33. Neurodevelopmental Disorders - Introduction Flashcards
Define
Critical period
a maturational stage in the lifespan of an organism during which the nervous system is especially sensitive to certain environmental stimuli
Define
Neurodevelopmental disorder
impairments of the growth and development of the brain and/or central nervous system
Define
Cerebral cortex
Responsible for sensing, thinking, learning, emotion, consciousness and voluntary movement
Define
Amygdala
Part of the limbic system involved in emotion and aggression
Define
Cerebellum
Structure that coordinates fine muscle movement and balance
Define
Hypothalamus
Responsible for regulating basic biological needs: hunger, thirst, temperature control
Define
Hippocampus
Part of the limbic system involeved in learning and memory
Define
Medulla
Responsible for regulating largely unconsicious functions such as breathing and circulation
Define
Neocortex
the large 6-layered dorsal region of the cerebral cortex that is unique to mammals
Define
Gastrula
an early metazoan embryo in which the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm are established either by invagination of the blastula (as in fish and amphibians) to form a multilayered cellular cup with a blastopore opening into the archenteron or by differentiation of the blastodisc (as in reptiles, birds, and mammals) and inward cellular migration
Define
Ectoderm
the outermost of the three primary germ layers of an embryo that is the source of various tissues and structures (such as the epidermis, the nervous system, and the eyes and ears)
Define
Neural tube
the hollow longitudinal dorsal tube formed by infolding and subsequent fusion of the opposite ectodermal folds in the vertebrate embryo that gives rise to the brain and spinal cord
Define
Notochord
Rod-like structure in the middles of the embryo that secretes factors that provide position and fate information
Define
Circuit formation
Growth of axons and dendrites followed by synapse formation (synaptogenesis)
Define
Radial glial cell
bipolar-shaped progenitor cells that are responsible for producing all of the neurons in the cerebral cortex
Define
Ventricular zone
a transient embryonic layer of tissue containing neural stem cells, principally radial glial cells, of the central nervous system (CNS)
Define
Tangenital migration
the movement of interneurons from the ganglionic eminence to the cerebral cortex
Define
Ganglionic eminence
a transitory structure in the development of the nervous system that guides cell and axon migration. It is present in the embryonic and fetal stages of neural development found between the thalamus and caudate nucleus
Define
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
any of a group of developmental disorders marked by impairments in the ability to communicate and interact socially and by the presence of repetitive behaviors or restricted interests
Define
Schizophrenia
a mental illness that is characterized by disturbances in thought (such as delusions), perception (such as hallucinations), and behavior (such as disorganized speech or catatonic behavior), by a loss of emotional responsiveness and extreme apathy, and by noticeable deterioration in the level of functioning in everyday life
Define
GABA
an amino acid C4H9NO2 that is a neurotransmitter which induces inhibition of postsynaptic neurons
Definition
a maturational stage in the lifespan of an organism during which the nervous system is especially sensitive to certain environmental stimuli
Critical period
Definition
impairments of the growth and development of the brain and/or central nervous system
Neurodevelopmental disorder
Definition
Responsible for sensing, thinking, learning, emotion, consciousness and voluntary movement
Cerebral cortex