DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

DIRECTORATE OF DISTANCE EDUCATION

MADURAI KAMARAJ UNIVERSITY, MADURAI
M.SC. PSYCHOLOGY – I YEAR – II SEMESTER ASSIGNMENTS 2023

NEURO PSYCHOLOGY

10 Mark

1.Define neuropsychology and discuss the function of neuropsychologists

Introduction
An introduction to neuropsychology explores the various aspects of human behaviour and
cognition and how the nervous system affects these two areas. It is a biological perspective as
it examines the brain to understand human behaviours. Many neuropsychologists are
interestdin dysfunctional behaviours can be relate to disorders within the brain. With the
advancements in neuroimaging techniques, the ability to study the brain and relate it to
behaviour has made leaps and bounds.
Neuropsychology
Neuropsychology is the study of the nervous system and how the various physiological
processes involved in the nervous system affect human behaviour and cognition, specifically
how disorders within the brain result in dysfunctional behaviours. Some argue
neuropsychology is the study of the mind (this is important when trying to understand the
difference between neuroscience and neuropsychology!)
To recap, it's worth knowing what we mean by the nervous system when discussing the topic
of neuropsychology. So, the nervous system consists of two parts:

1. The central nervous system (CNS) - consists of the brain and spinal cord.
2. The peripheral nervous system - consists of neurons connecting the CNS to the
body and can be further divided into the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and the
somatic nervous system..
 The nervous system cells are neurons, and they are key in the transmission of information
around the body.

Types of Neuropsychology : Neuropsychology encompasses a wide range of topics and is

relatively new in the grand scheme of things, but we can separate it somewhat into two types:

1. Clinical neuropsychology
2. Cognitive neuropsychology

They differ both in their focus and application of knowledge in neuropsychology.

Clinical Neuropsychology : Clinical neuropsychology uses the knowledge and information

neuropsychology provides and applies it to people in a clinical format, assessing potential
issues and dysfunctions with the brain and identifying treatment methods. Think of
neuropsychology as the explanation and study of disorders and clinical neuropsychology as
its application to treat people. Typically, clinical neuropsychologists undergo specialised
training to do this. They assess how brain injuries, diseases, or illnesses, in general, affect
behaviour and cognition and then formulate plans to help treat the issues. Clinical
neuropsychologists, according to the British Psychological Association, can:

 Assess a patient (providing a diagnosis and treatment plans, assessing the impact of
the dysfunction on behaviour).
 Treat the patient (providing strategies and training to overcome effects of brain
dysfunction, illnesses, and injuries, and help people cope with any
feelings/adjustments they have to make).
 Providing research (by working with patients, they can answer many questions
revolving around the effects of brain injuries and how they impact the people affected,
including family and friends).

Cognitive Neuropsychology : Cognitive neuropsychology is similar to neuropsychology

overall. It is interested in studying the brain and how the physiological processes involved in
the nervous system affect behaviour and cognition, specifically focusing on the effects of
disorders. Unlike clinical neuropsychology, however, it is more interested in identifying
information through the study of patients rather than providing treatment paths and assessing
medical needs.
 Neuropsychologist
A neuropsychologist is a psychologist who specializes in understanding the relationship
between the physical brain and behavior. The brain is complex. Disorders within the brain
and nervous system can alter behavior and cognitive function. Neuropsychologists have a
doctorate in psychology and training in neuropsychology. They often work in research or
clinical settings.
Functions of Neuropsychologist
Neuropsychologists evaluate and treat people with various types of nervous system disorders.
They work closely with doctors, including neurologists.Illnesses, injuries, and diseases of the
brain and nervous system can affect the way a person feels, thinks, and behaves. Symptoms
that may call for a neuropsychologist include:

 memory difficulties

 mood disturbances

 learning difficulties

 nervous system dysfunction

If other doctors can’t identify the cause of a symptom, a neuropsychologist can help
determine a diagnosis. If a diagnosis is already known, an assessment can still be helpful. A
neuropsychologist can help determine what impairments you might have and how severe they
are. The following are examples of conditions they evaluate and treat:

 A stroke can affect behavior, thinking, memory, and other brain functions in obvious
or subtle ways. They can perform an evaluation to help determine the degree of stroke
impairment.

 Parkinson’s disease, a progressive disorder, can cause several neurological problems.

