Biopsychology Short Essay Final
Course textbook: Pinel, J. (2014). Biopsychology (9th edition). Pearson Publishing.
Answer each question in a minimum of two substantive paragraphs totaling 300 words, completely and fully for full credit. Source credits and the required Reference list attached at the end of each answer do no count toward its word length.
Answers are to be based on the course textbook and outside academic sources (excluding other course textbooks, encyclopedias such as Encarte and Wikipedia, About.com and Ask.com type websites that synthesize source information for users, magazines, news websites, blogs, etc.).
1.Discuss the literature on split-brain and lateralization of function. What does the research tell us about each hemispheres ability to function independently (e.g., cognitively, creatively, etc.) and in unison? What are the implications for the cognitive neuroscientist in terms of research?
2. Discuss one of the psychiatric disorders presented in chapter 11 of your text. Please be sure to address both the physiological and behavioral aspects of the disorder (signs and symptoms, biochemical or genetic theories, etc.), and pharmacological and behavioral treatments for the disorder. What is the role of the biopsychologist or neuroscientist in this type of research?
3. Discuss sleep in terms of the normal sleep cycle. Please be sure to address the stages of sleep and physiological correlates associated with each stage. How does dreaming fit into our conception of a normal sleep cycle? Address theories of dreaming. What are the consequences of disruption of sleep?
4. Critically evaluate the means theories that have been used to explain e motion. Which do you think is the best theory and why?
5. What brain regions and neurochemical systems are known to be involved in the regulation of sleep? What is known about the neurobiology and endocrinology of circadian rhythms?
6. What brain structures and circuits are known to be particularly important for human memory? Please discuss the evidence linking the hippocampus with an involvement in cognitive mapping and spatial memory.
7. Compare and contrast Broca's aphasia with Wernicke's aphasia. What cortical regions need to be damaged to produce these types of aphasia, and what do they tell us about the brain mechanisms underlying language?
8. What are the differences and similarities in the action of cocaine and heroin on the brains reward systems? Do all addictive drugs work by causing the release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens? In what ways have learning and conditioning been shown to be important determinants of drug tolerance?
9. "Brain scanning technology is providing new insights into our understanding of the brain." Explain how CAT, MRI, PET and fMRI scanning works, and some of the ways in which this technology has been used to justify the above statement. Please provide an example to support your answer.
10. In what ways has the abnormal formation and deposition of amyloid been implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease? How can cognitive reserve be built up? What evidence shows that this can have beneficial effects for maintaining mental functioning later in life?