Chapter 4

Question 1

What is the map of the brain called ?

Answer 1

Humunculus

Question 2

What is deafferentation ?

Answer 2

Changes to the homunculus, such as in an amputee, areas of the brain that used to be mapped for the severed limb, are used instead by neighbouring areas

Question 3

What is gating ?

Answer 3

The brains ability to turn plasticity on and off In particular places and times. It occures only when something is relevant or meaningful for the organism.
It requires a neuromodulator

Question 4

What is a neuromodulator ?

Answer 4

Diffusely released chemical signals that can gate plasticity.

Question 5

What is a cholinergic ?

Answer 5

A neuron that releases the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine

Question 6

Where do cholinergic neurons exist mostly ??

Answer 6

The basal forebrain

Question 7

What is adaptive coding ?

Answer 7

The idea that the brain will have a larger or smaller physical representation of a particular function or sensation, depending on the needs and experiences of the individual.

Question 8

What is the term used to describe the impairment or loss of language skills, usually following brain damage?

Answer 8

Aphasia

Question 9

What is the term used to describe deliberate, internally controlled cell death ?

Answer 9

Apoptosis

Question 10

What is the subcortical structure within the brain, including the nucleus accumbens, that use acetylcholine to innervate large extents of the cortex

Answer 10

Basal forebrain

Question 11

What does binocular mean ?

Answer 11

Visual input that comes from both eyes, allowing depth perception.

Question 12

What is it called when a patch of light-sensitive electrodes can be implanted onto the retina to restore sight to individuals who have damage effecting the photoreceptors

Answer 12

Bionic retinal implant

Question 13

Chemoaffinity hypothesis

Answer 13

The idea that migrating axons make a connection with their target based on specific signals released by the target.

Question 14

Cholinergic Neurons

Answer 14

Neurons that release the neurotransmitter acetylcholine

Question 15

What is constraint therapy ?

Answer 15

A form of therapy where the more functional limb is restrained, forcing the patient to get better at using the less functional limb.

Question 16

What is an experiment that removes or interrupts the incoming sensory information to a neuron. ?

Answer 16

Deafferentation

Question 17

What is gating ?

Answer 17

Filtering the incoming sensory information such that the brain needs to respond only when something important happens. (Storing and encoding memory based on relevance)

Question 18

Hemispherectomy

Answer 18

(The boy with half a brain) a Surgical procedure to remove one hemisphere of the brain

Question 19

What is the homunculus

Answer 19

A representation of the body within the brain, such as within the somatosensory cortex.

Question 20

What is the medial geniculate nucleus

Answer 20

A specialized part of the thalamus that is part of the auditory pathway from the choclea to the primary auditory cortex.

Question 21

What is necrosis ?

Answer 21

An uncontrolled form of cell death

Question 22

What is the neocortex ?

Answer 22

The grey matter covering the two cerebral hemispheres.
(Grey matter is the cell bodies)

Question 23

What does NGF stand for ?

Answer 23

Nerve growth factor,
It’s a chemical that is secreted by cells to promote the growth and survival of adjacent axons and neurons

Question 24

What is a neuromodulator ?

Answer 24

Chemical messengers that affect plasticity so that changes can occur only at certain times or under certain conditions.

Question 25

What is a neuromodulatory system and what does it influence ?

Answer 25

Neural systems that effect large parts of the brain and are important for reward, punishment, and alertness

Question 26

What is the family of chemical that promote neural growth and survival called ?

Answer 26

Neurotrophins

Question 27

What exactly is an ocular dominance column ?

Answer 27

They are Regions or stripes within the primary visual cortex the recieve input from just one eye, it alternates with an adjacent region that recieves input from the other eye.

Question 28

What is an optic tectum ?

Answer 28

A part of the midbrain that processes visual information; also known as the superior colliculus

Question 29

What is a phantom limb ?

Answer 29

A condition in which a person continues to perceive physical sensations, such as temperature or pain, from a limb, even though that limb is no longer attached to the body.

Question 30

What are phonemes ?

Answer 30

Perceptually distinct units or sound that make up spoken words.

Question 31

An aspect of plasticity that involves removing neurons

Answer 31

Pruning

Question 32

What is retinotopocally ?

Answer 32

The organizational structure of the visual cortex, in which adjacent parts of the retina are mapped to adjacent parts of the visual cortex

Question 33

What is a sensitive period ?

Answer 33

The time during which the brain is better able to learn a skill or ability

Question 34

What is it called when organization structures of the sensory and motor vortices are mapped to adjacent parts of the cortex

Answer 34

Somatotopic

Question 35

Tinnitus

Answer 35

A ringing, or hissing that is heard when there actually is no auditory stimulus

Question 36

Tonotopic

Answer 36

The organizational structure of the auditory cortex in which different frequencies are mapped to adjacent regions of the auditory cortex.

Question 37

What is an ocular dominance column ?

Answer 37

They are alternating stripes in the visual cortex that represent cells responding to signals from either the left or the right eye.