Brain & Behavior
SP-20_PSY3043-SA02B -J. Matyas Rochester University- RKT
Rochester College, RKT compilation of research from class
Course Description
Muirhead 121 (main campus) Phone: (248) 218 - 2157
Email Address: JMatyas@rc.edu C
Course Description: An introduction to the biology of behavior and mental processes, including the Structure, chemistry, and function of the brain as well as the behavioral effects of neuroanatomical structures and neurochemical processes. Students will be expected to critically read and review scientific papers and communicate findings to a group of their peers.
Required Materials: [Textbook] Kalat, J.W. (2019) Biological Psychology. Cengage Learning. [Supplemental Reading] Sacks, O. (1985) The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat. Touchstone Books
Web pages made from this course
Program Learning Outcomes (PLO)
1. Students will be able to identity, explain, and apply the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings and historical trends in psychology and social work to behavioral problems.
2. Students will be able to use research design and data analysis to generate insights into behavioral and psychological phenomena.
3. Students will be able to use scientific reasoning and theory to solve problems and examine behavioral and mental processes.
4. Students will be able to identify and evaluate ambiguity in scientific evidence, and the complexity of sociocultural diversity.
5. Students will be able to identify and explain good practice that reflects ethical values that contribute to positive outcomes in home, work, and public life.
6. Students will be able to write a clear and precise scientific argument, present information using a scientific approach, engage in the discussion of psychological concepts, explain the ideas of others, and express their own ideas with clarity in different formats.
7. Students will be able to reflect on their own and others' behavior and mental processes and apply effective strategies for self-management, teamwork, self-improvement and vocational preparation.
8. Students will be able to discern the relationship between faith and science and articulate their own view of the world
COURSE OUTLINE (May be revised during semester, as needed):
They are so brilliant I wanted to create a link to all the information and videos to help my students and myself.
Richard Kerry Thompson
Final Literature Review Paper
Insert PPT here
Insert Screencast of Paper here
Final Presentation:
In order to practice presentation and communication skills in the sciences, each student is expected to present the findings of their literature review in class during the final session. Presentations should use visually appealing powerpoint slides and last about 10-15 minutes each. Professional dress and behavior is expected.
Peer Reviews:
As you present your findings, the rest of the class must provide constructive peer feedback to the presenters via a standard form that I provide, which I will collect and distribute to the presenters as anonymous review comments. Failure to complete the peer feedback forms will result in a significant loss of points for the Participation portion of the class.
Unit Quizzes:
Each major unit will end in a 50-point online quiz over all of the material contained in that section, including material from the textbooks and class lectures. You will have 35 minutes to complete 25 questions worth 2 points each. Once you begin, you must finish. No re-takes or makeup quizzes will be given.
Worksheets:
To break up the sheer volume of information thrown at you in a 4-hour long class block, we will occasionally take breaks to do worksheets together. You must be present to participate, and sheets will be collected at the end of class. Should you have to miss class for any reason, blank versions of the worksheets will be available on Moodle for you to study with, but cannot be turned in for points
The OPTIONAL Final Exam:
Because each unit has ended in its own quiz, you may already be comfortable with the materials and be happy with your grade in the class. If this is the case, congratulations, you can skip the final! If, however, you missed a quiz or two or just didn’t do as well as you wanted to, you can take the comprehensive final and I will bump up each score to a minimum of that percentage. (For example, if you earn a 60% on the Unit 2 exam, but a 90% on the final, your Unit 2 score will be increased to equal 90%.) Points will never be deducted if you do poorly on the final; this can only help your grade. The exam will cover everything from the textbooks and class lectures and consist of 100 questions worth 1 point each. You will have two hours to complete the exam, and once you begin, you must finish.