A neuropsychologist’s exam can provide a baseline to help them determine disease
progression and decreased function.

 Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia can interfere with memory,
personality, and cognitive abilities. A neuropsychologist can perform an exam to help
them identify it in its early stage.
  Traumatic brain injuries can cause a wide variety of symptoms. A neuropsychologist
can help determine how an injury affects functions like reasoning or problem-solving
skills.

 A neuropsychologist can help determine which of the many types of learning

disabilities someone has and develop a treatment plan.

Conclusion
Neuropsychology is the scientific study of the physiological basis of psychological processes.
It studies the structure and function of the nervous system, particularly the brain, in relation
to behavior and psychological processes. It aims to understand brain function and its effect on
behavior and cognition. It also attempts to explore novel treatments and diagnostic tools for
various neurological disorders affecting behavior and cognition. One of its areas of interest is
investigating the electrical activity in higher primates and humans. An expert in this field is
referred to as a neuropsychologist. Neuropsychologists may be seen conducting research in
clinical settings, research institutions, universities, forensic settings, or relevant industries.
The application of neurophysiology to the assessment, management, and rehabilitation of
people with neurocognitive problems is referred to as clinical neuropsychology.

2.Elucidate the relationship between mind and brain

Introduction
For many people, the mind and brain are interchangeable. They use one word or the other to
talk about the same thing: the organ in our skull that we use to think. The mind is associated
with the brain. The two terms are often used interchangeably. The brain is considered to be a
physical thing, the mind is considered to be mental. The brain is composed of nerve cells and
can be touched, whereas the mind cannot be touched.
Brain
The brain is a critical component in our central nervous system located within the
skull. It is the nodal point for receiving, organising and distributing information all across the
body. It controls the function of most of the organs in our body. The brain is the physical
organ of the body that is present in the skull inside the head of all animals including insects.
This part of the body governs all the activities performed by an organism like a central
processing unit in your computers. It consists of tissues and nerve cells that are very complex
with different sections dedicated to carrying out different specific functions. And it is
connected to all parts of the body through nerve cells and neurons that transfer the external
stimuli felt by the body through electrical signals. These electrical signals are in turn
transferred by the chemicals present at the end of each nerve cell and their reactions with
each other. To conclude, the brain is a tangible organ that commands the muscle tissues in
our body to contract and expand for movement.
The brain is also responsible for experiencing different feelings and depositing these feelings
as memories in their designated sections and forming fine fibres as studied in Neurology. But
against all this, there is another intricate activity carried out by the brain for the processing of
feelings and memories that we gain as we live. This is termed as an experience in general
terms. All these experiences collectively develop into a definite identity of a person and are
termed the mind. It is not tangible like the brain but creates the thought process and
perception ability of a person. The brain can be divided into three main parts – cerebrum,
cerebellum, and brainstem.
Cerebrum: Cerebrum comprises the right and left hemisphere, and it is the largest part of the
brain. It performs functions like interpretation of hearing, vision and touches as well as
controlling learning and emotion, among others.
Cerebellum:Cerebellum is situated right under the cerebrum and coordinates muscle
movement, maintenance of balance and posture, among others.
Brainstem: Brainstem connects cerebrum and cerebellum with the spinal cord and performs
functions such as controlling body temperature, heart rate, breathing, sleep cycles, digestion
etc.

Mind

Mind pertains to a complex of faculties that are involved in remembering, perceiving,

evaluating, considering and deciding among others. Even though mind and brain are used
interchangeably in common phrasing, these two mean two distinct things.
 Our mind is categorised into three distinct levels – conscious, subconscious, and unconscious.
Conscious :It is the first level of our consciousness and refers to immediate experiences. It
deals with the input from our senses, analysis of information, and undertaking decisions
based on collated information.
Subconscious : Subconsciousness is the next state that holds information which is beneath
our immediate awareness. Such information may be archived as memories which do not
readily come to the fore.
Unconscious: Unconsciousness is much deeper than our conscious awareness and is made
up of primitive and instinctual desires. It influences our behaviour to a large extent, even
though we may not be categorically aware of it.

Brain vs Mind
Following are the important differences between the brain and the mind:
Brain Mind

Brain is the central organ of the Mind is a faculty that manifests itself in mental
human nervous system phenomena such as perception, thinking, sensation,
reasoning, memory, etc.

