Q1. Explain the effects of neurotransmission on human behaviour.
This essay will explain you what are neurotransmitters and how they affect behavior, incorporated with relevant studies.
One of the most important discoveries that have influenced psychology is the role of neurotransmitters, which affect the behviour, emotions and thoughts. To understand its effect we need to understand the physiology or the method of neurotransmission which causes are behavior.
To understand neurotransmission we need to understand the nerve cells or neurons, which are the basic units of carrying messages to the brain and across the body. The neurons send electrochemical messages to the brain, which help the people to respond to the environment and the internal
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These neurotransmitters are stored in the terminal bulbs of the neurons. Once the electrical impulse reaches the terminal bulb these neurotransmitters are released and then reach the receptor sites of the post-synaptic neuron. Once the message is carried forward the either the neurotransmitters are broken down or reabsorbed this is known as reuptake.
There are various neurotransmitters present in our body some of which are-
1. Serotonin
2. Acetylcholine
3. Norepinephrine
4. Dopamine
Several studies have been undertaken to demonstrate the effects of neurotransmission on human behaviour. In this essay the function and supporting studies of the neurotransmitters Serotonin and Acetylcholine will be explained.
Serotonin
It is associated with the regulation of sleep, memory, learning, appetite and mood (key factor in mood balance).
Low serotonin levels can lead to depression.
Increasing the amount of Serotonin in the brain helps reducing depression and improving mood.
Serotonin based medication are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors which are used to reduce the symptoms of
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Ach acts in the areas of the brain associated with motivation, attention and arousal.
Aim of this study was to determine role of neurotransmitter acetylcholine on memory formation. Rats were trained to go through maze and get to the end where they received food. After rats were able to do this, he injected: Scopolamine in the first group, which blocks acetylcholine receptor sites.
Physostigmine in the second group, which blocks production of cholinesterase, which causes rapid reabsorption of Ach.
The third group, which was control group, was not injected.
It was found that rats injected with Scopolamine –were slower at finding way round maze and made more errors than control or Physostigmine group. Rats injected with Physostigmine ran faster compared to both groups and made fewer wrong turns. Thus, this study shows that the neurotransmitter acetylcholine affects the human behaviour of memory causing an increase in memory functions with higher amounts of Ach compared to lower levels of Ach, which decreases memory
Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter at the neuromuscular junction and also a neurotransmitter in the autonomic nervous system. Acetylcholine is not affected by risperidone, nor is it related to acute mania. Choice "C" is not the best answer. Glutamate is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter of the central nervous system, but is not associated with acute mania. Risperidone does not affect glutamate transmission.
2015). There were few hormones mentioned but only three will be talked about in this speech. One of this neurotransmitter is Endorphin which involved in pain relief; opioid and depressants are the drugs that affect the function of this neurotransmitter. Next is Serotonin which regulate moods and impulsivity; the drug related to this is Hallucinogens. Lastly Dopamine which include the regulation of movements, rewards, punishments, pleasure and energy; Cocaine and Marijuana affect this function within the
f) The biogenic theory of depression in terms of our theoretical understandings of mental disorders was formed. i) The theory stated that the mood is determined in the brain by biogenic amines – complex chemicals who’s structure resembles that of ammonia.
Depression is due to a problem with a brain chemical called Serotonin. Serotonin is released from glands of the brain and reabsorbed by the brain instead of going where it is needed. Some antidepressants like Prozac try to remedy that problem by preventing it from being reabsorbed so that it can go where it is needed. It is obvious for reasons already stated doctors are in essence performing uncontrolled experiments on their patients. Some of these patients may be the elderly in nursing homes or to psychiatric patients in mental facilities.
The biological approach to the basis of memory is explained in terms of underlying biological factors such as the activity of the nervous system, genetic factors, biochemical and neurochemicals. In general terms memory is our ability to encode, store, retain and recall information and past experiences afterwards in the human brain. In biological terms, memory is the recreation of past experiences by simultaneous activation or firing of neurons. Some of the major biopsychological research questions on memory are what are the biological substrates of memory, where are memories stored in the brain, how are memories assessed during recall and what is the mechanism of forgetting. The two main reasons that gave rise to the interest in biological basis of memory are that researchers became aware of the fact that many memory deficits arise from injuries to the brain.
