PSY 495 Wk4 Assignment
PSY 495 Wk4 Assignment
please read the questions carefully and answer the questions separately.
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PSYC495_WEEK4.docxORDER ORIGINAL, PLAGIARISM-FREE ESSAY PAPERS HERE
Psychoactive Drugs and Their Effects on the Brain
Your roommate Gretchen has had chronic pain issues since she broke her back in a car accident about a year ago. You know that she finished her prescription pain killers at least three months ago, but you’re suspicious she’s been taking something else. Quite frequently you find Gretchen passed out in her room, and when she is awake, she doesn’t seem to care about much. She stopped going to class and says her pain is way better than it was a few months ago. You got really worried last week when you found a syringe laying on the bathroom floor and then found out from your landlord that Gretchen never paid her share of the rent. What drug is Gretchen on?
Choose at least 4 of the following questions to discuss:
1. What drug has the individual in this case been using? What led you to believe this?
2. What are the subjective effects of the drug (i.e., what has a person reported feeling after using the drug)?
3. What receptors, transporters, or neurotransmitters could be involved? How does the drug affect these receptors, transporters, or neurotransmitters?
4. Provide at least one relevant website concerning the drug in question.
5. Is this drug addictive? What are the consequences of continued use of this drug?
6. Putting yourself in the role of a professional counselor or biological psychologist, what advice do you have for concerned family or friends of someone using this drug?
Mini Cases in Psychoactive Drugs and Their Effects on the Brain by Darlene Mitrano.
Case copyright held by the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, University at Buffalo, State University of New York. Originally published September 2, 2011.
Psychoactive Drugs and their Effects on the Brain
You made plans with your friend Jason to order some pizza and watch the new Transformers movie. When you arrive at Jason’s apartment you smell a distinctive odor in the hall. When you open his door, a smoky cloud lingers in the living room. Jason has invited his cousin Max over and they seem to have been smoking something. Their eyes are red, they seem extremely relaxed, and there are food and candy wrappers all over the place. Jason says that he totally forgot you were coming over, but you should stay and hang out anyway. What have Jason and Max been smoking?
Choose at least 4 of the following questions to answer:
1. What drug has the individual in this case been using? What led you to believe this?
2. What are the subjective effects of the drug (i.e., what has a person reported feeling after using the drug)?
3. What receptors, transporters, or neurotransmitters could be involved? How does the drug affect these receptors, transporters, or neurotransmitters?
4. Provide at least one relevant website concerning the drug in question.
5. Is this drug addictive? What are the consequences of continued use of this drug?
6. Putting yourself in the role of a professional counselor or biological psychologist, what advice do you have for concerned family or friends of someone using this drug?
Mini Cases in Psychoactive Drugs and Their Effects on the Brain by Darlene Mitrano
. Case copyright held by the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, University at Buffalo, State University of New York. Originally published September 2, 2011.
Case Study on Split My Brain
Please click on the following link: http://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/files/split_brain.pdf (split_brain_week 3)
Please choose at least 4 of the following questions to discuss:
1. What is Rasmussen Syndrome (what are its history, symptoms, prognosis, etc.)?
2. What structures or abilities of the brain are concentrated in the areas of the left hemisphere that would be removed in the hemispherectomy?
3. Other than reducing his seizures, how else might Jerrod’s thinking or behavior be affected by losing these parts of his brain?
4. What types of abilities would he still retain, because the brain structures would remain intact?
5. What might the family do to help Jerrod recover after such a surgery?
6. If Jerrod had the surgery, would his level of functioning get better, worse, or stay the same over time?
7. What other kinds of questions would you have about the surgery? Can you find the answers, i.e., provide a website, etc.?
8. What decision do you recommend to the family? Why or why not go ahead with surgery?
Speak Up: Bob’s Case
Bob is a 33-year-old right-handed man who was recently found sprawled on the floor by his wife. When he woke, he was dragging his right leg, had a right facial droop, and didn’t appear to understand anything said to him. After being rushed to the ER, the doctors diagnosed a dense right hemiparesis (weakness). Doctors also noticed that while his speech was rapid and fluent, he was quite unintelligible. He showed no slurring or stilting of his speech, and his overall articulation was fine. Bob had absolutely no trouble getting words out—the problem was that once they were out they made no sense!
