Functions of Brain Regions
The brainstem and the thalamic reticular activating system provide arousal and set
up attention; the posterior cortex
... [Show More] integrates perceptions and generates language;
and, at the highest level, the frontal cortex generates programs and executes plans
like an orchestra conductor
o Cerebrum - Higher cognitive functions such as judgment, imagination, perception,
thought and decision-making
cerebral cortex is especially important for personality and intelligence
two symmetrical hemispheres that each play slightly different roles regarding
speech, language learning, and vision
o Cerebellum - voluntary motor movements, balance, equilibrium, and muscle tone
Damage to the cerebellum can result in loss of motor control, weak muscles,
abnormal eye movements, slurred speech, and staggering
o Diencephalon - thalamus and the hypothalamus
Hypothalamus – control of appetite, temperature, blood pressure,
perspiration and sexual drive
relay point between subcortical areas of the brain and the cerebral cortex
Autonomic nervous system “fight or flight”
relays information about the auditory, visceral, visual, somatic and gustatory
systems
control of immune responses, blood pressure, digestion, and body
temperature
o Brainstem - main junction between the brain and the rest of the body
brain joins with the spinal cord to send and receive information from every
inch of our bodies
breathing, heart rate, digestion, and our body’s natural rhythms
includes the medulla oblongata, pons, and midbrain
Pathophysiology neurotransmitter involvement with mental health disorders
o Serotonin -
involved in the regulation of various activities (e.g. behavior, mood, and
memory, sleep, and appetite, encouragement of socialization)
has some influences on learning, memory, and other cognitive abilities
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
o Dopamine –
Too much – positive symptoms of schizophrenia and psychosis
Too little – Parkinson’s disease, depression, ADHD, anxiety
Mesolimbic pathway –
This study source was downloaded by 100000852290574 from CourseHero.com on 12-07-2022 02:29:04 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/107923455/midterm-exam-study-guidedocx/
pleasure and reward pathway; overstimulation of NAc leads to
euphoria and risk for cravings and withdraw (addiction)
involved in cognition, working memory and decision making in the
prefrontal cortex
Nigrostriatal dopamine pathway –
Motor planning; lack of dopamine in this pathway results in motor
control impairment (i.e. EPS, movement disorders, parkinsonism,
TD, spasms)
Tuberoinfundibular dopamine pathway –
Inhibits prolactin release
Prevention of these functions increases prolactin affecting
menstrual cycles, libido, fertility, bone health or galactorrhea
o Norepinephrine and Epinephrine
o Acetylcholine
Theories of Personality and Psychopathology (theorist and stages of theories)
o Sigmund Freud –
psychosexual development
The Ego and the Id
Defense mechanisms
Theory of anxiety as “dammed up libido” and ego’s partial failure to cope
with distressing stimuli
Character traits as result of successful repression to the defense system
o Erikson –
Dilemmas or polarities in the ego’s relations with family and larger social
institutions at nodal points in childhood, adolescence and early, middle
and late adulthood
Psychological development
Concept of identity, identity crisis and identity confusions
Epigenetic principle – development occurs in sequential, clearly defined
stages and each stage must be satisfactorily resolved for development to
proceed smoothly – failure results in a form of physical, cognitive, social
or emotional maladjustment
Erikson’s Psychosocial stages
Trust versus mistrust (birth to 18 months)
Autonomy vs shame and doubt (18 months – 3 yrs)
Initiative vs guilt (3 yrs – 5 yrs)
Industry vs inferiority (5 yrs to 13 yrs)
Identity vs role confusion (13 yrs to 20 yrs)
Intimacy vs isolation (20 yrs to 40 yrs)
Generativity vs stagnation (40 yrs to 60 yrs)
This study source was downloaded by 100000852290574 from CourseHero.com on 12-07-2022 02:29:04 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/107923455/midterm-exam-study-guidedocx/
Integrity vs despair (60’s and on)
o Karl Abraham
Explication of depression from a psychoanalytic perspective and
elaboration of Freud’s stages of psychosexual development
Postulated that psychosexual stages were linked to specific syndromes [Show Less]