Chapter 2 Flashcards
acetylchlorine ACh
neurotransmitter that when enhanced memory can improve, and declines with ACh are suppressed
may enhance strength of synaptic potentials during long term potentiation
action potential
the electrical component of neural communication, occurs when a neuron “fires” by shifting the electrical charge with enough stimulation
operates under a all-or-nothing principle with constant size
looking for rate of firing: low intensity stimulation = slow firing, high intensity stimulation = high firing
amygdala
a portion of the limbic system critical for processing emotional aspects of memory
can modulate hippocampus functioning
axons
part of neuron largely used for transmitting information out to other neurons, structures and glands
includes terminal buttons that contain neurotransmitters that communicate chemically with other neuron
basal ganglia
collection of subcortical structures involved in memory located above and around the thalamus
important in planning movement, developing habits, other basic evolutionary mechanisms
brain damage
allows for some causal neural methods such as localization of mental functions and documentation of single and double dissociation
difficult to be purely causal–affects large tissue so hard to pinpoint the connections, does not allow for unaffected areas, compensation in lesion
brainstem
a subcortical structure that sends info to the spinal cord
important for sleep, alertness, facial expressions
cerebellum
subcortical structure located at the back of the brain involved in physical cordination: memory of fine motor skills, attention, time estimation
consolidation
process of solidifying memory traces in the neural structure over very long periods of time
system wide in larger brain structures, taking days weeks years, may function in our sleep
convergence
the act of many excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters communicating with a neuron, influencing the firing rate of the action potential
interaction of these conflicting messages will result in specific firing rate
Computer Assisted Tomography CT CAT scan
neuroimaging technique that involves taking multiple x-ray slices of the brain for a structural image
dendrites
part of individual neuron that is specialized for receiving signals from sensory cells or other neurons
links many neurons together to axon with synapse
diencephalon
includes the thalamus and hypothalamus
routing station for signals in the brain, involved in memory for conscious factual knowledge
dopamine
neurotransmitter chemical important to memory & consolidation, low levels associated with Parkinson’s
Diffuse Optical Tomography DOT
optical imaging using infrared light/lasers on a cap that penetrate 1-3cm of skull to track blood flow/O2 absorption reflecting from hemoglobin
–spacial, no subcortical image
–temporal, takes minutes
++invasive, just a cap on the head no drugs
++cost, cheap and portable
Electroencephalography EEG
scalp electrodes measure electrical activity or ‘brain waves
–spacial, 1” raindrop analogy
++temporal, millisecond
++invasive, just a cap
++ cost, low use
memory as an emergent property
it is a product of the nervous system, not a property of individual neurons
6 boards=box analogy
Event Related Potentials
type of recording done in EEGs, a regular change in the pattern of electrical energy measured from the cortex at a given location as a function of the particular task or event the person is thinking about
provides amazing temporal resolution of the brain
fMRI
functional magnetic resonance imaging measuring structural changed over time of the blood oxygenation and subtraction method
++spatial, 1 mm
++invasiveness, no drug required
–temporal, 6s or more
–cost, very expensive
frontal lobes
major lobe of cortex located in front of the brain
language, thought, memory, motor functioning, creativity, emotional reactions,
thought to have evolved last, sign of higher cognitive function
hippocampus
most important subcortical structure to memory
involves the entering of info into memory, “binding” of all things into a clear memory
hypothalamus
subcortical structure in the diencephaloninvolved in bodily functions such as body temp, blood pressure, eating
laterality
the dominance of one hemisphere in a certain function over the other
Left=analytical processing
right=holistic processing
long term potentiation LTP
a change in neuron firing pattern following excessive stimulation, thought to be a mechanism of learning found mainly in the hippocampus
strengthens the connections between neurons by altering the ease in which post-synaptic neurons fire, requiring less stimulation for the same response
Magnetoencephalography MEG
neural imaging technique using magnetic fields to measure coritcal electrical activity \++spatial, not distorted by bone \++temporal, 10ms --cost, expensive and not easy to find \++invasive, no drugs
structural Magnetic Resonance Imagine MRI
neuroimaging technique relies on natural oscillations of atoms to determine their alignment
used to assess brain structure, size, lesions, issues
myelin sheath
fatty substance that acts as an insulator of the neuron axons with nodes of Ranvier gaps that help transmit neural signals continuously down entire axon length
neural code
information contained in the pattern of neural firing to an object or experience
how clusters of neurons fire over a period of time may represent cognitive activity
neuron
specialized cell in the transmission and reception of information in nervous system
building block of the entire nervous system, hence memory,
neurotransmitter
chemicals allowing for communication between neurons affecting the electrical signal, either excitatory or inhibitory in nature
released from terminal button of neuron into the synapse to communicate with dendrite
nodes of ranvier
facilitate the transmition of signals within an axon by allowing signal to jump from one point to next, shortening the length of axon
occipital lobes
lobes in the back of the brain primarily responsible for visual processing
parietal lobes
lobes in the cerebral cortex, middle top
involved in working memory processes such as visual-spatial sketchpad, attention, touch, vision
Positron emisson tomography PET
neuroimaging technique measuring blood flow directly by injecting radioactive O15 into blood, using subtraction method to correlate activity
++spatial, 1cm
- -temporal, 40sec
- -invasive, radiation
- -cost, high purchase and use in hospitals
