Ch 13 Definitions: Cognitive Neuroscience Flashcards
lateralization
the localization of a function in one hemisphere or the other
hemispherectomy
an operation in which the cerebral cortex is removed from one hemisphere
split-brain operation
a treatment for seizure disorder in which the commissures linking the two cerebral hemispheres are severed
hippocampal commissure
a pathway linking the right and left hippocampal structures
massa intermedia
the connection between the right and left thalamic nuclei
dichotic listening
a task in which different sounds are presented simultaneously to the right and left ears
prosody
the use of pitch and intonation in language to convey emotional tone and meaning
planum temporale
an area located posterior to the primary auditory cortex in the temporal lobes
savant behavior
exceptional skills and talents found in people whose intellectual functioning otherwise falls within range of intellectual disability
language
a system of communicating thoughts and feeling using arbitrary signals, such as sounds, gestures, or written signals
bilingual
proficient in two languages
aphasia
a condition involving the loss of the ability to speak or to understand language
Broca’s aphasia
a condition marked by the production of slow, laborious speech accompanied by good comprehension, poor repetition, and poor naming
Wernicke’s aphasia
a condition in which speech is fluent, but comprehension, repetition, and naming are quite poor
Wernicke’s area
an area of the cortex adjacent to primary auditory cortex in the left hemisphere
believed to be responsible for decoding speech sounds
arcuate fasciculus
a pathway connecting Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area
conduction aphasia
a condition characterized by fluent speech and good comprehension but poor repetition and naming;
believed to result from damage to the arcuate fasciculus and underlying structures
global aphasia
a condition in which all language functions are lost, including both language production and comprehension
transcortical aphasia
a language disorder resulting from damage to the connections and cortical areas associated with the major language centers
transcortical motor aphasia
a condition in which language is not fluent, but the ability to repeat is retained
transcortical sensory aphasia
a condition in which comprehension is poor, but the ability to repeat is retained
alexia
a condition characterized by the ability to speak and understand the spoken word normally
accompanied by an inability to read or to point to words and letters on command
agraphia
a condition characterized by the loss of the ability to write
dyslexia
a condition characterized by difficulty learning to read in spite of normal intelligence and exposure to standard instruction
phonological awareness
the ability to discriminate between rapidly presented speech sounds
angular gyrus
a region of the parietal lobe believed to participate in language and cognition
stutter
to abnormally repeat or prolong speech sounds when speaking
intelligence
an individual’s ability to understand complex ideas, to adapt effectively to the environment, to learn from experience, to engage in various forms of reasoning, and to overcome obstacles
general intelligence (g) factor
a hypothesized single trait that predicts intelligent behavior
AKA “Spearman’s g”
neuroeconomics
the interdisciplinary approach to
understanding decision making
that incorporates theories and methods from economics, psychology, and neuroscience
