Neurobiology & Neurochemistry

Brain Structures Involved

Prefrontal Cortex

• attention
• executive functions
  • decision-making
  • impulse control
  • organizing tasks
  • managing time

Basal Ganglia, esp. Corpus Striatum

• movement
• decision-making
• inter-brain communication

Cerebellum

• motor control
• attention
• executive functioning

Reticular Activating System (RAS)

• relay of neuronal pathways entering & leaving brain
• regulating arousal & sleep/wake cycle

Default Mode Network (DMN)

• task-irrelevant internal mental processes
  • contemplation
  • reflection
  • daydreaming
  • recovering memories
  • assessing others’ perspectives

Neurotransmitters Involved

Dopamine

• conscious & intentional control of movement
• mediate emotion & sensitivity to rewards
• mediate prefrontal cortical processes that enable active suppression of distractions & inhibit inappropriate behavioral expressions
• engaged in attention to detail & the ability to sustain working memory

Norepinephrine

• causes blood vessels to narrow & increase blood pressure
• maintain & increase overall alertness
• regulation related to excitability & response to danger or opportunity
• contribute to memory storage & retrieval

Serotonin

• regulate mood & emotion
• automatic functions
  • sleeping
  • digestion

Gamma Aminobutyric Acid (GABA)

• inhibits neuron ability to receive, create or send neurochemicals to other neurons
• slows thought & calms the brain

Understanding Executive Functions

What Can Help

Activities

Examples:

How/why it might help:

Cardio Exercise

• cycling, running, dancing
• gives a burst of endorphines, dopamine, norepinephrine, & serotonin