Weekly Quiz
Course Rubric:
Assignment Points Weekly Quizzes 350 (50 each)
Worksheets 50
Literature Review Progress Updates 40 (10 each)
Final paper 80 Paper
Presentation 20
Participation & Peer Reviews 60 (see rubric)
TOTAL of 600
COURSEWORK AND ASSESSMENT
Course Calendar: * Class Meeting Days Topics to Cover (chapters) Assignments (
Due by Sunday at midnight)
1- March 11th, 2020 Introduction to the class; Cells & Synapses (1-2) Paper Topic Selection (3/15)
2- March 18th, 2020 Neuroanatomy & Development (3-4) 5+ Peer-Reviewed Sources (3/22)
3- March 25th, 2020 Vision, Sensation, & Movement (5-7)
4- April 1st, 2020 Sleep & Internal Regulations (8-9) Paper Outline (4/5)
5- April 8th, 2020 Reproduction & Emotion (10-11)
6- April 15th, 2020 Learning, Memory, & Cognition (12-13) Literature Review Paper (4/12)
7- April 22nd, 2020 Psych & Neuro Disorders (14)
8- April 29th, 2020 Final wrap-up; In-class Presentations FINAL EXAM (online)
Term Paper
Term Paper- Ideas
Brain & Behavior – Term Paper Topic Ideas
Ideas for Main Topics:
· Degenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s)
· Autism Spectrum
· Compound Concussions / Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy
· Mood disorders (e.g., Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar)
· Personality Disorders (e.g., Antisocial, Histrionic; Borderline, Narcissism)
· Infectious diseases (e.g., Rabies, Meningitis, Roundworm, Prions)
· Traumatic brain and spinal injuries
· Motor neuron disorders
· Synesthesia
· Savant Syndrome
· Sleep disorders
· Sensory Processing Disorder
Ideas for Sub-Topics:
· Specific brain areas affected
· Effects on interpersonal relationships
· Severity of symptoms
· Age of onset
· Rate of progression in symptoms
· Comparing multiple disorders
· Potential treatment options
· Effectiveness of available treatment options
· Comorbid disorders
· Comparing therapy options
· Methods for diagnosing chosen disorder
· Genetic predispositions to developing chosen disorder
· Environmental effects & likelihood to develop disorder
**These are merely ideas and suggestions. You do not have to limit yourself to what you see here. If you have another idea or a particular interest, go with that! Let me know if you have questions or concerns. I can help review or refine a topic before you submit it for grading.
Topic Selection -RKT
Richard Kerry Thompson
SP-20_PSY3043-SA02B Brain and Behavior - J. Matyas
March 13, 2020
Paper Topic Selection - 2nd Version
Main Subject
Anxiety Disorders - (Phobias) / Social Agoraphobia
Sub-Categories
Sub-Category #1 - What specific phobias are associated with the most common anxiety in adolescents?
Sub-Category #2 - What part of the brain is connected with phobia and anxiety?
Sub-Category #3 - What therapies are available immediately and long term to help students in grades 6-12?
Potential Title
Adolescent phobias and anxiety disorders, specifically in grades 6-12, have direct connections to brain function and acute therapy can have positive immediate and long term solutions.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GKylqKiwmQW5ikhN54Bz1HA2HTkS4bFrJv0o7phRLt8/edit?usp=sharing
Peer-Reviewed Sources & Notes - RKT
Outline with detailed write-up - RKT
FINAL LITERATURE REVIEW - RKT
RKT- PowerPoint for Presentation - RKT
RKT - Screen Cast of presentation
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Week 1 -
Learning Outcomes Week 1
Week 1 Quiz
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Week 2 -
Learning Outcomes Week 2
Week 1 - Introductions, Cells of the CNS, & Synapses
Discussion Question
Based on the discussion of abilities in the Development section, and considering my own abilities throughout my life and those I am still trying to master, as the more I learn the less I know…
I submit the following..
One activity I am good at is language, I studied opera and sang in 5 languages, Italian, Latin, French, German and English. This can be related to the Broca's area of the brain as it is in the frontal lobe of the dominant hemisphere, and usually to the left of the brain. This along with the creativity of interpreting the music can be linked to the frontal cortex. This complex thinking of the music and language together could be related to the Frontal Lobe as stated above.
I also have enjoyed in my past years riding a longboard/ skateboard with my son and daughter, this took some practice (well hours of practice, days, months) and a few broken bones, however, I am better now with much determination and conquering my fear. The balance of this activity can be linked to the Cerebellum and the conquering of fear could be connected to the Amygdala. This is in the limbic system. It is an amazing feeling to bypass the emotion and the sensory cortex to longboard especially when fear is also your friend to not hurt yourself.