During his neuropsychological assessment, his doctor asked him to repeat sentences such as “will you answer the telephone?” More often than not, he would answer the questions (“yes I will” or “no, it’s on the ground”) rather than repeat the sentence. His spontaneous speech was filled with neologisms (made-up words) and jargon. In fact, one of his doctors commented that Bob’s speech was reminiscent of the “Jabberwocky” poem by Lewis Carroll (i.e., “Twas brillig, and the slithy toves … Did gyre and gimble in the wabe”). PSY 495 Wk4 Assignment
Bob was unable to comprehend written text or write coherently (his written work read much like his spoken words sounded; fluent but empty). And, to all intents and purposes, Bob seemed completely unaware of his condition.
For more information on parts of the brain that might be affected: Go to: http://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/ enter Speak Up in the Search box download the case, then scroll down to pages 8 and 9.
Please discuss the following:
1. What condition or conditions (there may be more than one possibility) are being described in this case? Let us know why you think this is the case, and provide one website that might justify your position.
2. What brain area or area(s) may be involved (be sure to consider which language functions are compromised too, and be specific as to which hemisphere)? How should they function normally?
3. What could be causing this dysfunction?
4. What do the patient’s symptoms tell you about his/her language abilities and how they may be impaired?
Speak Up! Mini cases by Antonette R. Miller
Case copyright ©2009 by the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science. Originally published April 12, 2009 at http://www.sciencecases.org/mini_aphasia/mini_aphasia.asp
Selecting the Perfect Baby
Read the case at:
http://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/files/genetic_selection.pdf (genetic_selection attachment)
Answer question 10 (required), and your choice of at least 3 additional questions.
1. How could baby Sally inherit Fanconi anemia even though neither parent suffers from it?
2. What other illnesses or developmental disabilities can be inherited in this way?
3. What are the odds that the Shannon’s second child would also have this disease?
4. What are the basic processes of IVF and PGD?
5. What risks are involved in this whole procedure?
6. How could a sibling’s blood help cure Sally
7. How could PGD be used to create that sibling?
8. What is so unusual about the PGD proposed by the Shannons?
9. What are some ethical issues related to the use of IVF? What are some ethical issues related to the use of PGD? What do you think about those issues?
10. What do you think the research team should do? What should the Shannons do?
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split_brain_week3.docx
Split My Brain:
by
Julia Omarzu
Department of Psychology Loras College, Dubuque, Iowa
Part I—Jerrod and Jump
Jerrod Hamilton is seven years old. He is an only child and much loved by his parents, Karen and Jeff, and by his extended family of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Jerrod has always been a very active boy. He loves hockey, baseball, swimming at the local pool, climbing trees, and playing with his golden retriever, Jump. Making friends has never been a problem for Jerrod. He has several good friends he plays ball with whenever he can. He also does fairly well in school, although he is not as interested in the classroom as he is in recess. PSY 495 Wk4 Assignment
Shortly before Jerrod’s seventh birthday, he had a small seizure. He was out playing with his dad and Jump in the yard, when suddenly he stopped, his right arm twitched a little and he seemed disoriented for a few seconds. Afterward he said he was fine, but his mother Karen thought he was quieter than usual. Both his parents watched him more closely in the following days. Soon he had another couple of episodes of muscle twitching and weakness. During these seizures, Jerrod also stared blankly, moving his head slightly back and forth, and for a minute or two could not respond to his parents. When the seizures ended, Jerrod had no memory of them.
Jerrod’s parents took him to their pediatrician, Dr. Madeline Sierra, who listened as Jerrod’s parents described his symptoms.
“Before I try to conclude anything, I’d like to order several tests for Jerrod, including an EEG and an MRI scan. I know that sounds a little scary, but the tests are painless and noninvasive. We should get the results back very quickly. Once I see those, I’ll know more about what’s going on.”
