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Psychology > Week 6 > Flashcards

Week 6 Flashcards

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1
Q

Ablation

A

Surgical removal of brain tissue

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2
Q

Basal ganglia

A

Subcortical structures of the cerebral hemispheres involved in voluntary movement

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3
Q

Brain stem

A

The “trunk” of the brain comprised of the medulla, pons, midbrain, and diencephalon

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4
Q

Callosotomy

A

Surgical procedure in which the corpus callosum is severed (used to control severe epilepsy)

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5
Q

Case study

A

A thorough study of a patient (or a few patients) with naturally occurring lesions

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6
Q

Cerebellum

A

The distinctive structure at the back of the brain, latin for “small brain”

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7
Q

Cerebral cortex

A

The outermost gray matter of the cerebrum; the distinctive convolutions characteristic of the mammalian brain

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8
Q

Cerebral hemisphere

A

The cerebral cortex, underlying white matter, and subcortical structures

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9
Q

Cerebrum

A

Usually refers to the cerebral cortex and associate white matter, but in some texts includes the subcortical structures

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10
Q

Contralateral

A

“Opposite side”; used to refer to the fact that the two hemispheres of the brain process sensory information and motor commands for the opposite side of the body

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11
Q

Converging evidence

A

Similar findings reported from multiple studies using different methods

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12
Q

Diffuse optical imaging (DOI)

A

A neuroimaging technique that infers brain activity by measuring changes in light as it is passed through the skull and surface of the brain

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12
Q

Electroencephalography (EEG)

A

A neuroimaging technique that measures electrical brain activity via multiple electrodes on the scalp

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13
Q

Frontal lobe

A

The front most (anterior) part of the cerebrum; anterior to the central sulcus and responsible for motor output and planning, language, judgement, and decision-making

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14
Q

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

A

Neuroimaging technique that infers brain activity by measuring changes in oxygen levels in the blood

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15
Q

Gray matter

A

The outer grayish regions of the brain comprised of the neuron’s cell bodies

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16
Q

Gyrus

A

Fold between sulci in the cortex

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17
Q

Lateralized

A

“to the side”; used to refer to the fact that specific functions may reside primarily in one hemisphere or the other

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18
Q

Lesion

A

A region in the brain that suffered damage through injury, disease, or medical intervention

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19
Q

Limbic system

A

The subcortical structures of the amygdala and hippocampal formation as well as some cortical structures; responsible for aversion and gratification

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20
Q

Metabolite

A

A substance necessary for a living organism to maintain life

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21
Q

Motor cortex

A

Region of the frontal lobe responsible for voluntary movement; the motor cortex has a contralateral representation of the human body

