Unit III. Psychophysiology

Task 1. Read and translate the text “Psychophysiology”:

Psychophysiology is the branch of psychology that is concerned with the physiological bases of psychological processes. It used to be known as cognitive psychophysiology until mid 1990s and is currently called Cognitive neuroscience.

Psychologists are interested in the fact why we may fear spiders and physiologists may be interested in the input/output system of the amygdala. A psychophysiologist will attempt to link the two. He might try to explain arachnophobia in terms of impulses coming in and out of the amygdala. However, psychophysiologists almost always study the psychological/physiological link in intact human subjects. While early psychophysiologists examined the impact of psychological states on physiological system responses, since 1970s they also study the impact of physiological states and systems on psychological states. It is this perspective of examining the interface of mind and body that makes psychophysiologists more distinct.

Historically most part of psychophysiologists tended to examine the physiological responses and organ systems innervated by the autonomic nervous system. More recently they have been equally, or potentially more, interested in the central nervous system, exploring cortical brain potentials such as many types of event-related potentials (ERPs), brain waves, functional neuro-imaging (fMRI), etc.

A psychophysiologist may look at how exposure to a stressful situation will produce a result in the cardiovascular system such as a change in the heart rate (HR), vasodilatation/vasoconstriction, myocardial contractility or stroke volume. A physiological psychologist may look at how one cardiovascular event may influence another cardiovascular or endocrine event, or how activation of one neural brain structure exerts excitatory activity in another neural structure which then induces an inhibitory effect in some other systems. Often physiological psychologists examine the effects that they study in infrahuman subjects using surgical or invasive techniques and processes.

Psychophysiology is closely related to the field of Neuroscience and Social neuroscience, which primarily concerns the relationships between psychological events and brain responses. It is also related to the medical discipline known as psychosomatics.

While psychophysiology was off the mainstream of psychological and medical science prior to 1960s and 1970s, more recently it has found itself positioned at the intersection of these sciences. Its popularity and importance have expanded commensurately with the realization of the inter-relatedness of mind and body.

Psychophysiological measures are often used to study emotion and attention events in response to stimuli. Loud startle tones, emotionally charged pictures, videos, and other tasks are presented to the subjects during experiments (from http://en.wikipedia.org).

Task 2. Match the words and their definitions:

1. physiology	a. an area where different things meet and have an effect on each other
2. response	b. the part of the nervous system which consists of brain and spinal cord
3. interface	c. a science concerned with the study of how the bodies of living things, and their various parts, work
4. autonomic nervous system	d. a branch of medicine and psychology which studies impact of psychological states on beginning and development of somatic illnesses
5. central nervous system	e. action done in answer
6. stress	f. a state of worry resulting from pressure caused by the problems of living, too much work, etc.
7. psychosomatics	g. the part of the nervous system which controls those parts of the body which do not require conscious effort, such as digestion, circulation and production of hormones

Task 3. Translate the words and word combinations from the text “Psychophysiology” into Russian:

1) to be concerned with; 2) to be interested in; 3) arachnophobia; 4) almost always; 5) to tend; 6) central nervous system; 7) cortical; 8) myocardial contractility; 9) surgical techniques; 10) brain responses.

Task 4. In the text “Psychophysiology” find English equivalents to the following Russian words and word combinations. Use English words in your own sentences:

1) теперешний, современный; 2) попытаться; 3) неповрежденный; 4) влияние; 5) иннервированный; 6) подверженность; 7) сердечно-сосудистая система; 8) эндокринный; 9) взаимоотношения; 10) соразмерно.

Task 5. Translate the sentences into Russian. Pay attention to the words and word combinations from tasks three and four:

1) Your myocardial contractility is going better and better from one exercise to another.

2) Your life tends to be so stressful. You work too much and take your work problems too close. As the proverb goes: Much work and no play make Jack a dull boy.

3) Current medicine achieved very good results in surgical and non-invasive techniques. But a lot of people attempt to use non-traditional methods to cure their illnesses.

4) A.P. Chehov was a doctor by profession but he was interested in writing all through his life. Today he is best known not for his profession but for his hobby.

5) The problem we are going to discuss is concerned with the translation technique. The translation may be aimed either at original text or at the recipient.

6) Almost always he made an entry in his diary showing all the events of the previous day.

7) Their relationships were far from friendly and could be described as a strong opposition.

8) Nowadays people are exposed to overweight as most of them lead a sitting way of life.

Task 6. In the text “Psychophysiology” find synonyms to the words:

1) to be afraid; 2) might; 3) to attempt; 4) connection; 5) to influence; 6) to stimulate; 7) mainly; 8) earlier.

Task 7. In the text “Psychophysiology” find antonyms to the following English words:

1) output; 2) vasoconstriction; 3) expansion; 4) inhibitory; 5) seldom.

Task 8. Answer the questions:

1) What is psychophysiology?

2) In what way do the psychophysiologists treat arachnophobia?

3) Does psychophysiology study only the impact of physiological events on psychological states?

4) Is the emphasis made on the studying of autonomic nervous system or central nervous system?

