Class notes
Neuropsychology College Notes (P_BNEUROP)
- Course
- Institution
Neuropsychology lecture notes, bachelor psychology year 2
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
AnoukAW
Reviews received
Content preview
Hoorcolleges Neuropsychologie | Anouk WiersmaNeuropsychologie
Uitwerking hoorcolleges
Lecture 1: Introduction & the neuropsychologist
- The brain
o Grey matter: neurons
o White matter: myelin
o 4 lobes divided by sulci; frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal lobes.
o Limbic system: hypothalamus (homeostasis), thalamus (relays information), amygdala
(emotion), and hippocampus (memory conversion).
o Ventral and dorsal stream of vision.
Ventral: from occipital lobe to temporal lobe.
Dorsal: from occipital lobe to parietal lobe.
- Brain location and vocabulary
o
o
- Brain lesions
, Hoorcolleges Neuropsychologie | Anouk Wiersma
o Area of brain damage
o Can result from stroke, loss of blood flow, tumor, injury, etc.
- Principles of brain organization
o Clinical cases of brain lesions led to the discovery that certain types of damage were
consistent with certain types of symptoms.
Localization: damage was in a certain part of the brain concluded that
some brain functions were anatomically located.
Lateralization: damage was on a certain side of the head concluded that
some functions were usually on a specific side of the brain.
Distribution of function: lost functions are sometime rehabilitated
concluded that other parts of the brain can compensate.
Hierarchical organization: sophistication of functions very depending on
whether a ‘higher’ or ‘lower’ brain area was damaged brain processes
start with lower levels and are processed through increasingly higher levels.
Organization: hindbrain midbrain forebrain (from basic to more
sophisticated).
Processing begins with lower brain regions and then moves on to
higher regions.
Loss of function in higher brain regions (forebrain) = dissolution
(brain can compensate with lower regions, simplified behavior).
- History of neuropsychology
o Donald Hebb – father of neuropsychology
Hebbian theory: neural pathways develop based on experiences; as pathways
are used more, they become faster and stronger.
‘Use it or loose it’.
Hebbian assumptions of change: environment, culture, customs, family
history, lifestyle, and more shape who we are.
Fundamental properties of the brain: plasticity, flexibility, and
adaptability.
- Neurological examination
o Patient’s history
o State of awareness
Alert, drowsy, stupor, confused.
Speech abnormalities, facial asymmetries, body posture.
Emotions.
o Physical examination
Blood pressure, brain imaging, reflexes, pain, muscle movement, smell, etc.
o Disorders
Stroke, injuries and lesions may show asymmetry, loss of function.
Parkinson’s may show loss of smell and motor changes.
Dementia may show memory loss, disorientation, or agitation.
o Biopsychosocial model changes neuropsychology
Both biological, psychological and social circumstance influence mental
health.
Social support networks.
Patients’ sense of wellbeing.
Sometimes a mismatch between the patients’ needs and their social network
or environment can add stress that may impair healing.
, Hoorcolleges Neuropsychologie | Anouk Wiersma
- Genetics and the brain
o Stress and epigenetics
Stress have larger biological consequences than originally thought
Lamarckian theory, section 1.2.
Stress can influence epigenetic changes and mental health.
o Behavior is caused by genetics, epigenetics, and experience-based learning.
, Hoorcolleges Neuropsychologie | Anouk Wiersma
Lecture 2: The neuron
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
o MS is caused by damaged myelin.
o Cumulative damage produces brain lesion.
o MS is a heterogenous disorder = patients have different symptoms & experiences
depending on lesion size and locations, and how their individual brain is functionally
organized.
o MS affects brain and spinal cord.
o Common symptoms:
Muscle spasms, stiffness, weakness, or paralysis.
Mobility problems.
Numbness / tingling sensations, pain.
Speech and swallowing difficulties.
Vision problems.
Sexual problems.
Bladder or bowel problems.
Fatigue.
Difficulties thinking, learning, and/or planning.
Depression and anxiety.
o Types of MS
Primary progressive (PPMS): symptoms onset and
progressively get worse. No history of remission.
Relapsing remitting (RRMS):
Relapse = active symptoms / myelin
damage.
Remission = no current symptoms / myelin
damage.
Symptoms disappear and reappear across time.
Progressive relapsing (PRMS): similar to RRMS, but symptoms become
increasingly disabling with each relapse.
Very rare, very disabling.
Secondary progressive (SPMS): occurs after patient previous had SPMS,
remission stops, symptoms get steadily worse.
o Affected neurons
Immune cells attack the myelin sheath.
Exposed axon is scarred.
Information transmitted by that neuron is disrupted.
- The neuron – nerve cells
o Electrical and chemical signals pass from the axon terminal of one neuron to the
dendrites of the next neuron.
o Cell body / soma = grey matter.
o Myelin sheath = white matter.
o Many types of neurons
Unipolar neuron: not in the human body.
One extension form the cell body,
containing one axon with dendrites at its
tip.
Bipolar: rare in ear, nose and eye.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller AnoukAW. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $8.67. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
79079 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now