Chapter 3 Neuroscience Behavior Neuroscience and Behavior What

Chapter 3: Neuroscience & Behavior

Neuroscience and Behavior What is a neuron? A neuron is the basic element of the nervous system. There as many as 1 trillion neurons in your body involved in controlling behavior.

Neuroscience and Behavior https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=q. Pix_X-9 t 7 E

Neuroscience and Behavior Three primary brain chemicals are involved in brain function: *Norepinephrine *Serotonin *Dopamine

Neuroscience and Behavior Norepinephrine *Involved in alertness and attention *Causes blood vessels to narrow, raises blood pressure, speeds breathing and heart rate (fight or flight response)

Neuroscience and Behavior Serotonin *Linked to depression, impulsive Bx, violence and suicide *Affects mood, social Bx, appetite and digestion, sleep, memory, and sexual desire

Neuroscience and Behavior Dopamine *Helps control movement, emotional response, and the ability to experience pleasure and pain *May play a role in schizophrenia

Neuroscience and Behavior

Neuroscience and Behavior

Neuroscience and Behavior 7 ways to produce more feel good brain chemicals 1. Eat healthy • According to a 2010 study, women eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and healthy fats were half as likely to experience anxiety and depression as those eating a typical American diet of processed and fatty foods

Neuroscience and Behavior 7 ways to produce more feel good brain chemicals 2. Exercise • It will well-documented that long distance running and/or strenuous workouts trigger the release of endorphins in the brain (30 -45 minutes)

Neuroscience and Behavior 7 ways to produce more feel good brain chemicals 3. Get some sun • According to a 2008 study, the lack of sunlight, especially in the fall and winter months, inhibited serotonin levels in the brain, which led to depression, fatigue and lethargy. Another 1999 study showed that exposure to bright white light eased symptoms of depression and PMDD (premenstrual dysmorphic disorder)

Neuroscience and Behavior 7 ways to produce more feel good brain chemicals 4. Eat some (dark) chocolate • Dark chocolate contains a chemical which our bodies convert into phenylethylamine (PEA) – the same chemical secreted when we fall in love; though the affect would be minimal, serotonin is also produced when we look forward to a pleasurable experience, such as eating chocolate

Neuroscience and Behavior 7 ways to produce more feel good brain chemicals 5. Have sex • Orgasm releases many feel good chemicals, called beta-endorphins, which give us that warm, relaxed “afterglow”

Neuroscience and Behavior 7 ways to produce more feel good brain chemicals 6. Laugh more • In research on depression, Dr. Jason Goodson of Utah University, found that watching stand-up comedy had a significant effect on patients; laughing produces endorphins, and even “fake” laughter can help ease symptoms

Neuroscience and Behavior 7 ways to produce more feel good brain chemicals 7. Sniff vanilla or lavender • Studies have shown that these two scents, in particular, have anxiety-decreasing properties

Neuroscience and Behavior Not only does the nervous system use neurotransmitter chemicals, but it also uses hormones secreted by the endocrine system to send messages throughout the body. Although not a part of the brain, the endocrine system is linked to the hypothalamus in the brain.

Neuroscience and Behavior

Neuroscience and Behavior How does the endocrine system work?

Neuroscience and Behavior Uses high levels of X-rays, which can be dangerous CT scan EEG MRI PET scan

Neuroscience and Behavior

Neuroscience and Behavior Brain autopsy Viewer Discretion Advised! https: //www. youtube. com/ watch? v=j. Hxy. P-n. Uh. UY

Neuroscience and Behavior Interesting facts about the brain and learning

Neuroscience and Behavior Neural Plasticity: the ability of the brain to change and reorganize itself At the cellular level, neurons develop new synaptic connections when we learn something new At the structural or global level, functions of damaged brain regions are taken over by nearby healthy brain tissue Plasticity is greatest in infants, but is present throughout the life span Examples: head injuries, strokes, etc.

Neuroscience and Behavior Neural Plasticity https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v =Va. Dl. LD 97 CLM

Neuroscience and Behavior

Neuroscience and Behavior

Neuroscience and Behavior Gender Brain Differences 1. Brain size: The male brain is typically about ten percent larger than the female brain. Although the extra mass does give males more processing power, this doesn’t make men more intelligent. Rather, science believes the reason for the increased brain mass is to accommodate the bigger body mass and muscle groups of the male (human)

Neuroscience and Behavior Gender Brain Differences 2. Brain hemispheres: Many men are sharply leftbrain dominant, while women tend to be more evenly balanced between left and right-brain processing. Women are therefore thought to be slightly more intuitive, and sometimes better communicators. Men are often less socially adept, and are more task-oriented thinkers than females.

Neuroscience and Behavior Gender Brain Differences 3. Relationships: Women are purported to have better communication skills and emotional intelligence than men. Women tend to be grouporiented, and apt to seek solutions by talking through issues. Men can have trouble picking up on emotional cues unless they’re clearly verbalized – making for tricky communications between the sexes.

Neuroscience and Behavior Gender Brain Differences 4. Mathematical skills: The inferior-parietal lobule, which controls numerical brain function, is larger in males than in females. On standardized tests, men often score higher on mathematical tests than women.

Neuroscience and Behavior Gender Brain Differences 5. Stress: When faced with stressful situations, men usually employ ‘fight or flight’ tactics, while women use a ‘tend or befriend’ response that is rooted in their natural instincts for caring for their children and establishing strong group bonds.

Neuroscience and Behavior Gender Brain Differences 6. Language: Women often excel at language-based tasks for two reasons: two brain areas that deal with language are larger in females, and females process language in both hemispheres while males favor a single brain half.

Neuroscience and Behavior Gender Brain Differences 7. Emotions: Since women tend to have a larger deep limbic system then men, they’re more in touch with their feelings and are better at expressing their emotions. This makes women better at connecting with others, but unfortunately also more prone to different types of depression.

Neuroscience and Behavior Gender Brain Differences 8. Spatial abilities: The parietal region is thicker in the female brain, making it harder for them to mentally rotate objects – an important spatial skill. Women often report difficulty with spatial tasks, both on tests and in real life.

Neuroscience and Behavior Gender Brain Differences 9. Susceptibility to brain function disorders: Men are more likely to be dyslexic or have other language disabilities, since they’re more often left-brain dominant. Males are also more prone to autism, ADHD and Tourette’s Syndrome, while women are more susceptible to mood disorders like anxiety and depression.