5) What does cortical brain potential include?

6) Are cardiovascular events connected to brain processes?

7) What sciences is psychophysiology related to?

8) Why did psychophysiology find its place between psychology and medicine?

9) What are the psychophysiological measures to examine responses?

Task 9. Say whether the statements are true or false. Correct false statements:

1) Now cognitive psychophysiology is known as cognitive psychology.

2) Arachnophobia is the fear of confined spaces.

3) Psychophysiology does not study the interface of mind and body.

4) Psychophysiologists pay much attention to exploring cortical brain potential.

5) The study of cardiovascular system is off the subject of the psychophysiology.

6) In psychophysiology invasive methods are not used on human beings due to ethic principles.

7) During 1960s and 1970s psychophysiology became connected to psychology and physiology.

8) Psychophysiological methods are concerned with vision and hearing experiments.

Task 10. Read and translate the abstract of the text. Answer the question: What methods are there in modern psychophysiology?

Commonly used measures

Many methods are part of modern psychophysiology including measures of brain activity such as ERPs, brain waves (electroencephalography, EEG), fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging), measures of skin conductance (skin conductance response, SCR; galvanic skin response, GSR), cardiovascular measures (heart rate, HR; beats per minute, BPM; heart rate variability, HRV; vasomotor activity), muscle activity (electromyography, EMG), changes in pupil diameter with thought and emotion (pupillometry) and eye movements, recorded via electro-oculogram (EOG) and direction-of-gaze methods.

Task 11. Explain what the following abbreviations mean:

1) ERPs; 2) HR; 3) EEG; 4) HRV; 5) EOG; 6) SCR; 7) fMRI; 8) GSR; 9) BPM; 10) EMG.

Task 12. Connect the beginning and end of the words:

a) cardio, para, psycho, neuro, arachno, inter, vaso, electro, pupillo.

b) encephalography, sympathetic, science, face, dilatation, vascular, metry, somatic, phobia.

Task 13. Translate the Russian words in brackets into English:

The autonomic nervous system is (вовлечена) in the regulation of the (внутренних органов) and their secretions and in the control of smooth muscles. It consists of two main (подразделений): sympathetic and parasympathetic. Within each of these divisions there are both (центростремительные) – sensory, and efferent – motor, (компоненты). The (симпатическая) branch of the autonomic system arises from the thoracic and lumbar portions of the (спинного мозга). The parasympathetic division (берет начало) in the sacral division of the cord and in the (стволе мозга). Thus, the term “parasympathetic” literary means next to or (окружающий) the sympathetic (нервную) system.

Task 14. Read an abstract of the text “Autonomic nervous system” and answer the questions:

Generally the two divisions of the autonomic nervous system, sympathetic and parasympathetic, act in opposition to one another. The sympathetic division is primarily active during periods of stress and emergency. The parasympathetic system predominates during quiet, restful periods. The latter is involved in homeostatic mechanisms – that is, the normal regulation of organ systems.

Both sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system are presented in hypothalamus. The anterior portion (передняя часть) of the hypothalamus is primarily parasympathetic, whereas the posterior portion (задняя часть) of the hypothalamus is primarily sympathetic. Stimulation of the posterior portions of the hypothalamus often results in increased metabolism, pupillary dilation (расширение зрачков), rage, and other sympathetic activities. Stimulation of the anterior portion of the hypothalamus may induce sleep, increase digestion (пищеварение), and lower metabolic rate (from Коваленко 2002: 147-148).

Questions:

1) What are the main divisions of autonomic nervous system?

2) Do they work at one and the same direction?

3) When does the sympathetic nervous system work?

4) When is the parasympathetic nervous system active?

5) Which system is concerned with normal regulation of different visceral organs?

6) Are the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems presented in thalamus?

7) What part of the hypothalamus is mainly parasympathetic?

8) Is the posterior part of the hypothalamus mainly sympathetic or parasympathetic?

9) What does the stimulation of the posterior part of the hypothalamus lead to?

10) What can stimulate sleep, increase digestion and lower metabolic rate?

Task 15. Choose the best words from the brackets to make the sentences complete:

The brain is the organ of the … (central, autonomic, parasympathetic) nervous system responsible for the processing and coding of … (sensitive, sense, sensory) and motor information, for the control of regulatory … (problem, processes, task) in the body, and for the mediation of complex processes, such as motivation, … (emotion, emotive, emotional), learning, and memory.

For anatomical convenience, the brain may be … (subway, subdivided, touched) into three major divisions: hindbrain, midbrain, and forebrain. The hindbrain … (contract, construct, contains) the cerebellum, the pons, and the medulla oblongata. The midbrain stands as a separate … (court, port, portion) of the brain responsible for the … (intersection, integration, induction) of eye movements and vestibular … (things, funds, functions). The forebrain … (consists, concludes, consist) of the telencephalon, which is … (farther, further, far) subdivided into the neocortex, the basal ganglia, and the … (lumpic, lymbic, limbic) system. The forebrain also … (contain, curtains, contains) the diencephalon, which is further subdivided into the … (talamus, telemus, thalamus) and hypothalamus.