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22
Q

Myelin

A

Fatty tissue, produced by glial cells that insulates the axons of the neurons

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23
Q

Occipital lobe

A

The back most part of the cerebrum; involved in vision

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24
Parietal lobe
The part of the cerebrum between the frontal and occipital lobes; involved in bodily sensations, visual attention, and integrating the sensations
25
Phrenology
Now-discredited field of brain study that correlated bumps and indentations of the skull with specific functions of the brain
26
Positron emission tomography (PET)
Neuroimaging technique that measures brain activity by detecting the presence of a radioactive substance in the brain that is initially injected into the bloodstream and then pulled in by active brain tissue
27
Sagittal plane
A slice that runs vertically from front to back; slices of brain in this plane divide the left and right side of the brain
28
Somatosensory cortex
The region of the parietal lobe responsible for bodily sensations
29
Spatial resolution
Refers to how small the elements of an image are; high spatial resolution means the device or technique can resolve very small elements
30
Split-brain patient
A patient who has the most or all of their corpus callosum severed
31
Subcortical
Structures that lie beneath the cerebral cortex, but above the brain stem
32
Sulcus
A groove separating folds of the cortex
33
Temporal lobe
Part of the cerebrum involved in vision, auditory processing, memory, and integrating vision and audition
34
Temporal resolution
Refers to how small a unit of time can be measured; high temporal resolution means capable of resolving very small units of time
35
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
Neuroscience technique that passes mild electrical current directly through a brain area by placing small electrodes on the skull
36
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
Neuroscience technique whereby a brief magnetic pulse is applied to the head and temporarily induces a weak electrical current that interfaces with ongoing activity
37
Visual hemifield
Half of the visual space on one side of fixation; the left hemisphere is responsible for the right visual hemifield, and the right hemisphere for the left visual hemifield
38
White matter
The inner whitish regions of the cerebrum comprised of the myelinated axons of neurons in the cerebral cortex
39
Blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD)
The signal typically measured in fMRI that results from changes in the ratio of oxygenated hemoglobin to deoxygenated hemoglobin in the blood
40
Central nervous system
Part of the nervous system that consists of the brain and spinal cord
41
Depolarization
A change in a cell's membrane potential, making the inside of the cell more positive and increasing the chance of an action potential
42
Hemoglobin
The oxygen-carrying portion of a red blood cell
43
Hyperpolarization
A change in the cell's membrane potential, making the inside of the cell more negative and decreasing the chance of an action potential
44
Neural plasticity
The ability of synapses and neural pathways to change over time and adapt to changes in neural process, behavior, or environment
45
Parasympathetic nervous system (PNS)
One of the two major divisions of the autonomic nervous system, responsible for stimulation of "rest and digest" activities
46
Positron
A particle having the same mass and numerically equal but positively charge as an electron
47
Psychophysiological methods
Any research method in which the dependent variable is a physiological measure, and the independent variable is behavioral or mental
48
Sympathetic nervous system (SNS)
One of the two major divisions of the autonomic nervous system, responsible for stimulation of "fight or flight" activities
49
Afferent nerves
Nerves that carry messages to the brain or spinal cord
50
Agnosias
Due to damage of Wernicke's area; an inability to recognize objects, words, or faces
51
Asphasia
Due to damage of Broca's area; an inability to produce or recognize words
52
Arcuate fasiculus
A fiber tract that connects Wernicke's and Broca's speech areas
53
Autonomic nervous system
A part of the peripheral nervous system that connects to glands and smooth muscles. Consists of the SNS and PNS
54
Broca's area
Area in the frontal lobe of the left hemisphere; implicated in language production
55
Central sulcus
The major fissure that divides the fontal and parietal lobes
56
Cingulate gyrus
A medical cortical portion of the nervous tissue that is a part of the limbic system
57
Computerized axial tomography
A non-invasive brain-scanning procedure that uses X-ray absorption around the head
58
Extoderm
The outermost layer of a developing fetus
59
Efferent nerves
Nerves that carry messages from the brain to glands and organs in the periphery
60
Event-related potentials
A physiological measure of large electrical change in the brain produced by sensory stimulation or motor responses
61
Forebrain
A part of the nervous system that contains the cerebral hemispheres, thalamus, and hypothalamus
62
Fornix
Nerve fiber tract that connects the hippocampus to mammillary bodies
63
Immunocytochemistry
A method of staining tissue including the brain, using antibodies
64
Lateral geniculate nucleus (LNG)
Nucleus in the thalamus that is innervated by the optic nerves and sends signals to the visual cortex in the occipital lobe
65
Lateral sulcus
The major fissure that delineates the temporal lobe below the frontal and the parietal lobes
66
Magnification factor
Cortical space projected by an area of sensory input
67
Medulla oblongata
Area above the spinal cord that processes breathing, digestion, heart, blood vessel function, swallowing, and sneezing
68
Neural crest
A set of primordial neurons that migrate outside the neural tube and give rise to sensory and autonomic neurons in the peripheral nervous system
69
Neural induction
A process that causes the formation of the neural tube
70
Neuroblasts
Brain progenitor cells that asymmetrically divide into other neuroblasts or nerve cells
71
Neuroepithelium
The lining of the neural tube
72
Pons
A bridge that connects the cerebral cortex with the medulla, and reciprocally transfers information back and forth between the brain and spinal cord
73
Primary somatosensory cortex
A strip of cerebral tissue just behind the central sulcus engaged in sensory reception of bodily sensations
74
Primary motor cortex
A strip of cortex just in front of the central sulcus that is involved with motor control
75
Rostrocaudal
A front-back plane used to identify anatomical structures in the body and the brain
76
Spina bifida
A developmental disease of the spinal cord, where the neural tube does not close caudally
77
Thalamus
Part of the diencephalon that works as a gateway for incoming and outgoing information
78
Transduction
A process in which physical energy converts into neural energy
79
Working memory
Short transitory memory processed in the hippocampus

Psychology (12 decks)

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