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Articles 1 - 14 of 14
Full-Text Articles in Biological Psychology
Consciousness, Evaluation, And The Self-Organizing Brain
Consciousness, Evaluation, And The Self-Organizing Brain
Journal of Conscious Evolution
While evolution is guided by natural selection, it is internally driven by self-organizing processes. The brain encompasses these complementary forces and dynamics of evolution in both its structure and dynamics by embodying a historical record of the factors that have shaped it throughout its evolutionary past, as well as by being shaped by selective parameters in real time. Self-organization is evident in not only the brain’s structure and form, but also in the processes that support consciousness. From the convergence of complex structure and the novelty-generating dynamics of chaos that both characterize the brain arises the experience of explicit consciousness, …
Music And Its Effects On The Brain, Caitlyn Herron
Music And Its Effects On The Brain, Caitlyn Herron
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
This paper will discuss, in short, how music influences our brain, as well as some behavioral and physiological effects as a result. The brain consists of many regions responsible for different cognitive processes, such as learning, memory, recall, speech, and our emotions. It has been found that music helps to facilitate all of these cognitive processes, regardless of its emotional valence or whether the music is active or passive, such as singing or listening to it, respectively. It was discovered that music influences our ability to learn novel concepts related to mathematics, reading, and even language acquisition. It was also …
Methamphetamine-Induced Modulation Of Anxiety/Depressive-Like Behaviors And Hpa Axis Output : Contributing Factors Within Stress Associated Brain Regions, Jason Jacobskind
Methamphetamine-Induced Modulation Of Anxiety/Depressive-Like Behaviors And Hpa Axis Output : Contributing Factors Within Stress Associated Brain Regions, Jason Jacobskind
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Methamphetamine (MA) is a psychostimulant drug of addiction that induces a wide range ofeffects. Among its many side effects is the potentiation of cellular, physiological, and behavioral changes in the stress response system. Upon exposure, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is initiated. This process entails many factors. Receiving input from other brain regions, the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus secretes corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and arginine vasopressin into the anterior pituitary gland. These together stimulate the synthesis and release of adrenocorticotropic hormone, which circulates via the blood stream to cause the release of glucocortoicoids, the stress hormone (CORT). Binding of glucocorticoids …
Is Executive Function The Universal Acid?, Stephen J. Morse
Is Executive Function The Universal Acid?, Stephen J. Morse
All Faculty Scholarship
This essay responds to Hirstein, Sifferd and Fagan’s book, Responsible Brains (MIT Press, 2018), which claims that executive function is the guiding mechanism that supports both responsible agency and the necessity for some excuses. In contrast, I suggest that executive function is not the universal acid and the neuroscience at present contributes almost nothing to the necessary psychological level of explanation and analysis. To the extent neuroscience can be useful, it is virtually entirely dependent on well-validated psychology to correlate with the neuroscientific variables under investigation. The essay considers what executive function is and what the neuroscience adds to our …
The Action-Perception Of Musical Rhythm: A Review Of Eeg Findings, Jordan Anderson
The Action-Perception Of Musical Rhythm: A Review Of Eeg Findings, Jordan Anderson
Summer Research
Electroencephalography (EEG) research has the potential to illuminate questions of connectivity and temporal dynamics during musical rhythm perception. The phenomenon of sensorimotor synchronization observed when humans time their movements to rhythmic auditory stimuli reveals that these actions predict, rather than respond, to the beat. The phase entrainment of oscillatory activity measured by EEG and predictive modulation of beta band power offer cognitive insights to the auditory-motor relationship. Two main approaches exist to understand beat perception: motor simulation theories and dynamical systems theories. The study of mu wave suppression, considered a marker for mirror activity, has the potential to elucidate the …
Assessment Of Peripheral Bdnf Levels Over 30 Days, Sally Hang
Assessment Of Peripheral Bdnf Levels Over 30 Days, Sally Hang
Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects
Brain health, and the benefits of exercise have been linked to the biological signaling molecule called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Animal and human studies have provided some support for physical exercise as a mechanism for increasing BDNF levels. However, results have been inconsistent, which may be attributed in part to incomplete information about normal variation in circulating peripheral BDNF levels. This investigation examined capillary-drawn whole blood samples from nine healthy adult participants over 30 days with the goal of documenting variability in resting BDNF levels and changes that may be attributed to physical exercise. It was hypothesized that BDNF concentrations …
Investigating Differing Degrees Of Foxo3a Expression In Adult Neural Stem Cells Between Age Groups In Zebrafish, Francis G. Bacik
Investigating Differing Degrees Of Foxo3a Expression In Adult Neural Stem Cells Between Age Groups In Zebrafish, Francis G. Bacik
Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects
One factor influencing organismal longevity is the activity of transcription factors of the “fork head domain” family, otherwise known as “Forkhead box” (Fox) proteins. Studies of the four isoforms of the “O” subclass of Fox proteins found in human genes have revealed a direct relationship between FoxO3a-dependent gene expression and the conservation of neural stem cell (NSC) in the adult brain, specifically in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus in the hippocampus and the subventricular zone of the cortex. This transcription factor has also been shown to regulate apoptosis in nervous tissue during embryonic development in zebrafish. The current …
Modulating Neuronal Activity: Copper, Isoproterenol, And Beta-Blockers On The Brain, Veronica Go
Modulating Neuronal Activity: Copper, Isoproterenol, And Beta-Blockers On The Brain, Veronica Go
Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects
No abstract provided.
