Ch. 2 Cognitive Neuroscience-Sternberg Flashcards
1
Q
Define Cognitive Neuroscience
A
field of study linking the brain and other aspects of the nervous system to cognitive processing and, ultimately, to behavior.
2
Q
Define Brain
A
the organ in our bodies that most directly controls our thoughts, emotions, and motivations.
3
Q
Localization of Function
A
refers to the specific areas of the brain that control specific skills or behaviors
4
Q
Define Nervous System
A
the organized network of cells (neurons) through which an individual receives information from the environment, processes that information, and then interacts with the environment.
5
Q
What are the three major regions of the brain?
A
the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain
6
Q
What is the order of brain development?
A
hindbrain to midbrain to forebrain
7
Q
What 5 parts make up the forebrain?
A
- Cerebral Cortex
- The basal ganglia
- The limbic system
- Thalamus
- Hypothalamus
8
Q
What does the cerebral cortex do?
A
controls thinking and sensing functions, voluntary movement
9
Q
What do the basal ganglia do?
A
These are collections of neurons crucial to motor function. dysfunction of this results in motor deficits like tremors, etc and is seen in both huntington’s and parkinson’s.
10
Q
What does the LImbic system do?
A
important for emotion, motivation, memory, and learning
11
Q
What three structures make up teh limbic system?
A
- The septum
- amygdala
- hippocampus
12
Q
what does the septum do?
A
influences anger and fear
13
Q
What does the amygdala do?
A
influences anger and aggression
too much stimulation results in fear, and its removal leads to a maladaptive LACK of fear
14
Q
What does the hippocampus do?
A
influences learning and memory
15
Q
describe Korsakoff’s syndrome
A
a disease where there is a loss of memory function- believed to be associated with a deterioration of the hippocampus and is caused by a lack of thiamine (vitamin B1) in brain.
16
Q
What does the thalamus do?
A
relays incoming sensory information through groups of neurons that project to the appropriate region in the cerebral cortex
17
Q
What does the hypothalamus do?
A
regulates behavior to related to species survival: fighting, feeding, fleeing, and mating. is is active in regulating emotions and reactions to stress. it also plays a role in sleep- where dysfunction or neural loss is seen in narcolepsy.
18
Q
what does the midbrain do?
A
helps to control eye movement and coordination.
19
Q
what 4 parts make up the midbrain?
A
- Reticular activating system (RAS)
- Superior Colliculi
- Inferior Colliculi
- Gray matter, red nucleus, substantia nigra, ventral region
20
Q
What does the forebrain do?
A
it plays a vital role in our thinking and other mental processes
21
Q
What is the function of the Superior colliculi?
A
involved in vision (and visual reflexes)
22
Q
what is the function of the inferior colliculi?
A
involved in hearing
23
Q
what is the function of the reticular activating system?
A
important in controlling consciousness (sleep arousal), attention, cardiorespiratory function, and movement
24
Q
what do the gray matter/red nucleus/ substantia nigra, ventral region of the brain do?
A
important in controlling movement
25
What makes up the brainstem?
hypothalamus, thalamus, midbrain, and hindbrain. physicians determine brain death based on the function of the brainstem.
26
where is the Periaqueductual gray (PAG)
its in the brainstem, and seems essential for adaptive behaviors.
27
What 3 parts of the brain make up the hindbrain?
1. Medulla oblongata
2. the pons
3. the cerebellum
28
what is the role of the medulla oblongata?
it controls heart activity and largely controls breathing, swallowing, and digestion.
29
what is the role of the Pons?
serves as a kind of relay station, or bridge, from one part of the brain to another. contains a part of the RAS, but involved in consciousness (sleep and arousal), and involved with facial nerves
30
What is the role of the Cerebellum?
controls balance, coordination, and muscle tone.
31
What are the Suci (or sulcus?)
small grooves in cerebral cortex
32
What are the fissures
large grooves in the cerebral cortex
33
what are Gyri (gyrus)
the bulges between adjacent sulci or fissures that are a part of the cerebral cortex
34
what is the color of the cortex and why?
its grey, aka "gray matter" because of the gray neural bodies that make it up.