It is made up of blood vessels and It is not made up of any cells and is hypothetical.
nerve cells.

It has a definite shape and It does not.

structure.

Brain coordinates, movements, It refers to a person’s conscience, understanding and

feelings, and different functions of thought process.
the body.

You can touch the brain. You cannot touch the mind.

The debate on the difference between the brain and the mind has been going on since the time
of Aristotle. The mind is considered pure vibrating energy, whereas the brain is considered a
physical manifestation of the mind. The above differences might have helped us understand
how the mind and brain are two different entities.
Kinds of relationship between Brain and Mind :
There are kinds of relationship obtaining between mind and brain are evident in recent literature:
1. Straightforward causality – Brains cause minds. This relationship is disconcertingly
unproblematic. It is very clear, especially from neuroscience, that brains are entirely capable
of causing minds, and do.

2. Direct correspondence – Minds consist in or are the same as brain activity. With this
option, the question doesn ’t really arise – what occur in brains, amongst other events, are
minds. It seems at the moment that the kind of language we typically use to discuss minds
will increasingly be supplanted by that which describes brain events – ultimately perhaps
brain algorithms.

3. Neural correlation – Neural activity correlates with consciousness. This seems to be

about hedging bets. Not prepared entirely to accept a direct equivalence of mind and brain
(2), a comfortable position is correlation. Neural activity correlates with consciousness and its
characteristic patterns generate mind. This means for every mind state there is also a brain
state.

4. Overwhelming incompatibility. This can be the result of two diametrically opposed

positions:

a) The brain and the mind are different types of entities – physical and mental.

b) The extraordinary complexity of brains succeeds in persuading us to believe that minds are
metaphysical when they are not.

Conclusion: Brain is the physical organ inside the skull of the animals while the mind is a
sense of consciousness that takes place inside the mind. All the memories of an organism are
stored by the brain in the form of neuron fibres. Neuron fibres are the physical part of the
brain while the function they perform is associated with the general intelligence of an
organism.

3.Explain the functions of frontal lobes (5 Marks)

The frontal lobe is part of the brain’s cerebral cortex. It consists of two paired lobes: the left
and right frontal cortex.As the name implies, the location of the frontal lobe is near the front
of the head, under the frontal skull bones and near the forehead. All mammals have a frontal
lobe, though the size and complexity vary between species. The two sides of the brain largely
control operations on the opposite sides of the body. This is also true of the frontal lobe.

So, the left frontal lobe affects muscles on the right side of the body. Similarly, the right
frontal lobe controls muscles on the left side of the body. This can determine how a brain
injury impacts the body. The brain is a complex organ, with billionsTrusted Source of cells
called neurons working together. Scientists are still learning about what these neurons do and
how they work. The frontal lobe works alongside other brain regions and contributes to
overall brain function. Memory formation, for example, depends on sensory input, which
depends on numerous areas of the brain. As such, it is a mistake to attribute any one role of
the brain to a single region.

Functions of frontal lobe: The frontal lobe plays a key role in future planning, including
self-management and decision-making. People with frontal lobe damage may find it difficult
to gather information, remember previous experiences, and make decisions based on this
input. Some of the many other functions the frontal lobe plays in daily functions include:

 Speech and language production: Broca’s area, a region in the frontal lobe, helps
put thoughts into words. Damage to this area can lead to difficulty with fluent speech.

 Some motor skills: The frontal lobe houses the primary motor cortex, which helps
control voluntary movements, including walking and running.

 Comparing objects: The frontal lobe helps people categorize and classify objects and
distinguish one item from another.
 Forming memories: Virtually every brain region plays a role in memory, so the
frontal lobe is not unique. However, research suggests it plays a key role in forming
long-term memories.

 Understanding and reacting to the feelings of others: The frontal lobe is vital for
empathy.

 Forming personality: The complex interplay of impulse control, memory, and other
tasks helps form an individual’s key characteristics. Damage to the frontal lobe can
impact an individual’s personality.

 Reward-seeking behavior and motivation: Many of the brain’s dopamine-sensitive

neurons are in the frontal lobe. Dopamine is a brain chemical that helps support
feelings of reward and motivation.

 Managing attention, including selective attention: When the frontal lobe cannot
properly manage attention, conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD), may develop.