Vocabulary:

Processing – обработка данных

Coding – кодирование, шифрование

Hindbrain – задний мозг

Midbrain – средний мозг

Forebrain – передний мозг, прозенцефалон

Cerebellum – мозжечок

The pons – варолиев мост

Medulla oblongata – продолговатый мозг.

Task 16. Read and translate the text “Brain”. Choose the best variant of answers to the questions:

Brain

Various hindbrain structures are quite similar in all vertebrates. Considerable changes occur in the relative size and development of forebrain structures as one ascends the phylogenetic scale. Higher animals, such as carnivores and primates, have tremendous development of the neocortex relative to other brain systems.

One of the most important aspects of brain development is that as ascending the phylogenetic scale a scientist finds out that less of the cortex is concerned with purely sensory and motor functions and more is concerned with complex integrative functions that seem to be the basis for complex learning. Rats have most of the cortex relegated to sensory and motor aspects of behaviour. Human beings’ cortex is relegated to associative and integrative functions, with only a small percentage involved directly in sensory and motor processes (from Коваленко 2002: 149-150).

Questions:

1) Which structures of brain are similar in all vertebrates?

1. hindbrain

2. forebrain

3. midbrain

2) What phenomenon could be noticed when ascending the phylogenetic scale?

1. similarity in the relative size and development in the forebrain structures

2. difference in the structure of the forebrain

3. difference in the relative size and development of forebrain structures

3) What species of animals can be called higher animals?

1. human beings

2. giraffes

3. carnivores and primates

4. whales

4) What part of brain is more developed in higher animals?

1. neocortex

2. cerebellum

3. hindbrain

5) What does the development of brain mean as one ascends the phylogenetic scale?

a) more of cortex is concerned with sensory and motor functions

b) integrative functions of the cortex disturb the complex learning

c) more of cortex is concerned with complex integrative functions

6) What is the difference between cortex structure of rats and human beings?

a) the most part of the rats’ cortex is given to associative and integrative aspects, human beings’ cortex mostly deals with sensory and motor functions

b) rats’ cortex is responsible for sensory and motor aspects, human beings’ is concerned with associative and integrative functions

c) rats have a smaller cortex and human beings have a larger one.

Task 17. Put proper words in the blanks:

Brain research techniques

a) The brain … (1) primarily through … (2) basic methods: ablation, stimulation, and recording. All three methods are used in … (3) with one another by brain … (4) in order to obtain a picture of how … (5) systems in the brain function dynamically in the … (6) of specific behaviours.

Words: researchers, three, various, is studied, mediation, conjunction.

b) Ablation, an experimental … (1) used for animals, involves selectively … (2) portions of the brain and trying to determine what the sum total of … (3) parts can or cannot do. This way it is possible, for example, to … (4) regions of the cortex responsible for auditory and visual … (5) or to determine which … (6) of the thalamus are involved in sensory or motor functions.

Words: functions, technique, portions, remaining, map out, removing.

c) The stimulation technique essentially involves placing small … (1) in specific portions of the brain and electrically activating them … (2) the effect on some behaviour or performed task. An … (3) method of stimulation is through the implantation of small tubes that can carry … (4) to specific … (5) of the brain. As in the case of ablation, stimulation also … (6) an alteration in the normal functioning of the brain.

Words: regions, produces, to observe, electrodes, chemicals, alternative.

d) A third method, recording, is … (1) and produces the least change in ongoing cerebral activity. … (2) involves placing recording electrodes in specific brain … (3) and observing the electrical activity of these regions as a function of … (4) activities. It has been found that the electrical … (5) of the brain is markedly different during various stages of … (6) and certain aspects of learning and that it is related to attention state.

Words: sleep, different, passive, structures, activity, recording.

Task 18. Render the text “Psychosomatics” into English:

Еще в греческой философии и медицине была распространенной мысль о влиянии души на тело. Одним из первых термин «психосоматический» в 1818 году использовал врач-психиатр Иоганн-Христиан Гейрот (Heinroth). А в 1822 году Якоби (Jacobi) дополнил эту область понятием «соматопсихический». В наше время этот подход получил широкое распространение в 20-50-х годах 20 века.

В рамках психосоматики исследуются связи между характеристиками личности (конституциональные особенности, черты характера и личности, стили поведения, типы эмоциональных конфликтов) и тем или иным соматическим заболеванием.

Альтернативная медицина считает, что все болезни человека возникают по причине психологических несоответствий и расстройств, возникающих в душе, в подсознании, в мыслях человека.

Психосоматические заболевания – это такие заболевания, причинами которых в большей мере являются мыслительные процессы больного, чем непосредственно какие-либо физиологические причины. Если медицинское обследование не может обнаружить физическую или органическую причину заболевания, или если заболевание является результатом таких эмоциональных состояний как гнев, тревога, депрессия, чувство вины, тогда болезнь может быть классифицирована как психосоматическая.

Лечение в основном проводится успокоительными средствами или антидепрессантами в сочетании с лечением другого рода.