“My Logic Is Undeniable”: Replicating The Brain For Ideal Artificial Intelligence, Samuel C. Adams
“My Logic Is Undeniable”: Replicating The Brain For Ideal Artificial Intelligence, Samuel C. Adams
Senior Honors Theses
Alan Turing asked if machines can think, but intelligence is more than logic and reason. I ask if a machine can feel pain or joy, have visions and dreams, or paint a masterpiece. The human brain sets the bar high, and despite our progress, artificial intelligence has a long way to go. Studying neurology from a software engineer’s perspective reveals numerous uncanny similarities between the functionality of the brain and that of a computer. If the brain is a biological computer, then it is the embodiment of artificial intelligence beyond anything we have yet achieved, and its architecture is advanced …
Hemispheric Bases For Emotion And Memory, Tad T. Brunyé, Sarah R. Cavanagh, Ruth E. Propper
Hemispheric Bases For Emotion And Memory, Tad T. Brunyé, Sarah R. Cavanagh, Ruth E. Propper
Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works
The goal of this Research Topic was to bring together diverse scientific perspectives on lateralized brain mechanisms underlying emotion, motivation, and memory. The Topic resulted in eight articles, three of which report original research and five of which review and synthesize past research with the aim of developing new hypotheses and theory. A range of international experts with diverse backgrounds, theoretical perspectives, and experimental methods contributed to the Topic. Contributions strongly reflect this diversity, ranging from examining pupil dilation in response to viewing Rembrandt portraits to understanding how caffeine supplementation influences levels of spatial processing. In all cases, the authors …
Impact Of Faah Genotype And Marijuana Use On Brain Structure And Neuropsychological Performance In Emerging Adults, Skyler Gabriel Shollenbarger
Impact Of Faah Genotype And Marijuana Use On Brain Structure And Neuropsychological Performance In Emerging Adults, Skyler Gabriel Shollenbarger
Theses and Dissertations
Introduction: Chronic MJ use may be associated with higher cognitive ability impairments (see Lisdahl et al., 2013). Regions undergoing later maturation (Gogtay 2004), may be at increased risk for MJ-induced alterations. Endogenous cannabinoid signaling (ECS) is modulated by the function the enzyme Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase (see Ho & Hilard, 2005), thus the gene encoding for this enzyme (FAAH) impacts ECS (Sipe et al., 2002). Here, we examine the impact of MJ use and FAAH genotype on PFC complexity and underlying frontal white matter (WM) integrity in young adults. Methods: Participants included 37 MJ users and 37 non-using young adults …
The Effects Of Mindfulness Meditation On Rumination In Depressed People, Rachel A. Sluder
The Effects Of Mindfulness Meditation On Rumination In Depressed People, Rachel A. Sluder
Honors Theses and Capstones
Mindfulness meditation is a practice of focus, awareness, and non-judgmental acceptance of one's thoughts (Deyo et al., 2009; Kenny et al., 2007). Rumination is a maladaptive pattern of thought that is common in people with depression and other mood disorders. It can lead to further episodes of depression, and can be very destructive in that way (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2008). This paper reviews several studies on mindfulness meditation, depression, and rumination, with a focus on certain areas and phenomena such as alpha asymmetry (Keune et al 2013) and gamma band activity (Berkovich-Ohana et al., 2012). Modalities such as fMRI and EEG are …
The Role Of The Progesterone Receptor In The Development Of The Ventromedial Nucleus And Female Sexual Behaviors, Keith L. Gonzales
The Role Of The Progesterone Receptor In The Development Of The Ventromedial Nucleus And Female Sexual Behaviors, Keith L. Gonzales
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Steroid induced gene transcription plays an important role in neural sex differences within many mammalian species. Steroid hormones actions within the developing brain have profound, permanent effects in the development of neurochemical processes and behaviors. Within the developing ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMN), a potent transcription factor, the progesterone receptor (PR), is highly expressed within female rats. Furthermore, the regulation of PR within the developing VMN of the female rat is anatomically and developmentally specific. Typically, PR expression is highly dependent on the activity of estradiol acting at ERα. As such, circulating levels of estradiol act to induce PR …
Influence Of Perinatal Exposure To A Polychlorinated Biphenyl Mixture On Learning And Memory, Hippocampal Size, And Estrogen Receptor-Beta Expression, Howard Cromwell
Influence Of Perinatal Exposure To A Polychlorinated Biphenyl Mixture On Learning And Memory, Hippocampal Size, And Estrogen Receptor-Beta Expression, Howard Cromwell
Howard Casey Cromwell
Abstract. Perinatal exposure to PCB has been reported to cause a variety of health effects including endocrine disruption, and immunologic, reproductive, neurologic, and behavioral deficits. In the present study, a mixture of two PCB congeners, one non-coplanar (PCB 47) and one coplanar (PCB 77), were administered to young female Sprague-Dawley rats by route of maternal dietary consumption (either 12.5 ppm or 25.0 ppm, w/w). Impact on learning and memory were examined by radial arm maze on postnatal day 24-27. After behavioral tests were completed, the rats were transcardially perfused, and brains were excised. Immunohistochemistry for ER- β was carried out …