Neural Communication

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Neural Communication
Neurotransmitters (NTs)
Endorphins a class of NTs involved in
perception of pain (among other things)
Drugs such as heroin, morphine, codeine, etc act
at the same sites as the endorphins.
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Neural Communication
Agonists and Antagonists
Heroin is an opiate agonist - - it binds to
endorphin sites and acts like an endorphin
Naloxone is an opiate antagonist - - it binds to
endorphin sites but does not activate them
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The Nervous System
Sympathetic/Parasympathetic Nervous Systems
decrease heart rate
increase heart rate
vasoconstriction
vasodilation
decrease salivation
increase salivation
dilate bronchioles
constrict bronchioles
dilate pupil
constrict pupil
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The Brain
The Brainstem
- the hindbrain
- in evolutionary terms, the medulla is the
oldest part of the brain
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The Brain
The Brainstem
controls heartbeat and breathing
arousal, attention
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The Brain
The Thalamus
the sensory switchboard
geniculate nuclei
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The Brain
The Cerebellum Basal Ganglia
Coordination of voluntary movement
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The Brain
The Limbic System
- emotion, hunger, sex drive
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The Brain
The Limbic System
Amygdala
involved in emotion/fear
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The Brain
The Limbic System
Hippocampus
- memory formation
- lower edge of cortex
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The Brain
The Limbic System
Hypothalamus
- eating, drinking, body temperature
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The Brain
The Limbic System
- connection to pituitary gland
- master gland of endocrine system
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The Brain
The Cerebral Cortex
Advanced information processing
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The Brain
The Cerebral Cortex
Frontal Lobes
- speaking, planning, judgements
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The Brain
The Cerebral Cortex
Parietal Lobes
- somatosensory processing (touch)
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The Brain
The Cerebral Cortex
Temporal Lobes
- auditory processing
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The Brain
The Cerebral Cortex
Occipital Lobes
- visual processing
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The Brain
Sensorimotor Homunculii
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The Question