CONCEPTS OF PSYCHOBIOLOGY

AND PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
 ANATOMY

• Nervous system - control , regulation and

communication
• Thought , learning , memory
• Sensitive , integrative and motor functions
BRAIN
CEREBRUM
LOBES
FRONTAL LOBE
PARIETAL LOBE
TEMPORAL LOBE
OCCIPITAL LOBE
MIDBRAIN
 MIDBRAIN
• Portion of CNS
• Vision , hearing , motor control , sleep /wake
cycle , arousal , temperature regulation
• Extends from pons to the hypothalamus
• Integrates the various reflexs
• Tectum , cerebral aqueduct , tegmentum ,
basis pedunculi
PONS
 PONS

• Bulbous structure that lies between the midbrain and

the medulla
• Regulation of respiration , involuntary actions ,
hearing , equilibrium , facial expressions
• It also contains the central connections of cranial
nerves , trigeminal , abduecns , facial and
vestibulocochlear nerves
MEDULLA
 MEDULLA
• Connecting structure between the spinal cord
and pons
• Controls the autonomic functions from
vomiting to sneezing
• Cardiac , respiratory vomiting and vasomotor
centers
• Respiration is regulated by chemoreceptors
CEREBELLUM
 CREBELLUM

• MOTOR CONTROL
• Situated just below the occipital lobes of the
cerebrum
• Cognitive functions – attention and language
• Integrates the inputs of fine –tine motor
activity
DOPAMINE TRANSMISSION
 MESOLIMBIC PATHWAY

• Connects the ventral segmental area in the midbrain

to the ventral straitum of the basal ganglia in the
forebrain
• It regulates the incentive salience and facilitates
reinforcement
• Significant in addiction

• Implicated in schizophrenia
 MESOCORTICAL PATHWAY

• Connects the ventral tegmentum to the

prefrontal cortex
• Cognitive function
• Psychosis- schizophrenia
 NIGROSTRAITAL PATHWAY

• Connects substantia nigra pas compacta with

the dorsal straitum
• Production of the movements

• Parkinsons disease
 TUBEROINFUNDIBULAR PATHWAY

• Nervous project from the arcuate nucleus in

the tubular region of the hypothalamus to the
median eminence
• Regulates the secretion of prolactin
 HISTAMINE

• Located within the various regions of

hypothalamus
• Implicated in depression [low levels]

• Histamine neurons in the tuberomamillary

nucleus are involved in regulating sleep-wake
cycle and promote arousal when activated
ACETYLCHOLINE
ACETYLCHOLINE
 GABA
• Inhibitory amino acids
• Hypothalamus , hippocampus , cortex ,
cerebellum , basalganglia
• Catabolized by the enzyme GABA
transaminase
• Function is significant whn slow down of body
activity is advantegious
• Mechanism of action -benzodiazepines
HYPOTHALAMO PITUITARY
THYROID AXIS
 CIRCADIAN RHYTHM

It is any biological process that displays an

endogenous , entrainable oscillation of about
24 hours
CIRCADIAN RHYTHM
 SLEEP CENTERS

• Stimulation of sleep inducing centers induces

sleep
• Centers are located in the brain stem

• First center is raphe nucleus located in the

lower pons and medulla. It releases serotonin
which induces sleep
 Contd..

• Second is locus cerulus of pons and

noradrenaline is produced which in turn
induces sleep
 STAGES OF SLEEP
• STAGE 1 – STAGE OF DROWSINESS
- Alpha waves are diminished and
abolished
- Lightest level of sleep
- Duration is 1-7 minutes
- Decreased physiological activity
- Easily aroused
 STAGE 2 – STAGE OF LIGHT SLEEP

• Low voltage of delta waves

• Period of sound sleep

• Relaxation progresses
• Stage lasts to 10 - 20 minutes
• Fragments of dreams may be experienced
 STAGE 3- STAGE OF MODERATELY
DEEP SLEEP

• Initial stage of deep sleep

• Body temperature and blood pressure decreases

• Difficult to awaken the person

• Muscles are completely relaxed

• Duration is 20 minutes
 STAGE 4 – STAGE OF DEEP SLEEP

• Deepest level of sleep

• Brain metabolism decreases significantly

• Very difficult to arouse

• Duration is 15-30 minutes
 REM SLEEP

• Vivid , colourful dreaming occurs

• Begins about 90 minutes after sleep has begun

• Autonomic response of rapid eye movement ,

fluctuating heart rate and respiratory rate and rise
in blood pressure
• Very difficult to arouse