Chapter 0: Cognitive Neuroscience

Question 1

The metabolic center of the neuron; contains mechanisms to keep the cell alive.

Answer 1

Cell body.

Question 2

These are long processes that transmit signals to other neurons; also called nerve fibers.

Answer 2

Axons.

Question 3

Their function is to receive signals from other neurons; these branch out from the cell body.

Answer 3

Dendrites.

Question 4

The small gap between the end of a neuron’s axon and the dendrites or cell body of another neuron.

Answer 4

Synapse.

Question 5

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.

Answer 5

Edgar Adrian.

Question 6

When signals reach the synapse at the end of the axon, a chemical called a ________________ is released.

Answer 6

Neurotransmitter.

Question 7

The “fight-or-flight” neurotransmitter; produced in stressful situations which increases heart rate and blood flow leading to physical boost and heightened awareness.

Answer 7

Adrenaline.

Question 7

They are chemical messengers. Their job is to carry chemical signals (“messages”) from one neuron (nerve cell) to the next target cell.

Answer 7

Neurotransmitters.

Question 8

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.

Answer 8

Gaba.

Question 9

The “concentration” neurotransmitter which affects attention and responding actions in the brain. It contracts blood vessels, increasing blood flow.

Answer 9

Noradrenaline.

Question 10

The “learning” neurotransmitter involved in thought, learning, and memory. It activates muscle action in the body. Also associated with attention and awakening.

Answer 10

Acetylcholine.

Question 11

The “pleasure” neurotransmitter. Associated with feelings of pleasure, addiction, movement, and motivation. People repeat behaviors that lead to the release of this neurotransmitter.

Answer 11

Dopamine.

Question 12

The “memory” neurotransmitter, also the most common neurotransmitter. Involved with learning and memory. It regulates development and creation of nerve contacts.

Answer 12

Glutamate.

Question 13

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.

Answer 13

Serotonin.

Question 14

The “euphoria” neurotransmitter released during exercise, excitement, and sex. Produces well-being and euphoria, reducing pain.

Answer 14

Endorphins.

Question 15

This states that everything a person experiences is based on representations in the person’s nervous system.

Answer 15

Principle of neural representation.

Question 16

Neurons that respond to specific stimulus features such as orientation, movement, and length.

Answer 16

Feature detectors neurons.

Question 17

Term used to refer to the idea that the structure of the brain is changed by experience.

Answer 17

Experience-dependent plasticity.

Question 18

Term used to refer to the idea that specific functions are served by specific areas of the brain.

Answer 18

Localization of function.

Question 19

The study of the behavior of people with brain damage.

Answer 19

Neuropsychology.

Question 20

The idea that the brain operated as an indivisible whole as opposed to specialized areas.

Answer 20

Cortical equipotentiality.

Question 21

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.

Answer 21

Paul Broca.

Question 22

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.

Answer 22

Carl Wernicke.

Question 23

Part of the brain responsible for perceptions of touch, pressure, and pain.

Answer 23

Parietal lobe.

Question 24

Part of the brain that receives signals from all the senses and is responsible for coordination of the senses, as well as higher order cognitive functions like thinking and problem solving.

Answer 24

Frontal lobe.

Question 25

An inability to recognize faces caused by damage to the temporal lobe on the lower-right side of the brain.

Answer 25

Prosopagnosia.

Question 26

This refers to the idea that cognitions, be they perceptions from looking at something, or processes such as remembering or thinking, activate numerous, sometimes widely separated, areas of the brain.

Answer 26

Distributed representation.

Question 27

These memories last fleetingly, for only about 10 to 15 seconds unless repeated over and over.

Answer 27

Short-term memories.

Question 28

These are memories for events in a person’s life, like remembering what you did yesterday.

Answer 28

Episodic memories.

Question 29

These are memories for facts.

Answer 29

Semantic memories.

Question 30

These are interconnected areas of the brain that can communicate with each other.

Answer 30

Neural networks.

Question 31

This is the brain’s “wiring diagram” created by nerve axons that connect different brain areas.

Answer 31

Structural connectivity.