Chap 2

Question 1

Cognitive Neuroscience

Answer 1

Looks at topics of interest from multiple povs and angles

Question 2

Neurons

Answer 2

cells specialized to create , receive , and transmit info

Each neuron has a cell body, an axon, and dendrite

Question 3

Neuron highway

Answer 3

A nerve net, similar to a highway network
That allows for almost nonstop, continuous communication of signals throughout the network•

Question 4

Cell body

Answer 4

contains mechanisms to keep cell alive

Question 5

Dendrites

Answer 5

multiple branches reaching from the cell body, which receive information from other neurons

Question 6

Axon

Answer 6

tube filled with fluid that transmits electrical signal to other neurons

a) Basic components of a neuron in the cortex.

(b) A neuron with a specialized receptor in place of the cell body. This receptor responds to pressure on the skin.

Question 7

Action potential

Answer 7

• Neuron receives signal from environment
• information travels down the axon of that neuron to the dendrites of another neuron

Question 8

Measuring Action potential

Answer 8

• is not measured it remains constant
• the rate of firing is measure
• low intensity stimulus = slow firing
• high intensity stimulus = fast firing

Question 9

Synapses

Answer 9

The space between axons of one neuron and dendrite or cell body of another

• when the action potential reaches the end of the axon synaptic vesicles open and release chemical neurotransmitters

Question 10

Mind

Answer 10

a system that creates representations of the world so we can act on it to achieve goals

Question 11

Principle of neural representations

Answer 11

everything a person experiences is based on representation in the persons nervous system

Question 12

Hubel and Wiessel (1960s )

Answer 12

research with visual stimuli in cats

Question 13

Feature detectors

Answer 13

neurons that respond best to a specific stimuli

-Kittens exposed to vertical - only stimuli over time could only perceive verticals in normal stimuli

Question 14

Experience dependent plasticity

Answer 14

the structure of the brain changes with experience

Question 15

Hierarchical processing

Answer 15

When we perceive different objects , we do so in specific order moves from lower to higher areas of the brain (bottom up )

-the ascension from lower to higher areas of the brain corresponds to perceiving objects that range from lower(simple) to higher (complex)

Question 16

specificity coding

Answer 16

the specifically tuned neurons specialized to respond only to a specific stimulus .

Question 17

Population coding

Answer 17

the pattern of firing of a large number of neurons

Question 18

sparse coding

Answer 18

firing of only a small group of neurons, with the majority of neurons remaining silent .

Question 19

Cerebral cortex

Answer 19

( 3 mm thick layer covering the brain ) contains mechanisms responsible for most cognitive functions

Question 20

Cognitive functioning decline

Answer 20

Cognitive functioning declines in specific ways when certain areas of the brain are damaged .

Question 21

Language production impaired

Answer 21

Language production is impaired by damage to broca’s area (frontal lobe )

Question 22

Language comprehension impaired

Answer 22

Language comprehension is impaired by damage to Wernicke’s area (temporal lobe )

Question 23

Occipital lobe (Perception)

Answer 23

vision

Question 24

Parietal lobe (perception )

Answer 24

touch, temperature, and pain

Question 25

Temporal lobe (perception)

Answer 25

hearing, taste, and smell

Question 26

Coordination of information received from all senses

Answer 26

Frontal lobe

Question 27

Double Dissociation

Answer 27

When damage to one part of the brain causes function A to be absent while function B is present … and damage to another area causes function B to be absent while function A is present •Allows us to identify functions that are controlled by different parts of the brain

Question 28

Localization Demonstrated by Brain Imaging

Answer 28

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) •Measures neural activity by identifying highly oxygenated hemoglobin molecules •Activity recorded in voxels (3-D pixels) Best image bc of high resolution

Question 29

Fusiform face area (FFA)

Answer 29

responds specifically to faces Damage to this area causes prosopagnosia (inability to recognize faces)

Question 30

Parahippocampal place area (PPA)

Answer 30

responds specifically to places (indoor/outdoor scenes)

Question 31

Extrastriate body area (EBA)

Answer 31

responds specifically to pictures of bodies and parts of bodies

Question 32

Central principle of cognition:

Answer 32

Most of our experience is multidimensional

Question 33

Neural Network

Answer 33

Interconnected areas of the brain that communicate with each other

Question 34

Connectome

Answer 34

structural description of the network of elements and connections forming the human brain

Question 35

Structural connectivity:

Answer 35

the brain’s “wiring diagram” created by axons that connect brain areas as unique to individuals as fingerprints

Question 36

Functional connectivity:

Answer 36

how groups of neurons within the connectome function in relation to types of cognition determined by the amount of correlated neural activity in two brain areas