35
what is under the gray matter, what is it called, and what is it made up of?
white matter. it is made up of white, myelinated axons
36
define contralateral
from one side to another aka opposite. like the right part of the brain controls the left hand.
37
define ipsilateral transmission
aka same side transmission of information
38
what is the corpus callosum?
a dense aggregate of neural fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres. The corpus callosum transfers info from one hemisphere to the other.
39
what is aphasia?
a loss of speech
40
What does broca's area do and where is it located?
responsible for speech PRODUCTION, located in left frontal lobe
41
What does wernicke's area do and where is it located?
involves the interpretation and understanding of speech. damage also makes it difficult for people to put words together properly, so you get word salad. so language comprehension. located in posterior left temporal lobe.
42
what is a split brain patient?
people who have undergone operations severing the corpus callosum
43
what is left hemisphere known for versus the right?
In general, the left hemisphere is big for language, while the right hemisphere is big for spatial visualization
44
define apraxia
disorder of skilled movement, frequently there is left hemisphere damage
45
what are the four major lobes of the brain?
frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal lobes.
46
What is teh frontal lobe responsible for?
associated with motor processing and higher though processes such as abstract reasoning, problem solving, planning, and judgment.
47
what is the primary motor cortex responsible for?
Located towards the front of the frontal lobe, Specializes in planning, control, and execution of movement, particularly any movement involving any kind of delayed response. Ex. If it were stimulated, depending on which area was stimulated, you would remove a corresponding body part.
48
what is teh primary somatosensory cortex responsible for?
receives information from the senses about pressure, texture, temperature, and pain. Ex- if stimulated, depending on area, you would report feeling touched in that area.
49
what is the parietal lobe responsible for?
located at the upper back portion of the brain, its associated with somatosensory processing (touch, pain, temperature sense, and limb position in relation to space)
50
what is the temporal lobe responsible for?
located directly under the temples, is associated with auditory processing and comprehending language. Its also involved in retention of visual memories.
51
what is the occipital lobe responsible for?
associated with visual processing, including color, motion, location and form.
52
What does rostral mean?
means front part of brain
53
what does ventral mean?
means bottom surface of brain
54
what does caudal mean?
means tail or back part of the brain
55
what does dorsal mean
literally means "back," refers to the upside of the brain
56
what are projection areas? what part of the brain do they work with?
are areas in the lobes in which sensory processing occurs. They contain nerves that contain sensory information going to (projecting to) the thalamus.
57
Describe what neurons are
the cells of the nervous system, they transmit electrical signals from one location to another in the nervous system. The greatest connection of neurons is located in the neocortex of the brain.
58
what are the four parts that make up a neuron?
soma, dendrites, axon, and myelin
59
what is the soma of a neuron?
contains the nucleus of the cell, is responsible for the life of the neuron and connects the dendrites to the axon
60
what are dendrites?
branchlike structures that are a part of neurons that RECEIVE information from other neurons, while the soma integrates the information. Learning is associated with the formation of new neuronal connections.
61
what is the axon of a neuron?
long thin tube that extends and sometimes splits from the soma and responds to the information, when appropriate, by transmitting an electrochemical signal. The signal is carried to the terminus (end), where it is transmitted to other neurons. It SENDS information to other neurons
62
what is myelin?
is a white, fatty substance/sheath, that surrounds some axons of the nervous system, and accounts for the whiteness of the white matter of the brain. It insulates and protects longer axons from electrical interference and speeds up the conduction of information. Breakdown of myelin is associated with MS
63
what are nodes of ranvier?
small gaps in the myelin sheath, it haps to increase conduction speed even more by helping to create electrical signals, aka action potentials, which are then carried down the axon.
64
What are terminal buttons?
these are small knobs found at the end of the branches of the AXON. release neurotransmitters
65
what is the synapse or synaptic cleft?
is the juncture between the terminal buttons of one or more neurons and the dendrites. basically space between neurons
66
what are neurotransmitters?
chemical messengers for transmission of information across the synaptic gap to the receiving dendrites of the next neuron.
