PSY 302

Week 1 Biopsychology

*Dichotomies – separating into two

* Final idea there are interaction between issues like nature and nurture – how much
interaction – there are multiple components that effects this interaction or relationship
*Physiological or psychological
* decarte – cartesian dualism (two entity and separate from each other) – physical matter
and human mind
* We can see and touch the brain, but we could not to this to mind
* dualism = mind and body are separate
* monism = universe consists of matter and energy
* We don’t have clear answer for consciousness (nervous system is slowing down maybe
while consuming alcohol)
* Cognition= coming to know
* Perceiving, learning, remembering, thinking, understanding (the collection of mental
processes and activities used in)
* life = structure and function
* We can see structure
* One cell is enough for being a living organism
* Behavior is everywhere
* We want to understand behavior, so we do lots of research and look into biological
component. (There are lots of parameters because every organism is unique)
*Historical Component
* Descartes – Pineal gland – soul = what we call the mind (not the important part just you
can understand it clearly)
* How are neurons activated? = electrical signals (Descartes said it fluid)
* Galvani proved that it’s not fluid it’s because of electricity
* Müller _ eyes are responsible
* ablations = taking out, destroying
* We can understand brain parts function while looking at the patients who doesn’t have the
particular part like hippocampus is responsible forming new events and memory, we
understand this by looking at Henry who has antegrade amnesia
*Evolution (it’s not a rapid change its occurs gradually)
*Good mutations give us advantage about survival and these mutations continue to exist
* Time to time there can be bad mutations (Darwin did not know about mutations)
* Natural Selection
*Chimpanzees have self-awareness they look into the mirror they aware of their facial
expressions
***Functionalism = thumb very important function because of grasping
*There is an insect just looks like leaf (camouflage)
*Interaction with functionalism and natural selection
*Colors have function (green apple red apple)
*Why we are different from each other? Darwin was curious about this question.
*Dominant and rececif genes can be understood by the cake example when we look at the
cake, we could not see flour, milk or eggs but the cakes have them like we have rececif genes
that we cannot observe from phenotype.
*Brain size increase (350%) but blood flow to the brain increased (600%) when we look at
history. There is a lot of energy going on and because of that brain thirsty for blood. Blood is
caring to a lot of nutrition that the brain needs.
* Children should have enriched environment for better neural networks. We can enrich
environment with different activities, reading books, food sources, doing exercise,
educational toys, giving lots of explanations to the kids, talking different languages, (these
examples help them more complex networks in brain).
*Rats in 3 different cage examples: c box better memory and problem-solving skill
* With enriched environment it causes neural changes. Environments have lots of challenges
how can we figure out? more cells and cerebral cortex volume increase. Synaptic interaction
increases. Go learn sth you have never known before (Alzheimer patients)
* If there are demand in the environment or challenges you are going to adapt the
environment and come up with different skills. Brain will develop healthier.
* Modern genetics - how interact environment and genes
* Dull rats are got a lot of gain from enriched environment.
* if environment give not enough stimulation you cannot use you good genes (bright and
dull rat experiment)
*Plasticity certain new neurons
*fMRI = “f” mean is functional
*TMS = giving electrical magnitude for patients who do not get any treatment from therapy
or medicals.

** Bütün nöronlar aynı tip sinyalleri taşıdığı için mesajlar taşınırken active edilen sinir
hücreleri ile özelleştiriliyor.
** Darwin evrim teorisini ortaya atan ilk insan değildir fakat evrim hakkında ortaya kanıt
sunan ilk insandır. 3 adet kanıt ortaya atmıştır ve evrimin doğal seleksyon ile gerçekleştiğini
öne sürmüştür. Darwin’in kanıtları :
1. Fossils
2. Structural similarities among living species suggest common ancestors.
 Human arm vs bats wing
3. Impact of selective breeding (seçici üreme)
 It caused major changes in different species

** Doğal seçilim sayesinde canlılar daha başarılı ürümelerini sağlayan özelliklerini

offspringlerine geçirirler.

Week 3 Structure of the Nervous System

*Babies skull is softer because it should pass by the birth canal. – high flexibility
*Brain inside of fluid for protecting the environmental accidents
*The brain uses a lot of energy, so it needs food and the blood supply the energy and
oxygen.
*Right nose smell goes to right hemisphere – ipsilateral
*Right hand movement goes to left hemisphere – contralateral
*Viral - caused by viruses
*Fungal - caused by fungus
*Bacterial - caused by bacteria
*Exercising regularly save grey and white matter in the cerebral cortex
*Lobların yeri sınavda çıkabilir!!!
*all regions of brain are working together for more complex tasks
*Efferent axon – take the info from central nervous system (contains motor information)
*Afferent axon – taking info to the brain central nervous system (contains sensory
information)

** All Senses except smell is interpreted in Thalamus

** The brain stem (kök) consists of midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata.

Week 4

*Recreative drugs- depressants, stimulants, analgesics, hallucinogens.

