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Intro to psychology Part 1: Biopsychology
- Institution
- University Of Cape Town (UCT)
this is a summary of a lecture series that covered Biopsychology - the ways in which the brain functions and can get damaged
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LECTURE 4:Biopsychology:
Read chapter 2: but when studying focus on slides, won’t be tested on
anything else
Introduction to neuropsychology and organisation of the NS
Why should we learn about the brain?
- Can be divided into distinct parts each with own functions
- Forms our basic: cognition and thoughts, emotions, behaviours
Various medical conditions that affect brain:
- Developmental disorders
- Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
- Traumatic brain injuries
- HIV
- Dementia
What is neuropsychology:
- Influence of brain/nervous system on a person’s functioning (cognition;
emotions; behaviour)
- Injury/damage- effect on functions
What do neuropsychologists do?
- Diagnosis of neurological diseases
- Organic vs non-organic disease
- Differentiation of normal aging
- Hospital and rehabilitation setting
- Academia- research psychology
- Medico-legal settings
Neuropsychology in SA:
- TBI- traumatic brain injury
- HIV- related cognitive disabilities
- FASD- foetal alcohol spectrum disorder
- Strokes
- Dementias
,Organisation of the nervous system:
- The nervous system is a complex network of the nerves and cells that
carry messages to and from the brain and spinal cord to various parts of
the body
Central nervous system
- Nerves and neurons contained in the brain and the spinal cord
Peripheral nervous system (PNS)
- Nerves and neurons not contained in the brain and spinal cord
Two major systems:
- (1) Somatic nervous system: nerves that control voluntary muscles of the
body
- (2) Autonomic nervous system: nerves that control involuntary muscles,
organs and glands
Autonomic nervous system
Two major divisions
1. Sympathetic: activation or arousal function (fight or flight)
, 2. Parasympathetic: slows down the body; maintains a state of internal
equilibrium (i.e homeostasis)
The somatic nervous system
- Controls voluntary
- Sensory pathway: sensory/ afferent neurons carrying info to spinal cord
and or brain
- Motor pathway: nerves that carry info to voluntary skeletal muscles
(efferent)
Central nervous system:
The brain:
- Core of the NS
- Organised into different regions, each with primary functions
The spinal cord:
Two vital functions:
- (1) ‘Pipeline’ between brain and body
- (2) Reflexes
Divided into 2 areas:
- White matter: myelinated axons and nerves
- Grey matter: cell bodies and neurons
The spinal cord reflex arc
Types of neurons:
- Sensory (afferent) neuros carry messages from the senses to the spinal
cord
- Motor (efferent) neurons carry messages from the spinal cord to the
muscles and glands
- Interneurons connect the sensory and motor neurons
Damage to the CNS:
- Some forms of CNS damage can be repaired by the body, not always
permanent
- Neuroplasticity: able to change structure and function of cells in the
brain in response to experience and/or trauma
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