I also love to research and delve into things that leave the time continuum in a state of nothingness and realize it has been 4 hours working on a project. This could be that of the prefrontal cortex and parietal cortex. I do know my brain is different from others in the fact that I crave to learn and am almost possessed to learn more. It is a blessing and a curse. So I do get emotional about it and that is can be related to a plethora of parts… Hypothalamus, Hippocampus, Amygdala, and the Limbic Cortex.
In closing, I know I don't think like others and indeed understanding the physiological aspects is even more amazing...
As Socrates said... I know I know nothing, and that is why I want to learn more...
Richard
Quiz Week 2
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Week 3
Learning Outcomes Week 3
Week 3 Post
Physiological or Psychological
In my own experience in connection with “On the Level” and experiencing a loss of balance and dysfunction of vestibulation, I have had many and one in particular that I can share for the sake of this post is the following…
After losing someone very special to a horrific murder, (I was with her the morning this happened later that evening) I lost my balance after I heard the news and literally became dizzy and fell to my knees. This feeling was indeed the same as when I would have been working out and stood up very fast. It was the exact same feeling, yet this had more of a psychological effect as it was only the news of this death, more than my own body being exerted.
It, of course, was shock, yet it continued on for months...
It then would continue throughout the next weeks, this experience of vertigo and was debilitating. I managed it by sitting down, breathing deeply, stopping my mind from racing and drinking plenty of water. I would slow my pace down to 1st gear as I indeed walk very fast usually in 4th or 5th gear.
One time, I literally just passed out from this a month later in my kitchen and fell to the ground in a semi-conscious state. In good fortune, my daughter was there to help me up and crawl to my bed where I literally slept off and on for 2 days.
This is indeed an extreme concept of vertigo, yet vertigo nonetheless. The question then I present is… Is vertigo only from a physiological unbalance or can the psychological have the same effect? I believe both and indeed proved it in my own experience.
I ride a longboard/skateboard with my daughter so I know my balance is impeccable, yet this vertigo was a different beast altogether than my inner ear or level.
I continue to manage my vertigo by slowing down, drinking water and Cognitive Behavior Therapy techniques I use on myself. It is very effective indeed, yet sometimes I do not know when it will come upon me next. So I do wait it out and am prepared to deal with the onslaught of this vertigo.
Richard
Quiz Week 3
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Week 4
Learning Outcomes Week 4
Week 4 Post
Pharaoh had a dream...
by Richard Thompson - Monday, April 6, 2020, 7:51 PMNumber of replies: 0Taking the offer of Professor Maytas and my privacy on this assignment, I submit a dream of a person I know of through a book called the Bible. He was the pharaoh during the time of Joseph. The actual story can be found in Genesis 41, It goes like this…
The literal content of the dream is...
The Pharaoh had a dream about standing on the Nile River and out of the river came seven cows, sleek and fat and they grazed on the reeds there. Next out of the Nile river came 7 ugly and skinny and scrawny cows who stood next to the fat cows. These gaunt and ugly cows then ate up the seven fat cows. Even after the scrawny cows ate the fat cows they did not gain any weight and remained ugly and scrawny.
What I think it meant…
I would think ( if I didn't know the interpretation according to Genesis 41:29-36) that this would represent something with the context of the years (Seven) representing something. The fat cows and the thin cows represent something else. I would then assume that the skinny cows eating up the fat cows would be connected to some sort of murder or to the effect. Then I would think that because they didn't gain any weight that it was all a mystery.
Which theory on dreaming do I think can explain this dream is the best...
Great question and indeed who really knows any of this. I don’t believe any of it anyway and my dreams can be interpreted to be whatever my mind wants to believe.
In history, people have used this as superstition and created fear and power out of saying they knew how to interpret dreams.
However, for the sake of this exercise and going into the theory and not the superstition or hocus pocus… I would surmise that this dream the pharaoh had was of the activation-synthesis hypothesis - A model of dreaming proposed by Hobson and McCarley where the brain is active but no sensory information is coming into it. The brain puts the information it has together to make sense out of it and this is the dream.
