Physiological Psychology Course Blog

Summary : Gregory Clemenson and Craig Stark conducted a study in 2015 at the University of California, Irvine to determine whether past research on environmental enrichment and rodents could apply to humans and video games. The researchers define "environmental enrichment" as exposure to an intellectually stimulating environment that effects improvement in hippocampal functions. Prior studies manipulated the concept of enrichment in rodents, with evidence suggesting that similar roles are performed by the hippocampus of both a rodent and a human in the context of spatial navigation and memory. To explore environmental enrichment in humans, researchers tested the hypothesis in three separate experiments involving a control group of ‘non-gamers’, a 2D game (e.g., Angry Birds ), and a 3D game (e.g., Super Mario Bros. 3D World ). They accounted for factors such as years of video game experience, hours played daily and weekly, as well as designating participants as ‘gamers’ and

               This article is discussing how a recent study found evidence that astrocytes, a glial cell that helps in the formation and development of synapses, can contribute to the aging brain. This article also discusses how this new information can help give new insight into why some people are predisposed to diseases such as Alzheimer’s, and potentially lead us to treatments.                Regardless of how healthy an individual is through exercise, diet, or social interaction an individual may be, their brain activity will still decline. This is due to the fact that neurons do not work as well as they did when the individual was younger due to the decrease in synaptic connections between these neurons. Glial cells, the support cells of the brain, have been studied for their protective and supportive rolls in the brain. However, the astrocyte, a specific type of glia cell, will produce and send proteins to the neuron in order to help with the synaptic connection. Astrocytes

Link:  http://neurosciencenews.com/pregnancy-stress-infant-harm-8024/ Summary: In the article "Stress in Pregnancy Linked to Changes in Infant's Nervous System and Psychological Well Being" posted by Neuroscience News explains a study that was conducted by UC San Francisco. In this study, low to middle class women who were in their second trimester were asked to name the amount of stressful life events present in their lives, such as housing problems, relationship issues, and health. The study showed that of the 67 women, the babies of the 22 women who showed the highest amount of stressful events had a high reactivity and recovered less quickly to the stressor than the 22 babies of women who showed the least amount of stressors. This article mentions that high reactivity shows a "stronger decrease in parasympathetic nervous system activity in response to a challenge" or a stressor. This may be a link to problems with anxiety, depression, or disruptive behav