1. Physiology and Behavior: Neurotransmission
Using one or more examples, explain effects of neurotransmission on behavior

2. Neurons 100 billion in the brain alone
Main Goal  Receive and send information
How? Electrical impulse that “push” chemicals from one neuron to another
Parts of the Neuron
Dendrite
Cell Body
Axon
Most important part  SYNAPSE

3. Neuron Communication Chemical Process BETWEEN neurons
Chemicals  neurotransmitters
Neuron may or may not send message
Voluntary movement:
release of neurotransmitters
Sent to motor cortex
Sent to appropriate muscles
Three main parts of the transmission process

4. Step ONE
Neurotransmissions are stored in the terminal button of the axon
Step ONE

5. Step TWO
Neurotransmitters can only fit into certain receptor sites (like a key)
Neuron fires
Right amount of neurons
Right type of neurotransmitters
Repeated over and over again
Step TWO

7. Step THREE
Extra neurotransmitters are absorbed back into the neuron they came from
Reuptake
Can be used again
Step THREE

9. Reflex Faster neurotransmission that involves the spinal cord

10. Mirror Neurons Function:
Empathize and learn from others
the neuron fires when an animal/person PERFORMS an action or OBSERVES and action
First discovered in monkeys

11. Iacobone, 2004 Method: Correlational using MRI
Hypothesis: Humans have mirror neurons
Procedure:
Observe and then imitate facial expressions
Results:
Yes, there are motor neurons
The same neurons fired when they did the action and when they viewed the action
Limbic system also responds to viewing emotion in others
Implications: empathy and learning in humans is based on mirror neurons

12. Drugs Alter Neurotransmission

13. Caffeine Impacts step TWO What happens when you feel sleepy?
Adenosine is released
Inhibit activity
Prepare body for sleep
What does caffeine do?
Binds with receptor sites
Prohibits adenosine from communicating
PLUS…increases brain activity
Movements and thoughts may become faster
Adenosine
Caffeine

14. What if you drink too much caffeine?
Tolerance:
Increase receptor sites that respond to adenosine
Increase amount of adenosine

15. Dopamine How does it impact behavior? Voluntary Movement
Goal-directed behavior (motivation)
Reward system
Pleasure seeking
Addictive behavior
Disorders/Disease
Parkinson’s disease
Schizophrenia

17. Parkinson’s & Schizophrenia
What is Parkinson’s?
Degenerative disease (tremors, difficulty in movement)
Too little dopamine
TX: L-dopa
Increase dopamine (caused schizophrenia symptoms)
What is Schizophrenia:
Psychotic disorder that causes a break from reality (hallucinations, delusions)
Too much dopamine OR too sensitive
TX: Chlorpromazine
Decrease dopamine
Problem
The brain adapts/tolerance
Additional symptoms (Tardive dyskinesia)

18. Dopamine and Schizophrenia

20. Parkinson’s Disease

21. Connection with Addiction
Addictive drugs increase dopamine in reward system of the brain
View drug related items and dopamine is triggered
Viewing cigarettes, food or gambling machine
Nicotine is addictive drugs
Causes dopamine to be released
Drug Usage
Dopamine

22. Berridge and Kringelback, 2009
Method: correlational using brain scans
AIM: investigate the connection between pleasure, dopamine and specific brain locations.
Results: frontal cortex
Implications:
Subjective experience of pleasure is linked to frontal cortex neurons (dopamine) that trigger endorphins

23. Love is like an ADDICTION
High levels of dopamine Passion
Low Levels of dopamine Rejection

24. Serotonin Purpose Prozac regulates mood
Mood regulation
Inhibit dreaming while we are not sleeping
Blocks reuptake of serotonins
Increasing mood regulating messages
Prozac regulates mood
LSD causes hallucinations (dreams while awake)

25. Bonson et al, 1996 Method: Survey
Major limitations
AIM: to see the impact on behavior when individual was on Prozac for depression and took LSD
Results:
Prozac decreased symptoms of depression
BUT LSD never gave the same effect

26. Acetylcholine (ACh) Function Synaptic plasticity in hippocampus
Learning and short term memory

27. Martinez and Kesner, 1991
Aim: investigate the role of ACh in memory formation
Method: Experiment (rats)
Procedure:
Memory task (maze)
Group 1: received injection to block ACh
Group 2: received injection that cleans out the synapse allowing more ACh availability
Group 3: Control Group
Results:
Group 1 had difficulty with maze
Group 2 made few mistakes, quicker than control group
Implications:
ACh is important to the neurobiology of memory
But it is very complex

28. SAQ Discussion Create an outline for
Explain, using one or more examples, the effects of neurotransmission on human behavior