Indeed, the mystery in this dream by the Pharaoh was the fact Joseph interpreted it and it came true. So who really knows if dreams can be interpreted or not. I know, I know nothing, so who am I to say., yet the brain does activity during dreams and that is the real mystery.
Note: According to the Bible Genesis 41 - Joseph interpreted this dream as...
The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream.27The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine.28"It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.29Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt,30but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land.31The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe.
Richard
http://web.mit.edu/jywang/www/cef/Bible/NIV/NIV_Bible/GEN+41.html
Quiz Week 4
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Week 5
Learning Outcomes Week 5
Week 5 Post
Stressed Out !!! - Wish we could turn back time...
by Richard Thompson - Friday, April 10, 2020, 4:17 PMNumber of replies: 0Consider a time where you experienced a panic attack or other excessive anxiety.
Indeed I am human as the next person and stress have had its debilitating hold on me a few times, for the sake of this post I shall share one that portrays the success criterion of the post.
The panic attack that I speak of happened in a restaurant in Phoenix Arizona two years ago. After traveling from South Carolina to bury a very close friend of mine. (who was my girlfriend and soon to be fiance, but was murdered by her stalker ex-boyfriend) I traveled to Arizona with my daughter, for a board meeting. (I am on a national board for online learning) we checked into the hotel and then went out to eat at the cheesecake factory. After we ordered and the food came, I took a bite of the food and immediately freaked out. Everything had hit me of what had happened in the last weeks and my mind just went crazy. I couldn't breathe and literally thought I was having a heart attack. I had instructed my daughter who was 19 at the time that this might happen and gave her instructions on how to handle me if (more like when) it would happen.
What technique did you use to calm yourself down?
The technique I used and my daughter helped me was the following...
First calmly put your hand on mine and look at me and say - you’re ok, take a deep breath, we are going to get through this. Then breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts and breath out for 4 counts. This technique helped me refocus and calmed me down., Indeed it took 30 minutes to stop the sweating and insane feelings of a heart attack and confusion, yet it worked.
Then I drank a tremendous amount of water and kept breathing. This helped my mind from racing and brought me back to steady breathing.
It was indeed insane and I felt I was going crazy with stress and panic.
What technique would you suggest to yourself if you could go back and give yourself advice in that situation?
If I could go back, I think I would have not gone out and pretended everything was ok. I think I had such a mindset that I had to be strong that my brain went on overload. Even thinking about it now I get stressed out.
Note: I did apologize to the waitress as I was beyond rude and obnoxious to her during my panic attack. I also went back to that restaurant 6 months later when I went for another meeting, to conquer the fear of being in that restaurant.
What technique would you like to try in the future should you experience another episode of intense stress/anxiety?
I now take a knee and breathe slowly and try to connect to the surroundings like naming things, called grounding. This helps tremendously.
Note: I didn't want to take pills to calm me down, plus I was presenting on a national level. However, my brain never shuts off and I was sleep-deprived, so I should have taken at least a sleep aid to give my body time to rest.
In closing, Anxiety, and panic attacks are real and no matter how strong one thing they are, the brain will shut down when it's on overload one way or another, that is what I experienced and learned.
Stressed Out !!! Here is a great video about that one...
Wish we could turn back time...
Richard
Quiz Week 5
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Week 6
Learning Outcomes Week 6
Week 6 Post
Decisions, Decisions - A Personal Experiment in Cognitive Decision-Making
Dum Spiro Spero -
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Dum Spiro Spero -
A difficult decision I had to make in my life was the embarrassing reality of bankruptcy. I had just gone through a terrible, gruesome divorce, resigning from my job, moving from Boston to Michigan, and a major medical hospital stay. This along with losing my 6 kids in a long custody battle that I had to fly to Boston 2 times a month to litigate with a lawyer and ultimately representing myself because of funds. This along with the cost of staying in hotels to spend time with my children in Boston as well as a car that broke down put me in a situation that was asphyxiating.
The options I had to choose from where to either continue to pay hundreds of dollars in interest rates and credit card bills because my cash to expenses were 1-4, there was no way out and after the bill collectors came and I lost everything. The opposing option was to continue down a path of disaster, thus bankruptcy was my only choice.