“A friend of mine said it sounds like Jerrod might have epilepsy,” said Karen. “Is that what you think? How serious would that be?”
“Epilepsy is one possibility,” replied the doctor. “It is a relatively common problem and there are some very good treatments for it.”
Dr. Sierra went on to explain: “The brain uses electrical energy. The cells of the brain, called neurons, emit a small electrical charge when they send messages to other cells. This is how the brain communicates and runs your mind and body.” Dr. Sierra interrupted her explanation for a moment to show them a diagram of a neuron.
“Split My Brain” by Julia Omarzu
Page 1
voluntary behaviors for a brief time. Sometimes seizures are nothing more than short lapses of consciousness. Other times they involve con- vulsions or involuntary movements.”
Jeff and Karen looked at each other. “That sounds sort of like what’s happening to Jerrod,” Jeff said.
“Yes, it does. But let’s not jump to any conclu- sions. I’d rather wait for the tests.” Dr. Sierra paused. “I would also recommend something else,” she said. “This is something that many families find helpful. Starting today, I suggest that you keep a journal or record of Jerrod’s illness. Include his symptoms, tests, informa- tion from doctors, any treatments or therapies. Document everything. I will help you, but ultimately, you and Jerrod are the ones who will have to make the decisions, and there will
be lots to think about along the way. I think you will be grateful later to have a record of what you learn and observe.”
That evening Karen and Jeff called a family meeting to share the results of the doctor’s visit.
You will help Jerrod’s family by keeping the record Dr. Sierra suggested. Begin creating Jerrod’s records by including the following information in a way that Jerrod’s family can use and understand. You are encour- aged to do further research, but you must synthesize the information you get from the research into a new form that suits Jerrod’s situation. Do not just cut and paste from the Internet. PSY 495 Wk4 Assignment
Jerrod’s Records
· Why is there electrical activity in the brain? Describe how it is used by neurons.
· What happens in the brain during a seizure?
· What is epilepsy? How is it diagnosed?
· What are the procedures for doing an EEG test and MRI scan? What type of information does each of these tests provide? (See http://www.epilepsy.com/articles/ar_1066258237.html and http://www.epilepsy.com/articles/ar_1066257900.html.)
· What are some possible causes of seizures other than epilepsy?
· Based on the information in the case, what type of seizures does Jerrod appear to be having?
· What should you do during a seizure to help Jerrod?
· What are some treatments for epilepsy?
Part II—A Difficult Decision
Jerrod’s tests were done right away, and his parents met again with Dr. Sierra. Jerrod’s symptoms were esca- lating. He had daily seizures, and they included disorientation as well as uncontrollable repetitive movements on the right side of his body. He often felt tired and weak after the seizures. PSY 495 Wk4 Assignment
“Why is this happening to Jerrod?” his mother asked. “Did he get hit in the head or something?”
Dr. Sierra shook her head. “Jerrod’s test results show no evidence of an injury like that. The other good news is that there is nothing to indicate a brain tumor. I am more confident that we are dealing with a form of epilepsy, which is probably very treatable. It’s also unlikely to be caused by anything he did or you did.
However, given the rapid change in Jerrod’s symptoms, I would like to refer you to a specialist in neurologi- cal disorders. Our office will help set up an appointment.”
“Now, I want you to know I’m not abandoning you on this. I’ll be following Jerrod carefully, too. But I don’t think we should take any chances with this little guy.” She smiled and ruffled Jerrod’s hair.
Dr. Sierra’s referral sent Jerrod and his parents to a neurologist who specialized in seizure disorders. Dr. Benjamin Singh questioned Jerrod and his parents carefully about the seizures. He then opened up the folder with Jerrod’s test results and discussed them with Karen and Jeff.
“Here is the output from Jerrod’s EEG exam.” Dr. Singh showed them a printout. “This test shows us the level of electrical activity in Jerrod’s brain. There is a particular pattern of spikes here that shows his seizure activity. Based on these tests and some other indications, I believe Jerrod’s seizures are what we call ‘partial’ seizures. This means that they only involve part of the brain. And right now, his MRI scan is okay.”
Jerrod’s parents looked at each other with some relief.
“However,” the doctor added, “if we do not find a way to reduce or control the current level of seizure activity I am afraid that Jerrod’s brain will begin to show some damage, regardless of how much of it is now involved. Fortunately, there are several treatment options available to us. Let’s start with a seizure medica- tion.”
Dr. Singh prescribed medication to help treat Jerrod’s disorder. The first medication didn’t succeed, so Dr. Singh and Dr. Sierra conferred and then tried another. After some time and other combinations of medica- tions, it became clear that this type of treatment would be problematic for Jerrod. His seizures were becom- ing more severe and more frequent. The doctors ordered more tests and then Dr. Singh met with Jeff and Karen.
Dr. Singh pulled out Jerrod’s records. “Here is a picture from Jerrod’s new MRI scan. Look at this area in the left side of the brain. We are beginning to see some slight abnormalities here that indicate Jerrod’s brain is starting to be damaged by the seizures.” PSY 495 Wk4 Assignment
Jeff asked, “What is going on? Why don’t the medicines work? You’ve said there’s no injury or tumor. So, is this a condition he inherited from us somehow? Or is it an allergic reaction to something?”
“No,” Dr. Singh reassured them. “Most likely none of those things are causing Jerrod’s problem. This is also not your fault or Jerrod’s fault. I believe that Jerrod has a disorder called Rasmussen Syndrome. Unfortu- nately, we don’t know what causes it. Some people suspect it may be some type of viral infection, but we don’t know for sure. So, likely there is nothing you could have done to prevent it. It involves the type and frequency of seizures we are seeing in Jerrod and usually occurs in children of about Jerrod’s age. I must warn you that it is a progressive and potentially serious illness that often does not respond to medication.”
Dr. Singh went on to describe another type of more drastic treatment that might work in Jerrod’s case.
“The upper part of the brain, the cerebrum, is divided into two halves, or two hemispheres,” Dr. Singh explained. “In some cases of severe seizure disorders, seizure activity seems to be concentrated in one half or hemisphere of the brain. This is the case in Jerrod’s illness.”
Dr. Singh showed them a diagram of the brain.
“In Jerrod’s case, his seizure activity is located primarily in the left hemisphere of his brain. Sometimes, we can control or even eliminate seizure activity by removing the portion of the brain which is suffering. We call this a functional hemispherectomy.” PSY 495 Wk4 Assignment
“What do you mean, ‘removing’? You take out his brain?” Karen was horrified.
“Not his entire brain, just the parts that show abnormal activity. In Jerrod’s brain, that would mean a large part of his left hemisphere. We would remove Jerrod’s left temporal lobe, part of his left frontal lobe, and perhaps some areas in his parietal and occipital lobes. We would also sever the corpus collosum, the band of tissue that connects the two hemispheres and allows them to communicate. We would leave intact Jerrod’s thalamus, amygdala, hippocampus, and other deep structures of the brain.”
Dr. Singh looked at their worried faces. “It sounds terrible, but there have been quite a number of these surgeries performed. We have an excellent team of specialists with a great deal of experience performing this type of surgery and with the rehabilitation that would follow. In cases like Jerrod’s, where medications are not working, it can lead to a significantly better quality of life for the patient. Believe it or not, and I know it is difficult to believe, this may be our best option.”
Dr. Singh took out a sheet of paper from a folder. “I have the name of a support group that can put you in contact with people who have had to make this same decision for their children. You may want to talk with some of them before you decide.” PSY 495 Wk4 Assignment
Jerrod’s Record—continued
Add to the family records information about the following:
· What is Rasmussen Syndrome (what are its history, symptoms, prognosis, etc.)?
· What structures or abilities of the brain are concentrated in the areas of the left hemisphere that would be removed in the hemispherectomy?
· Other than reducing his seizures, how else might Jerrod’s thinking or behavior be affected by losing these parts of his brain?
· What types of abilities would he still retain, because the brain structures would remain intact?
· What might the family do to help Jerrod recover after such a surgery?
· If Jerrod had the surgery, would his level of functioning get better, worse, or stay the same over time?
· What other kinds of questions would you have about the surgery? Can you find the answers?
· What decision do you recommend to the family? Why or why not go ahead with surgery?
Image Credit: Diagrams courtesy of National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Copyright © 2004 by the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science.
Originally published 09/19/04 at http://www.sciencecases.org/split_brain/split_brain.asp
Please see our usage guidelines, which outline our policy concerning permissible reproduction of this work.
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genetic_selection_week3.docx
( Selecting the Perfect Baby: The Ethics of “Embryo Design” by Julia Omarzu Department of Psychology Loras College, Dubuque, Iowa )
The research team assembled quietly in the lab. There were some difficult decisions to be made today. Kelly, a new research assistant, looked forward to the discussion. Privately, she hoped Dr. Wagner and the rest of the team would agree to help the couple that had appealed to them.
“Good morning, everyone,” Dr. Wagner began the meeting. “We have a lot to talk about. I’ll summarize this case for those of you who may not have had time to read the file. Larry and June Shannon have been married six years. They have a four-year-old daughter named Sally who has been diagnosed with Fanconi anemia. Sally was born without thumbs and with a hole in her heart. Shortly after her birth, she began suffering symptoms related to impaired kidney function and digestion that have only increased in severity. Fanconi anemia is a progressive disease that often results in physical abnormalities and a compromised immune system. Sally needs a lot of special care and has already had several surgeries.
She can’t digest food normally or fight off infections as easily as a normal child would. If she doesn’t receive a bone marrow transplant, she will develop leukemia and die, most likely within the next three to four years. Neither Larry nor June had any clue they were both carriers of this disease.” PSY 495 Wk4 Assignment
“A frightening diagnosis,” said Kevin, a research technician.
“Difficult to live with, as well. Not only will they probably lose this child, they must be crushed about the possibility of having another child with this illness,” commented Liz Schultz, the team’s postdoctoral researcher in gynecology and fertility.
“Exactly their problem,” continued Dr. Wagner. “The Shannons are interested in having another child and have approached us regarding pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). They are aware of the risks and the odds of success. They are anxious to begin the process as soon as possible.”
“Kelly, you’re new to the team, so let me summarize the PGD process for you. It’s a three-step process, with chances of failure and complications at each step. First, in-vitro fertilization (IVF) is performed.
Some of June’s ova would be removed and fertilized with Larry’s sperm outside of June’s womb. If this procedure works, we should have several viable, fertilized embryos. Our second step is to perform genetic analysis on the embryos, removing a cell from each and testing for the presence of the Fanconi anemia genes. If we find embryos that are free of Fanconi’s, we can then perform the third step: implanting the healthy embryos back into June’s uterus.”
“Wait a minute,” said Kelly. “How many embryos are we talking about? They just want one child, not a half dozen.”
Dr. Wagner laughed. “Yes, I know. But during the in-vitro fertilization and implantation processes, we almost always have embryos that do not survive. There is only about a 23% chance of any implanted embryo thriving. There is a better chance for a positive outcome when we remove and fertilize multiple ova. In this particular case, the odds of a multiple pregnancy are very small, given the limitations on the ova we will be able to implant.”
“OK, I know I don’t understand all of this. But how can Mrs. Shannon produce that many eggs all at the same time?” asked Kelly. “She wouldn’t normally do that, would she?”
“No,” said Liz. “So before we even begin any of these procedures, June would have to take hormones to increase the number of ova she releases. As Dr. Wagner said, there are risks involved with every step of this procedure. Hormone therapy can have some side effects, including mood and cognitive effects. PSY 495 Wk4 Assignment
Some women suffer physical complications as well, although this is relatively rare. There are some studies that link hormone therapy to increased risks of ovarian cancer, although there is other research that contradicts that.”
“Plus,” Dr. Wagner added, “along with the risks to June, there is no guarantee that the procedure will be successful. Many couples must undergo the IVF procedure more than once before the implantation is successful in producing a healthy, full-term baby. In this case, it will be even more complicated because we cannot use all of the fertilized embryos but must limit ourselves only to those that are free of Fanconi anemia.”
“But we’ve done several of these types of procedures with a pretty high rate of success,” said Kevin. “Why should this one be different? You’ve screened the couple, right, and you said they’re aware of the risks?”
“Yes, but this case is very complicated.” Dr. Wagner sighed. “The Shannons have requested not only a Fanconi-free child, but one that will be a perfect bone marrow match for Sally. Sally’s illness may be treated with a transplant of healthy cells into Sally’s bone marrow. Because Fanconi’s patients are so fragile, however, the donor’s cells have to be a near perfect match, and that’s hard to find. Siblings are the best bet. In the meantime, Sally’s condition is deteriorating. The Shannons naturally want to give Sally as many years of normal life as possible so they want to take aggressive action. They want to cure Sally’s disease by planning and creating another child with specific genetic markers.”
“How would that work?” asked Kelly.
“You’ve heard of stem cell research?” began Liz. “Stem cells are special cells that can produce all the different organs and tissues of the human body. They are found in embryos or fetuses, and are usually obtained for research from embryos that die or are rejected in fertility procedures. That is the kind of research that has been so politically controversial lately. But a less potent type of stem cell is also found in adult humans and can also be obtained from umbilical cord blood. If we were to help the Shannons, and the procedure was successful, the blood from their new baby’s umbilical cord could be used for Sally’s bone marrow transplant, resulting in no injury at all to the baby and a possible cure for the worst symptoms of Sally’s illness.” PSY 495 Wk4 Assignment
“The Shannons are suggesting that we perform the PGD procedure as we normally do, but select only those embryos that are both free of Fanconi anemia, and are also a perfect match for Sally,” said Dr. Wagner. “This presents some real ethical dilemmas for us. We have never tried this before. People have had PGD done to detect and prevent a variety of illnesses in their children, just as we have done here
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before. But what we are proposing now would be selecting for a specific combination of genetic traits, a combination that will not benefit the planned child but will save an existing child. We will be selecting an embryo and then using it essentially as a blood donor for its sibling. It will be umbilical cord blood, which would be discarded anyway, but it’s still a controversial procedure. If we agree, it also means we will be destroying embryos that are perfectly healthy, but are just not a match for Sally. I’m interested in pursuing this, but these are serious issues to consider. Not the least of which is that we may have trouble getting it approved. Before I run it past the review board, I want to know how you all feel about trying it.”
“Well, I say go ahead with it. It will be a genetic breakthrough. In time, we’ll be able to prevent all kinds of problems with this procedure. Why not start now?” urged Kevin. Another doctor on the team who had remained silent nodded her head in agreement.
“I’m not sure yet how I feel about this,” said Liz. “I feel a little uncomfortable with the precedent this might set. We’ll be opening the door to who knows what type of genetic selection. Do we want the responsibility for that?” A couple of others on the team seemed to side with her.
“Yes,” said Kelly. “But think about the poor Shannons. And especially Sally. Does she deserve to suffer just because we’re arguing about ethical problems of the future?”
“Well, it sounds like we all need to talk about this some more before we can reach a real consensus,” Dr Wagner concluded. “I don’t want to start on a case this important without everyone’s agreement.” PSY 495 Wk4 Assignment
Review Questions:
1. How could baby Sally inherit Fanconi anemia even though neither parent suffers from it?
2. What other illnesses or developmental disabilities can be inherited in this way?
3. What are the odds that the Shannon’s second child would also have this disease?
4. What are the basic processes of IVF and PGD?
5. What risks are involved in this whole procedure?
6. How could a sibling’s blood help cure Sally?
7. How could PGD be used to create that sibling?
8. What is so unusual about the PGD proposed by the Shannons?
9. What are some ethical issues related to the use of IVF? What are some ethical issues related to the use of PGD? What do you think about those issues?
10. What do you think the research team should do? What should the Shannons do?
Date Posted: 03/20/02 nas. Revised 08/18/02.