NRNP 6635 MID-TERM STUDY GUIDE
Week 1: History and Theories of Psychopathology
Functions of Brain Regions
• Brainstem and the thalamic reticular
... [Show More] activating system provide arousal and set up attention
• posterior cortex integrates perceptions and generates language
• frontal cortex generates programs and executes plans like an orchestra conductor (the highest level)
• Cerebrum - Higher cognitive functions such as judgment, imagination, perception, thought and
decision-making
o cerebral cortex is especially important for personality and intelligence
o two symmetrical hemispheres that each play slightly different roles regarding speech, language
learning, and vision
• Cerebellum - voluntary motor movements, balance, equilibrium, and muscle tone
o Damage to the cerebellum can result in loss of motor control, weak muscles, abnormal eye
movements, slurred speech, and staggering
• Diencephalon - thalamus and the hypothalamus
o Hypothalamus – control of appetite, temperature, blood pressure, perspiration, and sexual
drive
o relay point between subcortical areas of the brain and the cerebral cortex
o Autonomic nervous system “fight or flight”
o relays information about the auditory, visceral, visual, somatic and gustatory systems
o control of immune responses, blood pressure, digestion, and body temperature
• Brainstem - main junction between the brain and the rest of the body
o brain joins with the spinal cord to send and receive information from every inch of our bodies
o breathing, heart rate, digestion, and our body’s natural rhythms
o includes the medulla oblongata, pons, and midbrain
Pathophysiology neurotransmitter involvement with mental health disorders
• Serotonin -
o involved in the regulation of various activities (e.g. behavior, mood, and memory, sleep, and
appetite, encouragement of socialization)
o has some influences on learning, memory, and other cognitive abilities
o primary treatment target for many psychiatric and neurological disorders (e.g. major depressive
disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, bulimia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder,
anxiety, aggressive behavior, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, panic disorders, social phobia,
bipolar disorder, atypical depression, and migraine [Show Less]