Prefrontal Cortex The Very Front Of The Brain Psychology Essay

Prefrontal Cortex The Very Front Of The Brain Psychology Essay The Prefrontal Cortex is the very front of the brain, located right beneath the forehead and is the anterior region of the frontal lobe. The prefrontal cortex is a very important area in the brain and is the most susceptible to injury. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for the functions of decision making, whether right or wrong, working memory, personality expression and cognitive behaviors. The prefrontal cortex has major neurotransmitters that are involved directly in its proper functioning for example, glutamate and dopamine. The prefrontal cortex can be affected by diseases for example, Parkinsons disease and Schizophrenia. The prefrontal cortex is among the last regions of the brain to develop therefore its functions and disorders are still being researched. The prefrontal lobe is connected to the anterior region of the frontal lobe. The prefrontal lobe volume increases slowly until the age of eight, then a prefrontal growth spurt increases in between the ages of eight and fourteen years. In contrast with other brain areas the prefrontal cortex is one of the last region to development therefore the functions and disorders are not immediately apparent (Kanemura 195). As studied in an experiment called the Somatic Marker Hypothesis one can infer some of the prefrontal cortex functions. Although these experiments have been performed the results do not apply to the entire prefrontal cortex. A prefrontal cortex function in the human brain is decision making and human reasoning. Some of the decision making depends on consciousness and overt cognition where as others do not. Those processes that depend on conscious and cognition are dependent on the sensory images that are directly coordinated to the early activity of cortices. All of the dependent processes of consciousness and cognition regardless of the imagery are dependent on support processes for example, attention and working memory. Further studies demonstrate that damage to the prefrontal cortex prohibits the use of the somatic signals necessary for guiding decision making in an advantageous direction (Bechara 428). In addition to decision making being a main function working memory is equally an important function. These functions have been assessed and results demonstrate that their functions come from different and distinct areas of the prefrontal cortex. While decision making processes occur in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, working memory processes occur in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Short-term memory is the type of working memory in relationship to prefrontal cortex (Humana Press 204) Prefrontal Cortex Neurotransmitters A neurotransmitter is a chemical substance released by neurons that send nerve impulses from one cell to the next in the nervous system. A major neurotransmitter in the prefrontal cortex is Glutamate. Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain and is the most abundant amino acid in the diet. In the prefrontal cortex glutamate is associated with cognitive function. In schizophrenic patients abnormal levels of glutamate impair cognitive function. Another major neurotransmitter involved in the function of the prefrontal cortex is dopamine. Dopamine is commonly associated with parts of the brain that stimulate pleasure, which provide enjoyment and reinforcement to enforce a person proactively to perform certain activities. Reduced levels of dopamine impair working memory in the prefrontal cortex (Damasio 1413). Diseases that affect the Prefrontal Cortex Parkinsons disease and schizophrenia are two diseases that affect the prefrontal cortex. In both of the disorders the reduction of dopamine to the prefrontal cortex impairs working memory. Conversely, increasing dopamine levels in patients with these diseases improves their performance of test that utilizes their working memory. Parkinsons disease has been considered a paradigm of degenerative diseases of the nervous system characterized by motor impairment due to malfunction and loss of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta. Recent clinical data shows modifications in behavior, personalilty changes, and cognitive impairment that lead to dementia. (Ferrer 89) Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that is characterized by abnormalities in the perception or expression of reality. In Schizophrenia working memory and cognitive deficits are in association with prefrontal cortex dysfunction. (Manoach 285) Conclusion In conclusion, the prefrontal cortex is an important region of the frontal lobe that functions in decision making, cognitive behaviors, working memory, and personality expression. The prefrontal lobe has major neurotransmitters that assist in the communication of impulses from cell to cell throughout the nervous system. The reduction of those neurotransmitters in the prefrontal cortex may lead to diseases that affect the important functions of the cortex. The prefrontal lobe is one of the last regions of the brain to develop therefore leaving scientist with many research questions about its functions and possible disorders it may cause.

Peaches Essay -- Literary Analysis, Reginald McKnight

In the story â€Å"Peaches†, Reginald McKnight introduces his main characters, one being Marcus. Marcus is a good guy, but he is described in different ways, due to his confidence and insecurity. Throughout the work, author Reginald McKnight takes great care to illustrate situations and describe feelings and personalities that many men experience. This way, even though Marcus is having trouble controlling himself around other people and arrogant at times, he still tries to be a better person for Rita and for himself. He does this by going out of the country to experience other cultures and enhance his morals. On one level Marcus demonstrates that he is incredibly confident, on the other level he shows signs of being insecure, manipulative, unstable and incapable of achieving change. Marcus’ actions continually demonstrate how confident he is. Whether he is next door or across the country, Marcus always has his eyes set out for Rita because he sees her as _______. While, he claims â€Å"I have had relationships with Black women and Hispanic women, and Asian women† (75), thinking his experiences with other women instantly make him capable of understanding Rita. Because of ______, Marcus thinks such an understanding of Rita would be ________. He is so eager to be with her that he fails to see her as an individual. To Marcus, past experiences are enough to sustain a healthy relationship. According to Marcus, he had â€Å"been through this before† (75) and told Rita she could tell him anything, thinking it had to do with a cultural gap. In fact, Marcus said to Rita, â€Å"You can tell me. I think I’d understand† (75). [What is he referring to here?] His confidence paired with his need for Rita’s recognition and approval makes it appear that his confidenc... ...anipulative, and unstable. In creating a character so confident, insecure, manipulative, and unstable, Reginald McKnight also creates a character we can sympathize with. McKnight created a sense that Marcus was a confident individual, who set himself apart from society, but in doing so, he set himself up for failure. Where the one woman who could make all the difference began to fear him. Once that happened, everything went downhill as soon as Marcus began to dismiss Ritas response at any given point. Whether or not he was fully aware, Marcus built walls around him and avoided speaking about his personal life with any sort of depth. This, if anything, makes us aware that negative remarks and statements can lead to a very negative result. We are forced to form our own conclusion and conform to the fact that no matter how many miles away, one person may never change.

