Neuropsychologie
,1
, 1. Evolution & Function of the
nervous system
87 miljard neurons, 86 miljard glial cells
Neurons=Brain cells that are specialized in that they interconnect with eah other snd with the muscle
and organs
Glial cells=Supporting the function of the neurons
1. Central Nervous System
Brain + spinal cord. Central because its both the nervous systems physical core and the core structure
mediating behavior. Primary function of brain is to produce behavior. To do so, it must:
- Receive information about the world (senses)
- Integrate information to create a sensory reality.
A dog will see the world differently compared to a human, even though it has a brain
- Make a constant stream of predictions about what to expect.
It’s not safe to cross a path when a car is passing by at a certain speed, you made that
prediction.
- Produce commands to control the movement of muscles
Peripheral nervous system=PNS. All the neurons in the body outside the brain and spinal cord; provides
sensory and motor connectiond to and from the CNS
Embodied behavior=Theory that the movements we make and the movements we perceive in others
are central to communication with others
Locked-in syndrome=Condition in which a patiënt is aware and awake but cant move or communicate
verbally because of complese paralysis
Minimally conscious state=MCS. Condition in which a person can display some rudimentary behaviors,
such as smiling or uttering a few words, but is otherwise not conscious.
Deep brain stimulation=DBS. Neurosurgery in which electrodes implanted in the brain stimulate a
targeted area with a low voltage electrical current to facilitate behavior.
Persistent vegetative state=PVS. Condition in which a person is alive but unaware, unable to
communicate or to function independently at even the most basic level
2
, Psyche=Synonym for mind, an entity once proposed to be the source of human behavior
Mentalism (Aristotle)=An explanation of behavior as a function of the nonmaterial mind --> There’s
something in the body we cant see, cant touch, that influences our mind; psyche, soul
Dualism (Descartes)=Both a nonmaterial and the material body contribute to behavior.
Mind-Body Problem=Impossible to explain a nonmaterial mind in command of a material body
Materialism (Darwin)=Behavior can be explained as a function of the nervous system without
considering the mind as a separate substance.
Fixed behavior=Innate
Flexible behavior=Dependent on learning
Epigenetics=Study of differences in gene expression related tot environment and experience.
Epigenetics does not change your genes, but they do influence how your genes operate.
Nervous system consists of:
1. Central nervous system
- Brain & Spinal cord
2. Somatic nervous system (transmits sensation such as sight, hear, muscles)
- Cranial nerves
- Spinal nerves
3. Autonomic nervous system (balances internal functions such as heart rate, digestion)
- Sympathetic division (arousing)
- Parasympathetic division (calming)
4. Enteric nervous system (controles the gut, digestion and stomach contractions)
Forebrain
Cerebrum/Forebrain=Major structure of the brain, consisting of two almost identical hemispheres.
Evolutionarily the most recent addition to the brain. It coordinates advanced cognitive function such as
thinking, planning, language
Cerebellum=Little brain. Involved in the coordination of motor and cognitive processes. Very dense,
because it contains the same amount of neurons as the rest of the brain
Cerebral/Neo Cortex=Thin sheet composed of 6 layers of nerve cells folded many times to fit inside the
skull regulating various mental activities.
- Gyri: bumps, brains folded surface
- Sulci: grooves, cracks
3
,1
, 1. Evolution & Function of the
nervous system
87 miljard neurons, 86 miljard glial cells
Neurons=Brain cells that are specialized in that they interconnect with eah other snd with the muscle
and organs
Glial cells=Supporting the function of the neurons
1. Central Nervous System
Brain + spinal cord. Central because its both the nervous systems physical core and the core structure
mediating behavior. Primary function of brain is to produce behavior. To do so, it must:
- Receive information about the world (senses)
- Integrate information to create a sensory reality.
A dog will see the world differently compared to a human, even though it has a brain
- Make a constant stream of predictions about what to expect.
It’s not safe to cross a path when a car is passing by at a certain speed, you made that
prediction.
- Produce commands to control the movement of muscles
Peripheral nervous system=PNS. All the neurons in the body outside the brain and spinal cord; provides
sensory and motor connectiond to and from the CNS
Embodied behavior=Theory that the movements we make and the movements we perceive in others
are central to communication with others
Locked-in syndrome=Condition in which a patiënt is aware and awake but cant move or communicate
verbally because of complese paralysis
Minimally conscious state=MCS. Condition in which a person can display some rudimentary behaviors,
such as smiling or uttering a few words, but is otherwise not conscious.
Deep brain stimulation=DBS. Neurosurgery in which electrodes implanted in the brain stimulate a
targeted area with a low voltage electrical current to facilitate behavior.
Persistent vegetative state=PVS. Condition in which a person is alive but unaware, unable to
communicate or to function independently at even the most basic level
2
, Psyche=Synonym for mind, an entity once proposed to be the source of human behavior
Mentalism (Aristotle)=An explanation of behavior as a function of the nonmaterial mind --> There’s
something in the body we cant see, cant touch, that influences our mind; psyche, soul
Dualism (Descartes)=Both a nonmaterial and the material body contribute to behavior.
Mind-Body Problem=Impossible to explain a nonmaterial mind in command of a material body
Materialism (Darwin)=Behavior can be explained as a function of the nervous system without
considering the mind as a separate substance.
Fixed behavior=Innate
Flexible behavior=Dependent on learning
Epigenetics=Study of differences in gene expression related tot environment and experience.
Epigenetics does not change your genes, but they do influence how your genes operate.
Nervous system consists of:
1. Central nervous system
- Brain & Spinal cord
2. Somatic nervous system (transmits sensation such as sight, hear, muscles)
- Cranial nerves
- Spinal nerves
3. Autonomic nervous system (balances internal functions such as heart rate, digestion)
- Sympathetic division (arousing)
- Parasympathetic division (calming)
4. Enteric nervous system (controles the gut, digestion and stomach contractions)
Forebrain
Cerebrum/Forebrain=Major structure of the brain, consisting of two almost identical hemispheres.
Evolutionarily the most recent addition to the brain. It coordinates advanced cognitive function such as
thinking, planning, language
Cerebellum=Little brain. Involved in the coordination of motor and cognitive processes. Very dense,
because it contains the same amount of neurons as the rest of the brain
Cerebral/Neo Cortex=Thin sheet composed of 6 layers of nerve cells folded many times to fit inside the
skull regulating various mental activities.
- Gyri: bumps, brains folded surface
- Sulci: grooves, cracks
3