The consequence of not filing was a continued life of insanity and debt to the point of a mental breakdown and attempted suicide. In contrast, the consequence of filing for bankruptcy was 7 years of rebuilding a perfect credit score and not being able to acquire any credit cards.
Ultimately I decided to file for bankruptcy and go through the excruciating paperwork and lawyers to do just that. Indeed, It took quite a while to complete this and it has been 9 years since. My credit is back up, yet now I have school debt that will total well over $35 - 50,000.00 dollars as well as credit card bills of over $15,000.
This is now beginning to become stressful and subsequently with moving and having a home on the market in these times is draining me even further financially, emotionally and physically. The bills that have to be paid as well as my new home here in Flint where I work is chipping away at hope.
How I feel about my decision to claim bankruptcy was embarrassing, debilitating, humiliating, insulting and coincidentally created feelings of self worthlessness and depression. Ultimately, it was the right choice, yet the better of two evils as they say.
The only regret I have about that decision is that I did not claim bankruptcy earlier in spite of the pain and anguish as to significantly change my trajectory of those years and the hell it brought forth.
I have not ever spoken about this or written about it, nevertheless, I appreciate the depth of this class and the trust of each of my classmates, therefore I went to this transparency, authenticity, and vulnerability to share this decision.
Dum Spiro Spero - While I Breathe I Hope, is the English to Latin translation, this is what my mantra was and still is. This helps in times of trouble and uncertainty.
Thank you
Richard
Quiz Week 6
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Week 7
Learning Outcomes Week 7
Week 7 Post
It's Real Thing - Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)
Watching the video was indeed a stress attack for me as noises, especially loud and repetitive, drive me crazy. Indeed I cover my ears when things like that happen in real life. In considering the video and all it portrayed in a day in the life, it was a brilliant example of everyday living and all it entails. Some of the most aggravating sensations for me were the repetitive noises, the pen in class, the loud hallways, the constant chatter of the students, and the bloody alarm clock at the beginning. (many alarm clocks have met their doom in my waking up career)
The bright lights gave me a shooting pain in my eye as I am light sensitive and will get very angry when things like that happen in daily life. The pain goes straight to my brain; it seems and burns my eyes. I have worn sunglasses for years. It is a photophobic sensory overload I have dealt with my whole life, and my daughter thinks I am a vampire, to be honest.
The most overwhelming for me was the light because it induced pain. The second most overwhelming was the water bottle! The water bottle is because the person doing that doesn't realize the decibel it creates and is, most of the time, oblivious to the annoyance it causes.
I do live with these overwhelming sensations, and the techniques I use to reduce my stress and anxiety are the four by four breaths. This technique is when you breathe in for four counts, hold for four counts, and breathing out for four counts. You do this, yes… 4 times. This technique goes by many names such as Tactical Combat Breathing -4-4-4
Please find below a brilliant video I use...
I also take a knee, I mean literally, I take a knew when the overwhelming input gets to be too much, and it works.
Consequently, I am on the spectrum because these aspects do disrupt my daily function, yet I am much better than in years past. Stress techniques have helped tremendously. As a child, I rubbed the top of my arm to calm myself down. In addition to rubbing my temples and tap on my forehead to calm my stress.
Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is prevalent in my life, and I believe many people suffer from it but have not identified it or learned to deal with it. It can be debilitating, embarrassing, and above all, frustrating.
It's a real thing - Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)
Richard
Quiz Week 7
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Week 8
Learning Outcomes Week 8
Week 8 Post
ADOLESCENT ANXIETY DISORDERS FUNCTIONS & SOLUTION
by Richard Thompson - Tuesday, April 28, 2020, 2:12 PMNumber of replies: 0ADOLESCENT ANXIETY DISORDERS FUNCTIONS & SOLUTION
By Richard Kerry Thompson
Please find links to Video and Google slide presentation
Note: In the video, I incorporated Closed Captions to enhance viewing comprehension, engagement, and user experience.
Screencast video of the presentation
https://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cYfubKBfyQ
Google Slides (Power-Point) Presentation
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/16QmqO_0hC9xeB3Sy-xk1NR4VD2sRmpul48rGVeWeFuE/edit#slide=id.p