NUR6630 Assignment 1 Paper

NUR6630 Assignment 1 Paper

NUR6630 Assignment 1 Paper

1. In 4 or 5 sentences, describe the anatomy of the basic unit of the nervous system, the neuron. Include each part of the neuron and a general overview of electrical impulse conduction, the pathway it travels, and the net result at the termination of the impulse. Be specific and provide examples.

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The human nervous system is a complex network of neurons that acts as the principal conduit for information production, modification, and transmission to and from numerous parts of the human body (Teufel & Fletcher, 2020). Dendrites, an axon, and the cell body, sometimes referred to as the soma, are the three major components that are responsible for the formation of a neuron. Electrical conduction is the mechanism that enables nerve impulses to travel swiftly inside a neuron. This is because electrical conduction takes place. It starts with a momentary electrical fluctuation that proceeds up the dendrites of the neuron, then progresses through the cell body of the neuron, and eventually arrives at the terminal point of the neuron’s axon.

1. Answer the following (listing is acceptable for these questions):             
   • What are the major components that make up the subcortical structures?

• Thalamus: is a structure of the diencephalon composed of paired gray matter that may be found close to the center of the brain. It is located above the middle brain, also known as the mesencephalon, which makes it possible for nerve fibers to link to the cerebral cortex in all directions. The inter thalamic adhesion allows one thalamus to connect to the other (Bazin et al., 2020).
• Basal Ganglia: is a collection of nuclei that may be discovered deep into the neocortex of the brain (Stahl, 2021). Although it is engaged in a variety of activities connected to reward and cognition, the primary one that it plays is in the regulation of movement.
• Hippocampus: an elevated convex region of the gray matter located in the inferior temporal horn of the lateral ventricle’s parahippocampal gyrus (Bazin et al., 2020). It may be explained more comprehensively as a cortical sheet that curves and recurves and folds into the medial surface of the temporal lobe.
• Amygdala: the region of the brain that controls emotions, memories, and the flight-or-fight reflex. Near the base of the brain, there are two almond-shaped cell clusters (Bazin et al., 2020). The amygdalae (plural), sometimes referred to as the amygdaloid complex, are a crucial component of the limbic system.
• Nucleus Accumbens: is a crucial basal ganglia input structure that integrates data from cortical and limbic areas to influence goal-directed actions (Bazin et al., 2020).

1. • Which component plays a role in learning, memory, and addiction?

• • • The hippocampus is a complex neural structure located within the temporal lobe that plays a crucial role in memory consolidation and learning processes (Bazin et al., 2020).
    • Three regions of the brain, the extended amygdala, the basal ganglia, and the prefrontal cortex, have been implicated in the beginning, development, and maintenance of addiction, according to strong scientific evidence (Bazin et al., 2020).        

1. • What are the two key neurotransmitters located in the nigra striatal region of the brain that play a major role in motor control?

• • • Acetylcholine
    • Dopamine (Bazin et al., 2020).

1. In 3 or 4 sentences, explain how glial cells function in the central nervous system. Be specific and provide examples.

The glial cells present in the central nervous system are responsible for regulating neurotransmission and aiding in the development of the blood-brain barrier. Furthermore, they facilitate the coordination of nerve impulses, facilitate the elimination of non-functional neurons, and regulate brain metabolism (Stahl, 2021). Microglia, oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, radial glia, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes all play a role in the development of the nervous system, including the birth, migration, and growth of neurons as well as circuit building and synaptogenesis (Hanani & Verkhratsky, 2021). Various types of glial cells are crucial in regulating synaptic connectivity, maintaining stability, facilitating adaptability, and modulating network-level activity during the maturation of neural circuits through continuous monitoring and modification of the structure and function of the central nervous system.

1. The synapse is an area between two neurons that allows for chemical communication. In 3 or 4 sentences, explain what part of the neurons are communicating with each other and in which direction does this communication occur? Be specific.

Chemical synapses convey messages from the presynaptic neuron to the postsynaptic neuron by releasing chemical neurotransmitters. The synaptic cleft, a 40 nm gap between the presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes, separates the two cells (Heerdegen et al., 2021). Depolarization from the action potential’s arrival causes voltage-sensitive Ca+2 channels on the presynaptic side of the cleft to open, allowing calcium ions to flood the area and fusing vesicles containing neurotransmitters with the presynaptic cell membrane, discharging the neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft. Neurotransmitters attach to neurotransmitter-specific locations on channels on the postsynaptic terminal as they diffuse across the cleft on the postsynaptic side.       

