This document provides an overview of behavioral neuroscience. It discusses how studying this field can help understand goals of psychology like describing, understanding, predicting and controlling behavior and thoughts. It also explains how behavioral neuroscience examines the relationship between biological and psychological functions. The document describes the historical views of the brain, components of neurons, types of neurotransmitters, how synapses work, and how psychoactive drugs can influence the nervous system by altering neurotransmitter release and receptor activation.

1. Chapter 2
Behavioral
Neuroscience
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2. Behavioral Neuroscience
• Why study this in psychology?
• How can it help us understand the goals of
psychology?
• Goals
– Describe
– Understand
– Predict
– Control or modify
• Behaviors & thoughts

3. Biology and Behavior
• Behavioral neuroscience
– Studies
• Relation between biological & psychological
functions
–Can help us understand
• Nature of personality
• Causes of abnormal behavior
• Reaction to stress
• Effectiveness of therapy
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4. Historical View of the Brain
• 1000 BC Egyptian Pharaohs mummification
• Brain
– Removed & discarded
• Vital to afterlife
– Heart
• Left in body
• Seen as containing perception, cognition & soul
– Intestines, liver, lungs & stomach
• Removed, wrapped & placed in canopic jars.

5. Historical View of the Brain
• Many cultures similar views of heart
• Brain interpreted in various ways
– Aristotle cooling emotions of heart
• Change began in 1500’s
• Leonardo da Vinci 1452-1519
– Head seen as holding cognition
– Ventricle system
• Holes in the brain.

6. Ventricular System
• Cavities or holes in brain holding
cerebrospinal fluid

7. Mrs. Garrison’s Theory of Evolution

8. Evolutionary Psychology
• Focuses on
– Adapted benefits of selected behaviors
• Women
– Talk
– Multi-task
» Women larger area for communication
• Men
– Quiet
– Singularly focused
» Larger area of brain for sex

9. Evolutionary Psychology
• Why doesn’t an organism ever
achieve perfect adaption?

10. Evolutionary Psychology
• Why doesn’t an organism ever
achieve perfect adaption?
–Each adaption has:
• Costs?
• Benefits?
–Increased head size?

11. Evolution
Evolution Does :
• Works to improve
reproduction success
Evolution Doesn’t:
• Work to improve a
species
• Have a conscious plan
or purpose
• Work to produce
happiness or
contentment

12. Evolutionary Psychology
• Natural Selection & Adaptive Behavior
– Natural selection
• Evolutionary process by which those individuals of a
species that are best adapted are the ones that survive
& reproduce
– Survivors better adapted to world than nonsurvivors

13. Evolutionary Psychology
 Emphasizes importance of
 Adaptation
 Reproduction
 “Survival of the fittest”
 In shaping behavior
 Spatial skills in finding way home
 Fit
 Ability to
 Bare offspring that survive long enough to bare offspring
 Pass your genes to next generation

14. Biology and Behavior
• Scientists who study this:
– Represent several disciplines
• Psychology (especially physiological
psychologists)
• Biology
• Medicine
• Others
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15. Neuron

16. Neurons
• Neurons
–Cells that transmit information
• Neurons are composed of:
–Dendrites
–Soma
• Cell Body
–Axon

17. Neuron Structure

18. Myelin Sheath
• Myelin Sheath
– Composed of glial cells
• (Greek word for “glue”)
– Coats axon of some neurons
– White matter of brain
– Functions:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Speeds neurotransmission
Insulates neurons from each other
Makes neurotransmission more efficient
Removes waste
Occupies vacant space when neurons die
Other purposes
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19. • Myelin
–Looks like string of sausages
–Doesn’t cover entire length of axon
–Nodes of Ranvier
• Space between “sausages”
• Nerve impulse jumps from 1 node of
Ranvier to next
• Transmission up to 100 x’s faster
–Unmeylinated axons
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20. Terminal Button
1. Synthesis of
neurotransmitter (NT)
2. Storage & transport of
NT within vesicles
3. NT Release
4. Activation of
postsynaptic receptors
5. Termination of
transmitter effect (e.g.
reuptake)

21. Neurotransmitters
• Dopamine
– Controls arousal levels
– Significant role in motor movement
– Reward & punishment
• Serotonin
– Role in
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Weight regulation
Sleep
Depression
Suicide
obsessive–compulsive disorder
Aggression
Wide range of other disorders & behavior problems.
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22. Neurotransmitters
• Acetylcholine
– Attention
– Learning
– Memory
• Norepinephrine
– Also a hormone
– Physical & mental arousal
– Heightens mood
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25. Synapse
• Synapse
–Space between axon terminal &
adjacent dendrite or cell body
• Neurotransmitter (NT)
–Molecules released from terminal
button into synapse.

26. Neurons: Basic Cells of the
Nervous System
• Synapses
– Cleared rapidly
• So additional signals can be transmitted
• Cleared in 1 of 2 ways, depending on
neurotransmitter
– 1. breakdown
• Broken down & removed
– 2. Reuptake
• Recycled back into vesicles
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27. SSRI Reuptake Inhibitor

28. SSRI Reuptake Inhibitor
• SSRIs block reuptake of serotonin
• Called selective
– Primarily affect serotonin
• Changes balance of serotonin

29. SSRI Reuptake Inhibitor
• Generic names followed by brand names
– Citalopram (Celexa)
– Escitalopram (Lexapro)
– Fluoxetine (Prozac, Prozac Weekly, Sarafem)
– Paroxetine (Paxil, Paxil CR, Pexeva)
– Sertraline (Zoloft)
– Fluoxetine combined with the atypical
antipsychotic olanzapine (Symbyax)

30. Psychoactive Drugs
• Drugs work in synapse
• Agonists enhance neurotransmitter function
• Antagonists block neurotransmitter function

31. Psychoactive Drugs
• Psychoactive drugs
– Affect nervous system
• Alter mood
• Emotion
• Thought
– Act by:
• Increasing or decreasing release of
neurotransmitters
• Stimulating or blocking receptor sites

33. Opiates

35. Opiates binding to opiate
receptors
• Increased dopamine release

37. Neurons: Basic Cells of the
Nervous System
 Presynaptic membrane
 Side that sends message
 Postsynaptic membrane
 Receiving side of synapse
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38. Neurons: Basic Cells of the
Nervous System
• When electrical signal reaches terminal
buttons
– Causes vesicles to release a chemical signal
• Neurotransmitter into synapse
• Contacts postsynaptic membrane (usually
dendrite) of next neuron
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39. Neurons: Basic Cells of the
Nervous System
• Excitation
– More likely to transmit the message to
subsequent neurons
• Inhibition
– Less likely to transmit the message to subsequent
neurons
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40. Neurons
• Action Potential
–Electrical impulse
–Causes cells to fire
• All or none firing
–Like guns fire or don’t fire

41. Scanning electron microscope picture of a nerve ending
broken open to reveal vesicles (orange & blue) containing
neurotransmitters.

42. Neurons: Basic Cells of the
Nervous System
• Most drugs influence operation of
neurotransmitter
– 1. Agonists
• Increase effectiveness
– Or
– 2. Antagonists
• Reduce effectiveness
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44. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L
T3VKAr4roo&feature=related