The last theory of depression is the monoamine-deficiency theory. It simply believes that depressive symptoms are caused by depletion of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, norepinephrine, or dopamine, in the brain (Hasler, 2010). Monoaminergic systems participate in the organization of extensive cognitive functions, such as reward processing, attention, mood, sleep, and appetite (Hasler,
Providing the person with a sensation of an “overjoyed feeling”, that can last 15 to 30 minutes. Since the rush of the drug diminishes, the brain’s supply of serotonin, neurotransmitters dopamine, and norepinephrine; it also causes the person to feel disturbed and depressed, as the high goes down. This is how the drug affects a person’s physiological
In modern psychology there exist many different psychological approaches studying human behavior with each one focusing on specific aspects to study, employing differing methodologies. Two major approaches (perspectives) are the psychodynamic and behavioral perspectives. Both perspectives attempt to decipher human behavior, but they examine it from quite different views. The behavioral perspective explicitly considers psychology as a science and employs scientific and objective methods of investigation. It assumes that behavior, good or bad, is learned and the environment is the primary factor affecting learning.
Information is transferred through chemicals called neurotransmitters. It has been found that neurotransmitters like Dopamine, Serotonin and Norepinephine influence one’s moods and emotions. Dopamine also called the feel good chemical gives you a happy-elated feeling when released. Serotonin is another neurotransmitter associated with regeneration of brain cells, which eases depression.
Another specialized protein called a transporter removes dopamine from the synapse to be recycled for further use.8 Drugs of abuse can interfere with this normal communication process. For example, cocaine acts by binding to the dopamine transporter, blocking the removal of dopamine from the synapse. Dopamine then accumulates in the synapse to produce an amplified signal to the receiving neurons. This is what causes the euphoria commonly experienced immediately after taking the drug Signs and Symptoms of Drug
When we are faced with decision-making choices, our muscles tend to become tense and our hormones fluctuate. Therefore, the physiological state of our bodies allows us to add value to a choice and thus make a decision. 2. These episodes address the importance of neural network and interaction between different neuronal regions in two basic forms: competition and collaboration. List one example for two brain regions competing with each other or collaborating with each other from the episodes,
Major depression is a kind of neuropsychiatric disorder which can be treated by neural modulation. A region of the human brain called Brodmann area 25 (part responsible for rise of emotion) grows hyperactive, disrupting neural signal causing depression. When anti-depression drugs and Electroconvulsive Therapy
Anxiety and depression are two terms used frequently in the area of abnormal psychology. In class, we have discussed how they each can be described using the multidimensional approach; there are many factors that determine if an individual has a disorder or not. In class we observed the multidimensional approach stated that influences can be psychological, biological, and sociocultural and they all spiral into each other. It is not a one-dimensional approach like once thought. Therefore anxiety and depression have biological, psychological, and sociocultural influences.
They also believe that the two factors that can lead to depresion are the neurologic argument and the genetic argument. We know that the brain functions by sending chemical messages from neurons to neurons using neurotransmitters such as Serotonin ( which release a chemical that helps a person to be calm) and Noradrenaline ( body's initial stress response) . The lack of this chemical messages, according to biological approach, is one of the reasons that lead a person to depression. The cure for the depression, according to the biological approach, is the use of chemical medicines such as Prozac (works by increasing the availability of the mood chemical serotonin) and Effexor (targets serotonin and
In relation to the findings of environmental influences and its effect on human behavior, this essay will be discussing two effects of the environment on physiological processes, provided with a variety of hypotheses and supported by research studies that have investigated these two effects. It has been argued that aspects in a surrounding environment can affect the physiological processes of the human brain such as neurotransmitters and hormones, in which the relationship between the environment and physiology is stated to be bidirectional—in this case, environmental quality can alter the condition of the cerebral cortex, which influences one’s behavior and experiences. One effect of an environment on physiological processes is neuroplasticity.