Chapter 0: Cognitive Neuroscience Flashcards
The metabolic center of the neuron; contains mechanisms to keep the cell alive.
Cell body.
These are long processes that transmit signals to other neurons; also called nerve fibers.
Axons.
Their function is to receive signals from other neurons; these branch out from the cell body.
Dendrites.
The small gap between the end of a neuron’s axon and the dendrites or cell body of another neuron.
Synapse.
In the 1920s, he was able to record electrical signals from single sensory neurons. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1932 for this achievement.
Edgar Adrian.
When signals reach the synapse at the end of the axon, a chemical called a ________________ is released.
Neurotransmitter.
The “fight-or-flight” neurotransmitter; produced in stressful situations which increases heart rate and blood flow leading to physical boost and heightened awareness.
Adrenaline.
They are chemical messengers. Their job is to carry chemical signals (“messages”) from one neuron (nerve cell) to the next target cell.
Neurotransmitters.
The “calming” neurotransmitter which calms firing nerves in the central nervous system. High levels improve focus, low levels cause anxiety. Also contributes to motor control and vision.
Gaba.
The “concentration” neurotransmitter which affects attention and responding actions in the brain. It contracts blood vessels, increasing blood flow.
Noradrenaline.
The “learning” neurotransmitter involved in thought, learning, and memory. It activates muscle action in the body. Also associated with attention and awakening.
Acetylcholine.
The “pleasure” neurotransmitter. Associated with feelings of pleasure, addiction, movement, and motivation. People repeat behaviors that lead to the release of this neurotransmitter.
Dopamine.
The “memory” neurotransmitter, also the most common neurotransmitter. Involved with learning and memory. It regulates development and creation of nerve contacts.
Glutamate.
The “mood” neurotransmitter that contributes to well-being and happiness. It helps sleep cycle and digestive system regulation. It is affected by exercise and light exposure.
Serotonin.
The “euphoria” neurotransmitter released during exercise, excitement, and sex. Produces well-being and euphoria, reducing pain.
Endorphins.
This states that everything a person experiences is based on representations in the person’s nervous system.
Principle of neural representation.
Neurons that respond to specific stimulus features such as orientation, movement, and length.
Feature detectors neurons.
Term used to refer to the idea that the structure of the brain is changed by experience.
Experience-dependent plasticity.
Term used to refer to the idea that specific functions are served by specific areas of the brain.
Localization of function.
The study of the behavior of people with brain damage.
Neuropsychology.
The idea that the brain operated as an indivisible whole as opposed to specialized areas.
Cortical equipotentiality.
In 1861, he published work based on his study of patients who had suffered brain damage due to strokes. These strokes caused damage to an area in the frontal lobe that came to be called Broca’s area.
Paul Broca.
In 1879, he described a number of patients who had damage to an area in their temporal lobe that came to be called Wernicke’s area.
Carl Wernicke.
Part of the brain responsible for perceptions of touch, pressure, and pain.
Parietal lobe.