1. In 3–5 sentences, explain the concept of “neuroplasticity.” Be specific and provide examples.

Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to adapt to new experiences, developmental changes, sensory stimulation, disability, or malfunction by forming new connections and altering previously established ones (Ho & King, 2021). While it may seem that certain brain areas are responsible for particular neural activities, it is becoming clear that neural networks, in particular, exhibit modularity and execute specialized tasks while retaining the flexibility to depart from their regular functions and rebuild themselves. Synaptic plasticity is a term used to describe the various activity-dependent mechanisms that allow neurons to alter the strength and efficacy of synaptic transmission. The alterations facilitate the proper functioning of learning and memory processes, while aberrations in their operation have been associated with neuropsychiatric conditions. 

References

Bazin, P.-L., Alkemade, A., Mulder, M. J., Henry, A. G., & Forstmann, B. U. (2020). Multi-contrast anatomical subcortical structures parcellation. ELife, 9. https://doi.org/10.7554/elife.59430

Hanani, M., & Verkhratsky, A. (2021). Satellite Glial Cells and Astrocytes, a Comparative Review. Neurochemical Research, 46(10), 2525–2537. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-021-03255-8

Heerdegen, M., Zwar, M., Franz, D., Hörnschemeyer, J., Neubert, V., Plocksties, F., Niemann, C., Timmermann, D., Bahls, C., van Rienen, U., Paap, M., Perl, S., Lüttig, A., Richter, A., & Köhling, R. (2021). Mechanisms of pallidal deep brain stimulation: Alteration of cortico-striatal synaptic communication in a dystonia animal model. Neurobiology of Disease, 154, 105341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105341

Ho, T. C., & King, L. S. (2021). Mechanisms of neuroplasticity linking early adversity to depression: developmental considerations. Translational Psychiatry, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-021-01639-6

Stahl, S. M. (2021). Stahl’s essential psychopharmacology: Neuroscientific basis and practical applications (5th Ed.) Cambridge University Press.

Teufel, C., & Fletcher, P. C. (2020). Forms of prediction in the nervous system. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 21(4), 231–242. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-020-0275-5

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As a psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner, before you can recommend potential pharmacotherapeutics to address a patient’s condition or disorder, you must understand the basic function and structure of the neuron and central nervous system. For this Assignment, you will review and apply your understanding of neuroanatomy by addressing a set of short answer prompts.

To Prepare:

Review the Learning Resources for this week in preparation to complete this Assignment.

Reflect on the basic function and structure of the neuron in relation to the central nervous system.

Reflect on the inter-connectedness between neurons and the central nervous system, including the pathway and distribution of electrical impulses.

Reflect on how neurons communicate with each other and review the concept of neuroplasticity.

(references 5-)

Address the following Short Answer prompts for your Assignment. Be sure to include references to the Learning Resources for this week.

In 4 or 5 sentences, describe the anatomy of the basic unit of the nervous system, the neuron. Include each part of the neuron and a general overview of electrical impulse conduction, the pathway it travels, and the net result at the termination of the impulse. Be specific and provide examples.

Answer the following (listing is acceptable for these questions):

What are the major components that make up the subcortical structures?

Which component plays a role in learning, memory, and addiction?

What are the two key neurotransmitters located in the nigra striatal region of the brain that play a major role in motor control?

In 3 or 4 sentences, explain how glia cells function in the central nervous system. Be specific and provide examples.

The synapse is an area between two neurons that allows for chemical communication. In 3 or 4 sentences, explain what part of the neurons are communicating with each other and in which direction does this communication occur? Be specific.

In 3–5 sentences, explain the concept of “neuroplasticity.” Be specific and provide examples.

Stahl, S. M. (2021). Stahl’s essential psychopharmacology: Neuroscientific basis and practical applications (5th Ed.) Cambridge University Press.

Chapter 1, “Chemical Neurotransmission” (pp. 1-28)

Mental Health TV. (2022, Oct 7). Psychopharmacology-Module one [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku8PZlXAYco

Mental Health TV. (2022, Oct 7). Psychopharmacology-Module two [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw9uc4qVqew

Mental Health TV. (2022, Oct 7). Psychopharmacology-Module three [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLGfB3E4rqE&t=523s