AP PSYCHOLOGY

BIOLOGICAL BASES OF BEHAVIOR

OLDER BRAIN STRUCTURES

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
The ____ is a structure in the brain stem that connects the top of the brain to the bottom and plays a role in sleep, dreaming, and arousal.
A
reticular formation
B
pons
C
medulla
D
cerebellum
E
hippocampus
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -The reticular activating system (RAS) is a network of neurons located in the brain stem that project anteriorly to the hypothalamus to mediate behavior, as well as both posteriorly to the thalamus and directly to the cortex for activation of awake, desynchronized cortical EEG patterns.

Detailed explanation-2: -The reticular formation is a region in the pons involved in regulating the sleep-wake cycle and filtering incoming stimuli to discriminate irrelevant background stimuli. It is essential for governing some of the basic functions of higher organisms, and is one of the phylogenetically oldest portions of the brain.

Detailed explanation-3: -The reticular formation is composed of a network of diffuse aggregations of neurons distributed throughout the central parts of the medulla, pons, and midbrain. It fills the spaces between cranial nerve nuclei and olivary bodies and intermixes between ascending and descending fiber tracts.

Detailed explanation-4: -We conclude that the thalamus is involved in mediating the interaction of attention and arousal in humans. The relationship between arousal and attention is closely related to the functions of consciousness (Posner, 1994; Harth, 1995).

Detailed explanation-5: -The brainstem reticular formation (RF) represents the archaic core of those pathways connecting the spinal cord and the encephalon. It subserves autonomic, motor, sensory, behavioral, cognitive, and mood-related functions.

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