Transcript Intro-The neuron

PSYC327
Neuropsychology
Dr. Carolyn Wilshire
EA314, ext. 6036
Email [email protected]
Course website:
http://pavlov.psyc.vuw.ac.nz/327
Don’t Forget:
• Fill in lab preference sheet, and hand to me or Psyc
327 box (outside EA402) by Wed 5pm
Class lists avail. Thurs 2pm on Third year notice
board and website.
• Textbooks have arrived at Book Centre!
• Lab manual: Available tomorrow morning
Today’s Lecture
1. What is Neuropsychology?
- Scientific discipline vs. clinical profession
- Relation to biological psychology
2. The Neuron
- Basic structure
- Transmission within and between neurons
• Weds and Thurs: gross anatomy of the brain
What is Neuropsychology?
Ref: Banich
Ch. 1 pp. 4-6
1. A scientific discipline
2. A clinical profession
1. A scientific discipline:
• What functions are supported by frontal lobes?
• Do the left and right hemispheres support different
abilities?
• How does temporal lobe damage affect human
function?
-> relating anatomy to function
1. A scientific discipline:
• Which parts of the brain are involved in visual
processing?
• Memory impairments - which memories are most/least
affected?
• What types of language problems can occur? What
can these tell us about language?
-> relating function to anatomy
Relationship to Other Fields
Biological Psyc /Brain and Behaviour:
– All aspects of behaviour(sex, hunger, learning,
attention, motivation, sensation, etc.)
– Animal and human models
Neuropsychology:
– Emphasis on higher level functions
high-level perception, memory, language
– Largely human models : brain damage & imaging
e.g.
2. A Clinical Profession:
• Patient with problems recognizing objects - which
region is damaged?
• Scans show damage to left frontal lobe - which
abilities should be assessed?
• P can't recognize faces- what can his/her family
expect?
•
P has difficulties finding words - use cognitive models
of word retrieval to plan therapy
The Neuron
Ref: Banich Ch. 1 pp. 41-46
Demonstration: 1.1.1
Transmission within Neurons
Transmission is Electrical:
• When sufficiently stimulated, cell "fires“
• Positive charge transmitted down axon
Demonstration: 1.1.1, 1.2.4
The Synapse
Transmission between Neurons
Transmission is Chemical:
• Charge releases neurotransmitters (NT's)
Demonstration: 1.4.1, 1.4.2
• NT's bind to receptors
Neurotransmitters
• Types:
acetylcholine
serotonin
noradrenalin (norepinephrine)
dopamine
• Receptors are specific for certain NT's
e.g. dopamine binds to dopamine receptors
• NT's can have excitatory or inhibitory effects
- > increase or decrease likelihood of firing
Neuron Parts are Colour-coded:
• Axons are white
• Cell bodies are grey
• Grey Matter = areas with many cell bodies
e.g. cerebral cortex (outside layer of the brain)
• White matter = areas with many axons
e.g. connecting fibres between areas of cortex
Neuron Parts are colour coded: