Human Behavior Problems

and Diseases

Copyright 2010. PEER.tamu.edu

Topics to be Covered:
Common brain problems
Specific nervous system
diseases
Alcoholism and drug abuse

What Can Happen to the Brain:

Chemical messengers (transmitters) in the brain
can be enhanced or suppressed.
Change the anatomy and modify neural pathways
Cells and/or fiber tracts may die
Damage to brain can make us behave badly, cripple
us, or even destroy our personality and sense of
self.

Major Brain Problems:

Addiction compulsive behavior or cravings
Alzheimer's disease - causes death of nerve cells, first in the outer
parts of brain (cerebral cortex) that gives us our personality and our
ability to think
Depression - severe state of feeling bad that is continuous most of
the day, every day
Stroke - interruption of blood supply to brain, due either to
hemorrhage or to blocked arteries
Epilepsy - random episodes of convulsions
Trauma - concussion, ruptures of nerve tracts due to mechanical
forces (such as sports injuries, car crashes, etc.)
Schizophrenia - complex, abnormal behaviors and thought
disorders
Parkinson's disease - continuous trembling that progresses to poor
ability to move

People Affected
by Brain Disorders Are:
from all regions
all countries
all societies
women and men at all
stages of life
among the rich and poor
among people living in
urban and rural areas

Many People Have Brain &

Behavior Problems
Recent analyses done by World
Health Organization show that
about 10% of people in the world
suffer from a

mental disorders attributable to

diseases of the nervous system.
This calculates to be about
450 million people

Some Nervous System Diseases

Are Common in Children
Children
1.
2.
3.

Clinical Depression
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Autism

Depression is a serious medical

illness that can lead to suicide!

Clinical Depression is feeling

"down" and "low" and
hopeless" for weeks at a time.
Feeling "down in the dumps" or
"blue" for a few days is NOT
depression.

You Can Do Things to Prevent

Depression!
People can change how they respond to bad
events
Two basic explanatory styles for dealing with
bad happenings:
Optimism: belief that the problem is temporary, an
isolated case, and not caused by an inevitable
personal deficiency
Pessimism: belief that the problem is permanent,
a generalizable problem, and is caused by an
inevitable personal deficiency

Forms of Depression:
Most Common:
Major Depressive Disorder
Dysthymic Disorder -low grade
depression
Less Common:
Psychotic Depression
Postpartum Depression
Seasonal Affective Disorder

No Single Known Cause of

Depression :
Most likely, it comes from a
combination of

Genetic
Biochemical
Environmental
Psychological factors

Signs and Symptoms of

Depression:
Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood
Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness,
helplessness
Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and
activities that were once enjoyed

Depression and Other Illnesses

Often Co-exist:
Other illnesses may
precede the depression
cause it
and/or be a consequence of it

Mechanisms behind depression and other illnesses

differ for every person and situation.
Research has indicated that the coexistence of
mood disorders and substance abuse (alcohol,
drugs) is common among the U.S. population.

Research Indicates that Depressive

Illnesses are Disorders of the Brain
It has been shown that the brains
of people who have depression
look different than those of people
without depression.
Parts of the brain function
abnormally, like those responsible
for regulating mood, thinking,
sleep, appetite and behavior.
Also, important neurotransmitters
appear to be out of balance.

Discuss the differences in

these two pictures.

Post Traumatic Stress

Disorder (PTSD):

PTSD develops after exposure to a terrifying event

or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or
was threatened.

Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD

include:
violent personal assaults
natural or human-caused disasters
accidents
Firefighters at the site of
military combat
The World Trade Center
attacks.

PTSD Symptoms:
Symptoms can include but are
not limited to:
Persistent frightening thoughts
and memories of their ordeal
Feel emotionally numb,
especially with people they
were once close to
Sleep problems
Feeling detached or numb
Easily startled

PTSD Symptoms in Children:

Symptoms in children may include:
Bedwetting, when theyd learned how
to use the toilet before.
Forgetting how or being unable to
talk.
Acting out the scary event during
playtime.
Being unusually clingy with a parent
or other adult.

Lasting Affects of PTSD:

In PTSD, the natural fight-or-flight response
is changed or damaged.
People who have PTSD may feel stressed or
frightened even when theyre no longer in
danger.
The brain is like a
machine, all the
parts need to
work properly!

Triggering PTSD:
PTSD often smolders at a sort of
sub-threshold level,
level said Barry
Fisher, MD, medical director of the
behavioral medicine clinic at
Highland Drive VA Hospital in
Pittsburgh.
A current life stressorlosing
a job,
stressor
getting divorcedcan tip the
balance, because it brings anxiety
and triggers thoughts about the last
time the person felt he was in a lifethreatening situation.

Autism Occurs Early in Chldhood

Autism is a neurological disorder that impacts
the normal development of the brain in the areas
of social interaction and communication skills.
Experts estimate autism occurs in one of every
one-hundred births and 1 to 1.5 million
Americans are living with autism.
It is the 2nd most common developmental
disorder. Ranges in severity.

Autism Has Serious Consequences

Causes severe and pervasive
impairment in thinking, feeling,
language, and the ability to relate to
others.
Can be diagnosed as early as 18
months of age.

Autism Symptoms
Are Easy to Spot:
Possible Indicators:
Does not babble, point, or make meaningful
gestures by 1 year of age
Does not speak one word by 16 months
Does not combine two words by 2 years
Does not respond to name
Loses language or social skills

Others:

Poor eye contact

Doesn't seem to know how to play with toys
Excessively lines up toys or other objects
Is attached to one particular toy or object
Doesn't smile
At times seems to be hearing impaired

Autism
Involves Most
of the Brain:

Psychology Is the
Study of the Mind
Psychology is an
academic and applied
discipline which
involves the scientific
study of human or
animal mental
functions and
behaviors.

Many Mental Functions Are

Studied by Psychologists
Psychologists study such phenomena as
Perception
Cognition
Attention
Emotion
Motivation
Personality
Behavior
Interpersonal relationships

Psychology Includes Treatment

Two approaches:
medicines, cognitive
therapy, often in
combination
Medications: adjust levels
of neurotransmitters
Cognitive therapy aims to
identify troubling emotions,
their causes, and how to
think through a solution.

Alcoholism Is Not
Rare:
Signs:
Drinking excessive amounts frequently
Inability to curb drinking despite medical,
psychological, or social complications
Increased tolerance to alcohol
Occurrence of withdrawal symptoms when the
person stops drinking

People Affected:
7.4% of U.S. population, mostly young people

Addiction is a Compulsive
Behavior:
Two basic kinds:
Psychological - you do it because you
like how it feels = positive reinforcement
Physical - you do it because your body
now requires it for normal function
Degree of physical addictiveness scale
(worst to least): nicotine, cocaine,
amphetamines, narcotics, alcohol)

Most addictions begin as

psychological

Questions?