operate on an approximate 24 hours cycle, including the sleep/wake cycle, frequency of eating and drinking, body temperature, secretion of hormones, volume of urination, and sensitivity to drugs.
• Zeitgeber is a term used to describe any stimulus that resets circadian rhythmns, including exercise, noise, meals, temperature, and more.
• Optic chiasm, the primary function of which is to quickly combine electrical impulses from each optic nerve fiber before crossing.
• The limbic system consists of the amygdala, hippocampus and parts of the hypothalamus, and is involved in memory and emotion.
• Damage in the hippocampus can retrieve memories but cannot store new information or memories.
• The amygdala, located near the bottom of the limbic system and resembling two little almonds, is involved in aggressive behaviors in animals.
• The thalamus is a relay station for sensory information, located near the center of the brain, consists of two joined eggs, and is involved in controlling sleep and attention in coordination with other brain structures like RAS.
• The spinal cord transmits messages from sensory receptors to the brain and from the brain to muscles and glands, making it an information highway.
• White matter is composed of bundles of longer myelinated axons that carry messages to and from the brain.
• Sleep enhances learning and memory.
• Interneurons transmit neural impulses from the sensory to the spinal cord to the motor neuron.
• Moderate sleep deprivation can lead to impaired concentration, irritability, hallucinations, tremors, unpleasant mood, and decrease in immune system.
• The sympathetic nervous system is most active during emotional response and spends the body’s reserves of energy during fight or flight response.
• The autonomic nervous system regulates glands and muscles of internal organs and contains a sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions.
• The Clinico Anatomical Hypothesis suggests that dreams are similar to thinking in unusual circumstances.
• Optimal sleeptime is 8 - 10 hours.
• Stereotype behaviors such as sneezing, blinking, and urinating are examples of reflexes.
• Dreams begin with spontaneous activity in the pons (pons activates many parts of cortex) and the cortex synthesizes a story pattern of activation.
• Gray matter is composed of non-myelinated neurons some of which are involved in spinal reflexes.
• Normal sensory information cannot compete with self-generated stimulation and hallucinations.
• Prolonged sleep deprivation results in increased metabolic rate, appetite, and body temperature; immune system failure; and decrease in brain activity.
• The somatic nervous system consists of sensory and motor neurons that transmit messages to the brain and purposeful body movements from the brain.
• The function of sleep is to conserve energy by decreasing body temperature 1 - 2 degrees in mammals and decreasing muscle activity.
• Performance on a newly learned task increases during sleep.
• Sleep is analogous to hibernation in animals.
• A spinal reflex is a simple, unlearned response to a stimulus involving two neurons: a sensory neuron and a motor neuron.