BioPsych UCSB

When experimental devices are positioned in the brain.

Point on the top of the skull where two major seams in the skull intersect.

It has a head holder (holds brain in place) and an electrode holder (holds the device that will be inserted).

The structure is destroyed, and once it recovers, the effects on the behavior can be assessed.

Electric brain lesions.

Part of the tissue is vacuumed, and then other structures are cut.

Involve passing tiny currents across the tip of a permanently implanted electrode to activate neurons, and then assessing effects.

Recording patterns of brain activity.

Unit recording: records activities of individual neurons.
Multiple-unit recording: records overall firing rate of many neurons around the electrode tip, to combine and provide a general measure of neural activity in the area.

Records moment-to-moment variations in the electrical potential between two large electrodes. This can be measures from electrodes places on scalp, therefore it is noninvasive.

Use of a drug that increases the neurotransmitter's effects.

Use of a drug that reduces the neurotransmitter's effects.

1) Synthesis of the neurotransmitter.
2) Storage in vesicles.
3) Breakdown in cytoplasm of any neurotransmitter that leaks from vesicle.
4) Exocytosis (release of neurotransmitters into synapse).
5) Released neurotransmitters bind with autoreceptors and stop more neurotransmitters from being released.
6) Activation of postsynaptic receptors.
7) Deactivation.