67
what are the three types of chemical neurotransmitters?
1. monoamine neurotransmitters
2. amino-acid neurotransmitters
3. Neuropeptides
68
What is acetylcholine associated with?
excitatory in brain and either excitatory (for skeletal muscles) or inhibitory (heart muscles) in the body. believed to be associated with memory functions, high amount found in hippocampus
69
what is dopamine associated with?
influences movement coordination, attention, and learning. is MOSTLY inhibitory but some excitatory. Associated with parkinson’s (too little dopamine) and schizophrenia (too much dopamine)
70
what is serotonin associated with?
: involved in arousal, sleep and dreaming, and mood. its normally inhibitory. It normally inhibits dreaming. Also tied to eating behavior and body weight regulation. High serotonin levels seem to play a role in some types of anorexia.
71
what is acute toxicity versus chronic toxicity?
Acute Toxicity: damage done from a particular overdose
| Chronic Toxicity: damage done by long-term drug addiction.
72
what are lesions?
areas where body tissue has been damaged- like from injury or disease.
73
what is lesioning?
surgically removing or damaging part of the brain (usually done to observe resulting functional deficits)
74
how do EEGs work?
recordings of the electrical frequencies and intensities of the living brain. Typically over a long period of time. Electrodes are placed on the scalp, and then the electrical activity of the underlying brain area is recorded.
75
What are ERPs (Event-Related Potentials)
record of a small change in teh brains electrical activity in response to a stimulating event. so changes in electrical potentials are recorded via electrodes attached to the scalp.
76
how does an angiogram work?
used to examines the blood flow. A dye is injected into an artery that leads to the brain, and then the x-ray image is taken that shows the circulatory system and highlights the blood vessels in the brain
77
What is a single cell recording?
a very thin electrode is inserted next to a single neuron. changes in electrical activity occurring in teh cell are then recorded.
78
What is a PET/ Positron Emission Tomography
scans the measure increases in oxygen consumption in active brain areas during particular kinds of information processing. Participants ingest a mildly radioactive form of oxygen that emits positrons as it metabolized. Changes in concentration of positrons in targeted areas of the brain are then measured.
79
what is an fMRI?
creates a magnetic field that induces changes in the particles of oxygen atoms. More active areas draw more oxygenated blood than do less active areas in the brain. The differences in the amounts of oxygen consumed form the basis for fMRI measurements.
80
What is a TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation)
involves placing a coil on a person’s head and then allowing an electrical current to pass through it. The current generates a magnetic field. This field disrupts the small area beneath it. The researcher can then look at cognitive functioning when the particular area is disrupted.
81
What is an MEG (magnetoecephalography)
): involves measuring brain activity through detection of magnetic fields by placing a device over the head. is VERY precise but very expensive and most dont have acess to this machine.
82
what is a vascular disorder?
a brain disorder caused by a stroke (like a disruption of blood to the brain).
83
what are the two types of strokes?
Ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke
84
describe an ischemic stroke
usually occurs when a buildup of fatty tissue occurs in blood vessels over a period of years, and a piece of this tissue breaks off and gets lodged in the arteries of the brain. These can usually be treated by clot-busting drugs.
85
describe a hemorrhagic stroke
occurs when a blood vessel in the brain suddenly breaks. Blood then spills into surround tissue, which causes brain cells in the affected areas begin to die.
86
what is a neoplasm?
its a brain tumor. but fancy wording
87
What are closed head injuries?
with these, the skull remains intact but there is damage to the brain, typically from the mechanical force of a blow to the head.
88
most tumors are what- primary or secondary tumors?
primary. they start in the brain. this makes up the majority of childhood brain tumors.
89
where do secondary tumors start?
primary start int eh brain, secondary start elsewhere in the body.
90
which are MORE common- tumors involving the white matter or the gray matter?
those located in the white matter are more common.
91
Describe the P-Fit theory of intelligence
P-Fit theory stresses the importance of interconnected brain regions in determining differences in intelligence. It describes patterns of brain activity in people with different levels of intelligence (certain areas light up for certain things), but it cant be used to explain what makes a person intelligent or what intelligence is exactly.