*Opiates- codeine, morphine: decrease sensitivity to pain, slowing the digestive system,
sedation (baygın), muscular relaxation, high doses- euphoria
*Every drug has side effect.
*Most drugs have more than one effect.
*Compensatory mechanisms-
*Tolerance arttıkça aynı etkiyi görmek için daha fazla kullanmaya başlarsın
*With sensitization you may experience more and more effect while you are regularly taking
the drug. It is opposite of tolerance.
*Immediate positive reinforcement – why we start – it gives euphoria, relaxation
*People want immediate reward like the marshmallow experiment
*Block or inhibit – antagonists
*Facilitate – agonist
*Antagonist – opposes or inhibits the effects of neurotransmitter
*Agonist – facilitates the effects of neurotransmitter

** IV (Intravenous injection) = directly into a vein

** IP (Intraperitoneal injection) = abdominal organs, into the peritoneal
cavity
** IM (Intramusculer injection) = into the muscle
** SC (Subcutaneous) = into the space beneath the skin (slowly 24h )
** Oral Administration = with mouth
** Sublingual Administration = placing it beneath the tongue
** Rectal Administration = into the rectum
** Inhalation = into the lungs
** Topical Administration = directly onto the skin or mucus membrane
** Intracerebral Administration = directly into the brain
** ICV (Intracerebroventricular Administration) = into one of the cerebral
verticals

* (1-2) Effects on Production of Neurotransmitters

* (3-5) Effects on Storage and Release of Neurotransmitters

* (5) Batulinym toxin – prevents the release of acetylcholine (responsible for

signaling muscle conractions in the PNS.

* (6-7) Effects on Receptors 1. direct agonist : a drug that binds with and
activates a receptor. 2.direct antagonist: a drug that binds with a receptor but
does not activate it 3.noncompetetive binding: alternatif bir molekül ile birlikte
bağlanması 4.indirect antagonist: interferes with the action of the receptor;
does not interfere with the binding site for the principal ligand. 5.indirect
agonist: facilitates the opening of the ion channel

* (10-11) Drugs may exert their agonistic or antagonistic effects by influencing

the reuptake or destruction of neurotransmitters.
*GABA is known for producing a calming effect. (inhibitory)

*Glycine – important inhibitory neurotransmitter in the lower brainstem and

spinal cord. – building block for making proteins in the body – memory,
thinking

*Alcohol- indirect GABA agonist

*Acetylcholine – carries massages from our brain to our body – excitatory

neurotransmitter – facilitating effects – voluntary movements

* Major CNS Dopaminergic Systems

– Nigrostriatal System (role in movement)

– Mesolimbic System (role in reinforcement/reward)

– Mesocortical System (role in short-term memory, planning, and problem

solving)

*VTA = ventral tegmental area

*Methylphenidate – a drug that inhibits the reuptake of dopamine. (Ritalin,

ADD)

*Chlorpromazine – a drug that reduces the symptoms of schizophrenia by

blocking dopamine D2 receptors.

* vigilance—attentiveness to events in the environment

Week 5

*Two regions – sleep and biological rhythms – pineal gland and

suprachiasmatic nucleus

*REM- rapid irregular waves

*Slow wave sleep – brain is resting – more mental exercise more sws

* Infants born with immature brains spend much more time in REM sleep than infants
born with well-developed brains
 *non-declarative -mirror
trace

*the medial temporal

lobes are not necessary
for all types of long-
term memory.

*Glycogen consumption by Astrocytes => build up adenosine in extracellular

space => inhibitory effect on neural activity (accumulation => sleep-promoting
substance

*Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors

*Acetylcholine (Ach) – produce activation and cortical desynchrony (cortical

arousal)

*Catecholamine agonists such as amphetamine produce arousal and sleepless

*Serotonin - Stimulation of the raphe nuclei causes locomotion and cortical

arousal

*Histamine – high during waking – implicated in the control of weakefullness

* Orexin – Project almost to every part of brain – activation => waking

* 3 factors in the control of sleep:

- homeostatic: regulatory aspects of the balance

- allostatic: reactions to stressful events in the environment

- circadian: time of day

*Majority of sleep neurons => ventrolateral preoptic area (vlPOA)

*Sleep Disorders: insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy

*Zeitgebers – stimulus that resets the

biological clock responsible for circadian
rhythms

Week 6

*Emotion – amygdala and hippocampus

*Ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) – processing risk and fear – inhibition

of emotional responses – process of decision making – cognitive evolution of
morality – suppressing emotional responses – impaired behavioral control and
decision making

* Phineas Gage – tamping iron accident – the rod went between frontal lobe
and his limbic system

* High correlation between emotional dysfunction and dysfunction in real-

world competencies
*No correlational between the cognitive abilities (math, IQ) and real-world
competencies

* Amygdala: integration of components of fear

*Emotional words cause greater amygdala activity – the more the amygdala
activity associated with a word, the better the word is remembered

*Aggressive behavior if no actual attack; -threat, defensive, and submissive

*Aggression – controlled by the hypothalamus and the amygdala

*Right hemisphere more important for the

compression of emotion – recognizing
emotions in the voice or facial expressions
of other people

*Affective blindsight

* Expression – difficult to artificially

produce realistic facial expressions of
emotion (Duchenne smile)

*Volitional Facial Paresis

*Emotional facial paresis

*We express emotions more strongly in the left sides of our faces

Week 7 – Memory

*Experiences are not stored rather, they change the way we perceive, perform,
think, and plan

*Perceptual Learning

*Stimulus Response Learning – belirli bir stimulus olduğunda ona belirli bir
cevabı vermeyi automatically learning

*Motor Learning

*Relational Learning
*Hebb Rule – learning involves strengthening of a synapse that is repeatedly
active when the postsynaptic neuron fires

*Detection – unexpected reinforcing stimuli

*Training: VTA dopaminergic neurons respond rapidly when the reinforcing

stimulus is delivered