Brain-behavior relationships

The disciplines of psychiatry, psychology, and neurology are equipped to diagnose disorders of the mind and brain and study the clinical effects of psychoactive herbs. Neuropsychology specializes in brain-behavior relationships and is well equipped to quantify and characterize the mental and behavioral effects of psychoactive herbs by using psychometric tests. In this text, particular attention is paid to objective testing data. 

Coccaro, E. F., Impulsive aggression and central serotonergic system function in humans An example of a dimensional brain-behavior relationship, Int. Clin. Psychopharmacol., 7, 3, 1992. 

Semrud-Clikeman M., Steingard R. J., FUipek R, Biederman J., Bekken K. and Renshaw P. F. 2000. Using MRI to examine brain-behavior relationships in males with attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatr. 39 477- 84... 

The aroma of fmit, the taste of candy, and the texture of bread are examples of flavor perception. In each case, physical and chemical stmctures ia these foods stimulate receptors ia the nose and mouth. Impulses from these receptors are then processed iato perceptions of flavor by the brain. Attention, emotion, memory, cognition, and other brain functions combine with these perceptions to cause behavior, eg, a sense of pleasure, a memory, an idea, a fantasy, a purchase. These are psychological processes and as such have all the complexities of the human mind. Flavor characterization attempts to define what causes flavor and to determine if human response to flavor can be predicted. The ways ia which simple flavor active substances, flavorants, produce perceptions are described both ia terms of the physiology, ie, transduction, and psychophysics, ie, dose-response relationships, of flavor (1,2). Progress has been made ia understanding how perceptions of simple flavorants are processed iato hedonic behavior, ie, degree of liking, or concept formation, eg, crispy or umami (savory) (3,4). However, it is unclear how complex mixtures of flavorants are perceived or what behavior they cause. Flavor characterization involves the chemical measurement of iadividual flavorants and the use of sensory tests to determine their impact on behavior. 

The various stimulants have no obvious chemical relationships and do not share primary neurochemical effects, despite their similar behavioral effects. Cocaines chemical strucmre does not resemble that of caffeine, nicotine, or amphetamine. Cocaine binds to the dopamine reuptake transporter in the central nervous system, effectively inhibiting dopamine reuptake. It has similar effects on the transporters that mediate norepinephrine and serotonin reuptake. As discussed later in this chapter in the section on neurochemical actions mediating stimulant reward, dopamine is very important in the reward system of the brain the increase of dopamine associated with use of cocaine probably accounts for the high dependence potential of the drug. 

Weiss, JM, Goodman, PA, Lostito, BG, Corrigan, S, Charry, JM and Bailey, WH (1981) Behavioral depression produced by an uncontrollable stressor relationship to norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin levels in various regions of rat brain. Brain Res. Rev. 3 167-205. 

The primary catabolic pathway for 5-HT is oxidative deamination by the enzyme monoamine oxidase 237 In addition to classical synaptic transmission, 5-HT may relay information by volume transmission or paracrine neurotransmission 238 5 -HT may be involved in a wide variety of behaviors by setting the tone of brain activity in relationship to the state of behavioral arousal/activity 238... 

Onoder, K., Yamatodani, A., Watanabe, T. and Wada, H. Neuropharmacology of the histaminergic neuron system in the brain and its relationship with behavioral disorders. Prog. Neurobiol. 42 685-702,1994. 

ENDOCRINE EFFECTS ON THE BRAIN AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO BEHAVIOR 843... 

Endocrine Effects on the Brain and Their Relationship to Behavior... 

McEwen, B. S. Endocrine effects on the brain and their relationship to behavior. In Basic Neurochemistry. Eds Siegel, G. J., Agranoff, B. W., and Katzman, R. Boston Little Brown and Co., 1981, pp755-799. 

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