chapter 3: the brain Flashcards
which of these is not one of the basic goals of the nervous system?
a. gather info from sensory systems
b. send info to brain
c. secrete hormones into bloodstream
d. direct movement of the muscles
c. secrete hormones into bloodstream
what is the difference between neurons and nerves?
- neurons: specialized cells that transmit information
- nerves: bundles of connective tissue between the neurons that carry info over long distance
name the three portions of the CNS
brain
spinal cord
retina
what is the function of the autonomic nervous system?
regulate unconscious bodily functions (heart rate, digestion, respiration, sexual arousal, etc)
name the two subset of the autonomic nervous system and define their functions
sympathetic nervous system: reduce lower-priority bodily functions to prepare for immediate action (fight-or-flight)
parasympathetic: regulates bodily functions when immediate action is not needed
which represents the function of the hypothalamus.
a. controls memory and learning
b. maintains homeostasis
c. receive and relays sensory information
d. processes emotions, most likely fear
b. maintains homeostasis: regulates body temp, hunger/thirst, fatigue, sexual behavior, etc
True or false?
in the case of a reflex action, the spinal cord generates a behavioral action before the information gets to the brain
true
Describe the input/output loop between the PNS and the CNS
PNS brings info from sensory system to spinal cord → brain
brain (CNS) makes behavioral decision and sends behavioral signals through spine down to body (PNS)
why does the brain have gyri and sulci?
it increases the surface area it can fit in the skull
gyri are the “…” and sulci are the “…” of the cortex
a. hill, valley
b. valley, hill
a. gyri are the “hill” and sulci are the “valley” of the cortex
what are the four distinct lobes of the brain and where are they
frontal
occipital
temporal
parietal
what is the corpus callosum
band of fibers that connect the two hemispheres
what is the main dominant function of both hemispheres
left hemisphere: language
right hemisphere: spatial processing
define functional location
specific parts of the cortex do different specific jobs
where must you present an object to a split brain patient if you want them to draw the object
left visual field
define neuropsychology
study or observation of brain function and impairment due to brain pathology
which does NOT represent a function of the parietal lobe
a. somatosensory processing
b. planning
c. attention
d. sensory integration
b. planning
what is the function of the occipital lobe
responsible for vision
which does NOT represent a function of the temporal lobe
a. visual memory
b. meaning of language
c. executive control
d. meaning of sensory information
c. executive control
what is the role of the frontal lobe
planning, executive control
what does the electroencephalography (EEG) measure
electrical activity of the active brain that travels through the scalp
what are called the rapid changes in electrical charges caused by the onset of a stimulus
event-related potential (ERP)
what is the fusiform face area (FFA)
region in the inferior temporal cortex that is specifically activated by faces
what is the multi-variate pattern analysis (MVPA)
data analysis that uses machine learning to decode what task or stimulus a participant is engaging in, based on the distribution of activity across the brain
which two of these statements are true about EEG relative to fMRI?
a. EEG takes less temporally frequent measurements
b. EEG takes more spatially precise measurements
c. EEG takes more temporally frequent measurements
d. EEG takes less spatially precise measurements
c, d
what is the functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)
tool that uses near-infrared light to measure oxygenated vs non-oxygenated hemoglobin
what is the transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
technique that uses brief but strong magnetic pulses to temporarily disrupt the electrical activity of the brain
why do scientists use the transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
to test the effects disrupting specific portions of the cortex has on behavior
what are the limitations of the TMS
- only possible to disrupt regions that are close to the surface of the brain
- can’t precisely pinpoint what effect it is having on the brain
define neuroplasticity
ability for the brain to reorganize the spatial arrangement of its function
what are the limitations to cognitive neuroscience
- only tells us something about when and where certain functions are carried out in the brain
- largely depends on the assumption that the brain is made up of distinct modules that carry out different functions
what is the difference between structural MRI and functional MRI
structural: used to find structural anomalies
functional: provides info about brain activity
which region of the brain is more active when viewing body parts?
right lateral occipitotemporal cortex
if there is damage to the corpus callosum, how will information shown in the right visual field be processed?
able to verbally describe it but can’t be expressed via visuo-spatial processes
what are the cons of fMRI
- doesn’t provide good temporal resolution to determine timing of brain activity
- indirect measure of neural activity
- very noisy
the parahippocampal place area (PPA) is a functional region that responds best to…
spatial layouts: images of scenes and places
what is the role of the supplementary motor area
performing or imagining movements