Digital Audio

Digital Audio refers to the reproduction and the transmissions of a stored sound in a digital format. This includes things like CDs or mp3s and other forms of sound that can be stored on a computer. In contrast for instance say the telephone system, which is stored in a completely different format which is called the analogue system. In sound recording and reproduction systems, digital audio refers to a digital representation of the audio waveform for processing.Digital Audio came about due to its usefulness when recording and distribution in sound. The modern day usage of this system is through the internet to post put songs on web pages and videos on YouTube depends on digital recording and digital HYPERLINK â€Å"http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Audio_compression_(data)† o â€Å"Audio compression (data)† compression algorithms. One of the good things about using this system is that it reduces the cost of the distribution because it is not a physical object.Also it is v ery easy to access because nowadays if people want something or need something they go on the internet. In an analog system sounds are usually made physically and are recorded into a mic which is transformed into a electrical representation of a waveform, which is stored or transmitted. Analog audio signals are susceptible to noise and distortion, unavoidable due to the innate characteristics of electronic circuits and associated devices.In the case of purely analog recording and reproduction, numerous opportunities for the introduction of noise and distortion exist throughout the entire process. When audio is digitized, distortion and noise are introduced only by the stages that precede conversion to digital format, and by the stages that follow conversion back to analog. Digital Audio Workstation or DAW is one of the commonly used terms in home music production environment.Yet some are still confused especially the beginners in music production with no electrical/sound engineering background as to what is really the meaning of Digital Audio Workstation? The fact is that, it’s so hard to understand what is digital audio workstation without giving the beginner; a complete information of how everything starts and end in music production. It’s why this lengthy post is perfect for those completely new in digital-based home recording or recording music using computers!I should have written this a long time ago, anyway its good that I put some importance of posting this one. Let’s get started.. First, you need to understand how the music goes into your computer. Your music is a sound wave which is an analog signal, a continuous form of signal(e. g. a sine wave). A musical instrument or a disturbance (e. g a water droplet falling into a pail of water) and can cause vibrations in the air that causes it propagate in the form of a sound wave.When these air pressure vibrations reaches your ear, you will perceived it as a sound if the pressure is str ong enough to cause vibrations in your ear drum and if the frequency is audible (20Hz to 20,000Hz). The music you hear are actually composed of musical notes which are sinusoidal in nature and has two properties which are: a. ) Amplitude (how strong are the pressure vibrations, which is usually measured by SPL or sound pressure level using decibels). b. ) Frequency( how high or low is the pitch of the sound wave, measured in Hertz)

Cell Phones Should Be Allowed While Driving †Agree or...

Stephanie Davis 9/14/12 US. History and Government Ms. Thomas Cell Phones Should Be Allowed While Driving – Agree or Disagree In my opinion cell phones should not be allowed while driving. The reason in which I say this is because if you have your cell phone out while driving you can cause injury or death upon both you and/or another individual either in your car or another. While driving you are to pay full attention to the road and where you’re driving to and not the phone it is a distraction. For an example, On July 10, 1998 a male of the age 16 sent his 18 year old brother who was driving home a text message saying to bring home food. Because of that text his brother crashed while in the middle of reading it and died†¦show more content†¦When you add the potential distractions of texting or talking on the phone while driving the equation and the situation could be become extremely dangerous very quickly. Teenagers are the most likely to use a cell phone while driving because they always have something to do. Lets say for example you are driving and you are texting and during the time tha t you are texting your head is down and your crossing a stop light and at the same time a big truck is coming, you would end up dead or severely damaged with probably a concussion or a coma. Website Citing * â€Å"2011 Distracted Driving Statistics† - http://www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/cell-phone/cell-phone-statistics.html *lt;http://www.123HelpMe.com/view.asp?id=150549Show MoreRelatedPersuasive Essay on Cell Phone Driving1100 Words   |  5 Pagesuse of cell phones in drivers have been linked too frequently in accidents. There are too many distractions in life as it is, are we so arrogant to think that we are such amazing drivers that we can do several things at once? Most accidents involving cell phones wouldn t have happened if the driver wasn t distracted. 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