chapter 1 vocab Flashcards
ablation
surgical removal of brain tissue
basal ganglia
subcortical structures of the cerebral hemispheres involved in voluntary movement
brain stem
the “trunk” of the brain comprised of the medulla, midbrain, and diencephalon
callosotomy
surgical procedure in which the corpus callosum is severed (used to control severe epilepsy)
cerebellum
distinctive structure at the back of the brain, Latin for “small brain”
cerebral cortex
the outermost grey matter of the cerebrum; the distinctive convolutions characteristic of the mammalian brain
cerebral hemispheres
the cerebral cortex, underlying white matter, and subcortical structures
cerebrum
usually refers to the cerebral cortex and associated white matter
contralateral
used to refer to the fact that the two hemispheres of the brain process sensory information and motor commands for the opposite side of the body
coronal plane
a slice that runs head to foot; brain slices in this plane are similar to slices of a loaf of bread, with the eyes being the front of the loaf
diffuse optical imaging (DOI)
a neuroimaging technique that infers brain activity by measuring changes in light as it is passed through the skull and surface of the brain
electroencephalography (EEG)
a neuroimaging technique that measures electrical brain activity via multiple electrodes on the scalp
frontal lobe
the front most (anterior) part of the cerebrum; anterior to the central sulcus and responsible for motor output and planning, language, judgement, and decision making
functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
a neuroimaging technique that infers brain activity by measuring changes in oxygen levels in the blood
grey matter
the outer greyish regions of the brain comprised of the neurons’ cell bodies
gyri
(plural) folds between the sulci in the cortex
horizontal plane
a slice that runs horizontally through a standing person (i.e. parallel to the floor); slices of the brain in this plane divide at the top and bottom parts of the brain; this plane is similar to slicing a hamburger bun
lateralized
refers to the fact that specific functions may reside primarily in one hemisphere or the other
lesion
a region in the brain that suffered damage through injury, disease, or medical intervention
limbic system
includes the subcortical structures of the amygdala and hippocampal formation as well as some cortical structures; responsible for aversion and gratification
metabolite
a substance necessary for a living organism to maintain life
motor cortex
region of the frontal lobe responsible for voluntary movement; the motor cortex has a contralateral representation of the human body
myelin
fatty tissue, produced by glial cells that insulates the axons of the neurons; necessary for normal conduction of electrical impulses among neurons
occipital lobe
the back most (posterior) part of the cerebrum; involved in vision
parietal lobe
the part of the cerebrum between the frontal and occipital lobes; involved in bodily sensations, visual attention, and integrating the senses
phrenology
a now-discredited field of brain study, popular in the first half of the 19th century that correlated bumps and indentations of the skull with specific functions of the brain
positron emission tomography (PET)
a neuroimaging technique that measures brain activity by detecting the presence of a radioactive substance in the brain that is initially injected into the bloodstream and then pulled in by active brain tissue
sagittal plane
a slice that runs vertically from front to back; slices of the brain in this plane divide the left and right side of the brain; this plane is similar to slicing a baked potato lengthwise
somatosensory cortex
the region of the parietal lobe responsible for bodily sensations; the somatosensory cortex has a contralateral representation of the human body
spatial resolution
refers to how small the elements of an image are; high spatial resolution means the device or technique can resolve very small elements; in neuroscience it describes how small of a structure in the brain can be imaged
split-brain patient
a patient who has had most or all of his or her corpus callosum severed
subcortical
structures that lie beneath cerebral cortex, but above the brain stem
sulci
(plural) grooves separating folds of the cortex
temporal lobe
the part of the cerebrum in front of (anterior to) the occipital lobe and below the lateral fissure; involved in vision, auditory processing, memory, and integrating vision and audition
temporal resolution
how small a unit of time can be measured; high temporal resolution means capable of resolving very small units of time; in neuroscience it describes how precisely in time a process can be measured in the brain
transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
a neuroscience technique that passes mild electrical current directly through the brain area by placing small electrodes on the skull
transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
a neuroscience technique whereby a brief magnetic pulse is applied to the head that temporarily induces a weak electrical current that interferes with ongoing activity
visual hemifield
the half of visual space (what we see) on the side of fixation (where we are looking); the left hemisphere is responsible for the right visual hemifield, and the right hemisphere is responsible for the left visual hemifield
white matter
the inner whitish regions of the cerebrum comprised of the myelinated axons of neurons in the cerebral cortex
