Vocab Quiz 6 Flashcards
(29 cards)
Dopamine
A neurotransmitter involved in motivation, learning, pleasure, the control of body movement, and other brain functions.
Executive Function
Higher level cognitive function, including decision-making and judgment, involved with the control of behavior.
Frontal Operculum
The part of the frontal lobe that sits over the insula.
Transduction
conversion of one form of energy into another (usually external stimulus energy to neural response)
Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD)
This is a common type of dementia caused by the loss of neurons in the frontal lobes. This disorder often strikes earlier than Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia, with most patients diagnosed between their late 40s and early 60s. It also tends to present with more prominent behavior and social impairments as opposed to memory loss, though memory loss is common in later stages of the disease.
Retina-geniculate-striate-pathway
main visual pathway; 90% of axons
Retinotopic
each level of the visual system is arranged like a retinal map
Gamma-Amino-Butyric Acid – (GABA)
A neurotransmitter implicated in brain development, muscle control, and reduced stress response.
Glioblastoma
An invasive brain tumor made up of glial tissue, blood vessels, and dead neurons.
Glioma
A tumor that arises from the brain’s glial tissue.
Gyrus
The ridges of the brain’s outer surface.
Hippocampus
A primitive brain structure, located deep in the brain, that is critical for memory and learning. (Memory consolidation)
Insula
Sometimes referred to as the insular cortex , this small region of the cerebrum is found deep within the lateral sulcus, and is believed to be involved in consciousness, emotion, and keeping the body in balance.
Limbic System
A group of brain structures that encircle the top of the brain stem. The limbic structures play complex roles in emotions, instincts, and appetitive behaviors. (the Emotional Center of the Brain).
Medulla Oblongata
The lower part of the brain stem, responsible for life-regulating functions like breathing and heart rate.
Mesolimbic Pathway
A specialized brain circuit implicated in the processing of risk and reward information.
Nucleus Accumbens
Part of the brain’s reward circuitry, or mesolimbic pathway, this small region in the midbrain releases dopamine in response to rewarding experiences.
Premotor cortex
This area of the cerebrum located between the prefrontal cortex and the motor cortex in the frontal lobe. It is involved in the planning and execution of movements.
Prion
A protein aggregate that can multiply itself, . Prions have the potential to spread within the body and brain, and even from one organism to another –“infectiously” like a virus. They are responsible for a rapid, fatal, and potentially transmissible neurodegenerative disease including Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (“mad cow disease”)
Somatosensory Cortex
Located in the parietal lobe, the region of the brain that processes touch, pressure, and pain information.
Scotoma
an area of blindness
Striatum
A small group of subcortical structures, including the caudate nucleus, putamen, and nucleus accumbens, located in the midbrain,. These regions are implicated in both movement and reward related behaviors.
Blindsight
ability of patients to respond to visual stimuli in their scotomas, even though they have no awareness of those stimuli
Agnosia
failure of recognition
