Overview of Behavioral Anatomy & Addiction. The Nervous System nervous system is responsible for...
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Transcript of Overview of Behavioral Anatomy & Addiction. The Nervous System nervous system is responsible for...
Overview of Behavioral Anatomy
& Addiction
The Nervous System
nervous system is responsible for communication between us and environment among regions of the body
coordinates and integrates information
regulates activity; maintains homeostasis
memory & consciousnessHistology slide of somebrain tissue
CNS PNS
Sensory Division afferent
sensory nerves to CNS
Motor Division efferent
motor nerves to muscles & glands
Autonomic NSinvoluntary
heart, smooth muscle, glands
Somatic NS
skeletal muscle
A nerve cellshowingdendrites andan incomingaxon.
D
A
D
(Another) histology slideillustratingthe physicallayout of somenerves in thebrain.
Some Important Parts of the Brain
Cognitive area
Limbic (another very important) System of the Brain
The limbic system isresponsible for generatingour emotional feelings (pleasure, frustration, anger) based on our cognitive interpretation of our environment
Substantia nigra
Caudate
PutamemGlobus Pallidus
Ventral tegmentalarea
Locus coeruleus
Basal Ganglia is part of the limbic system
Our sensory nerves inform our brain about our physical environment
Kinesthetic PerceptionSensory areas of the brain receive input from nerve fibers which originate from different types of receptors (touch, visual, auditory, pain, taste).
Sensory nerves originating from Pacinian corpuscles in the skin (mechanoreceptors) respond to touch.
Sensory nerves originating from proprioceptors
in the joints respond to “angle-specific pressure”
A-delta nerves originating from free nerve endings (Noci receptors) respond to tissue damage.
Primary (SI) and secondary (SII) sensory cortex involved with the localization of pain
Anterior portion of insular is most likely concerned with pain perception
All sensory information is relayed throughout different parts of the brain and our conscious interpretation of the stimuli generates a physical and emotional response which we “feel”:
body/joint position, body and/or limb movement, well-being, nausea, pain …
happy, sad, frustration, disappointment, joy, ecstasy, anger …
Our CNS response to stimuli also includes (selective) changes in the (autonomic) sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve pathways; selective changes based on our interpretation of the stimuli.
Sympathetic N.S.• Thoracic, Lumbar motor
nerves– synapse close to spinal cord
• Fight or flight – preservation of life– heart & skeletal muscle
stimulated blood pressure metabolism brain activity
– vegetative functions inhibited
Parasympathetic N.S.
• craniosacral motor nerves– synapse in wall of
organ
• vegetative functions– internal housekeeping,
recovery, rest G.I. activity• digestive organs
– inhibit brain & muscle
Learning and memory play a very important role in how we develop behaviors
Memory
A “memory” is not a discrete location in the brain made up of a cluster of cells which are independent of other cells.
A “memory” is actually comprised of a “pattern” of nerve-cell activities made up of interconnected nerve cells which are scattered throughout the cerebral cortex. These cells are in turn interconnected to all other brain cells.
Memory/Learning
We do not remember facts as discrete pieces of independent information.
We have memories of “facts” only in association with other memories.
We develop new memories only in association with existing memories.
Memory/Learning
New memories are created by rearranging existing patterns of activated nerve cells into new patterns of activity.
This process demands synthesis of new proteins in “some” nerve cells to modify their ability to be activated by other nerves and thereby create a new patterns of activation.
Learning
Parts of the brainthat are importantfor learning.
Learning
Hippocampus coordinatesenvironmental stimuliand activates existingmemory.
Learning
New memory is constructedbased on novel stimulus incomparison to existingmemory.
“Strength” of the memory isdependent on the frequencyand strength of the neural activity.
Learning & Memory
The new memory isactivated either throughthe “novel” stimulus orthrough the associatedmemory.
We remember facts as pieces of “information” in relation to other pieces of “information” which in turn are related to other …
Memory / Behavior
Sensory memories of physical movements are stored as patterns of neural activity in the cerebellum and are developed in much the same way as factual memories.
Memory / Behavior
All sensory inputs are coordinated by reticular formationand basal ganglia and transmitted to frontal cortex.
Sensory input is unconsciously compared to sensory memory and adjustments are made “as-you-go”.
Simultaneously, conscious image is compared consciously to conscious memory of what we should look like while we do it and we make conscious adjustments to mimic the conscious memory of the skill.
Integration of conscious and subconscious adjustments based on conscious and subconscious memories of the performance result in the actual performance.
The most basic connection between behavior and memory is that we desire to perform behaviors which produce responses that we want….if we can’t remember that a particular behavior resulted in a desirable outcome, there is little chance we will seek out to repeat the same behavior.
In addition, if a particular behavior results in an unpleasant experience, there is a strong likelihood that we will avoid that behavior.
On the other hand, if a behavior is not particularly pleasant, but does result in a highly desirable outcome, there is a high likelihood that the unpleasant behavior will be continued in order to get the pleasant payoff.
Memory, Learning & Behavior
Memory / Learning / Behavior
With greater pleasure, reinforcement can be developed more easily and quickly.
With greater activation of the memory & learning pathways during the behavior, the easier and faster the learning.
With more important desired behaviors, there is greater craving in their absence.