Chapter 7 - Sensory Sytems, Perception, and Attention Flashcards
Primary sensory cortex
An area of the sensory cortex that receives most of its input directly from the thalamic relay nuclei of one sensory system
Secondary sensory cortex
An area of the sensory cortex that receives most of its input from the primary sensory cortex of one sensory system or from other areas of the secondary cortex of the same system
Association cortex
An area of the cortex that receives input from more
than one sensory system
Hierarchical organization
Organization into a series of levels that can be ranked with respect to one another; for example, in sensory systems, the primary cortex, secondary cortex, and association cortex perform progressively more detailed analyses
Functional segregation
Organization into different areas, each of which performs a different function; for example, in sensory systems, different areas of secondary and association cortex analyze different aspects of the same sensory stimulus
Parallel processing
The simultaneous analysis of a signal in different ways by the multiple parallel pathways of a neural network
Fourier analysis
A mathematical procedure for breaking down a complex wave form into component sine waves of various frequencies
Tympanic membrane
The eardrum
Ossicles
The three small bones of the middle ear: the malleus, the incus, and the stapes
Oval window
The membrane that transfers vibrations from the ossicles to the fluid of the cochlea
Cochlea
The long, coiled tube in the inner ear that is filled with fluid and contains the organ of Corti and its auditory receptors
Organ of Corti
The auditory receptor organ, comprising the basilar membrane, the hair cells, and the tectorial membrane
Hair cells
The receptors of the auditory system
Basilar membrane
The membrane of the organ of Corti in which
the hair cell receptors are embedded
Tectorial membrane
The cochlear membrane that rests on the hair cells
Auditory nerve
The branch of cranial nerve VIII that carries auditory signals from the hair cells in the basilar membrane
Retinotopic
Organized, like the primary visual cortex, according to a map of the retina
Tonotopic
Organized, like the primary auditory cortex, according to the frequency of sound
Semicircular canals
The receptive organs of the vestibular system
Vestibular system
The sensory system that detects changes in the direction and intensity of head movements and that contributes to the maintenance of balance through its output to the motor system
Superior olives
Medullary nuclei that play a role in sound localization
Inferior colliculi
The structures of the tectum that receive auditory input from the superior olives
Medial geniculate nuclei
The auditory thalamic nuclei that receive input from the inferior colliculi and project to the primary auditory cortex
Periodotopy
The notion that auditory cortex topography is linked to the temporal components of sound
Tinnitus
Ringing in the ears
Stereognosis
The process of identifying objects by touch
Dorsal-column medial-lemniscus system
The division of the somatosensory system that ascends in the dorsal portion of the spinal white matter and tends to carry signals related to touch and proprioception
Medial lemniscus
The somatosensory pathway between the dorsal column nuclei and the ventral posterior nucleus of the thalamus
Ventral posterior nucleus
A thalamic relay nucleus in both the somatosensory and gustatory systems
Somatotopic
Organized, like the primary somatosensory cortex, according to a map of the surface of the body
Somatosensory homunculus
The somatotopic map in the primary somatosensory cortex
Astereognosia
An inability to recognize objects by touch that is not attributable to a simple sensory deficit or to an intellectual impairment
Asomatognosia
A deficiency in the awareness of parts of one’s own body that is typically produced by damage to the right parietal lobe
Anosognosia
The common failure of neuropsychological patients to recognize their own symptoms
Contralateral neglect
A disturbance of the patient’s ability to respond to stimuli on the side of the body opposite to a site of brain damage, usually the left side of the body following damage to the right parietal lobe
Rubber-hand illusion
The feeling that an extraneous object, usually a rubber hand, is actually part of one’s own body
Thermal grid illusion
The perception of pain that results from placing one’s hand on a grid of metal rods that alternate between cool and warm
Anterior cingulate cortex
The cortex of the anterior cingulate gyrus
Periaqueductal gray (PAG)
The gray matter around the cerebral aqueduct, which contains opiate receptors and activates a descending analgesia circuit
Endorphins
A class of endogenous opioids
Neuropathic pain
Severe chronic pain in the absence of a recognizable pain stimulus
Flavor
The combined impression of taste and smell
Pheromones
Chemicals that are released by an animal and elicit through their odor specific patterns of behavior in its conspecifics
Olfactory mucosa
The mucous membrane that lines the upper nasal passages and contains the olfactory receptor cells
Olfactory bulbs
Their output goes primarily to the amygdala and piriform cortex
Olfactory glomeruli
Discrete clusters of neurons that lie near the surface of the olfactory bulbs
Chemotopic
Organized, like the olfactory bulb, according to a map of various odors
Piriform cortex
An area of medial temporal cortex that is adjacent to the amygdala and that receives direct olfactory input
Medial dorsal nuclei
The thalamic relay nuclei of the olfactory system
Orbitofrontal cortex
The cortex of the inferior frontal lobes, adjacent to the orbits, which receives olfactory input
from the thalamus
Taste buds
Clusters of taste receptors found on the tongue and in parts of the oral cavity
Solitary nucleus
The medullary relay nucleus of the gustatory system
Anosmia
The inability to smell
Ageusia
The inability to taste
Percept
The outcome of perception
Perceptual decision making
Decisions affecting perception that are based on prior experiences and current incoming sensory information
Bistable figures
A stimulus that produces two alternating perceptions
Phantom percepts
Products of perception when there is an absence of sensory input
Phantom limb
Phenomenon wherein amputees still perceive the presence of their missing limb
Charles Bonnet syndrome
A condition, most commonly seen in people with glaucoma, wherein affected individuals experience richand complex hallucinations (e.g., people’s faces, complex landscapes)
Binding problem
When the brain combines individual sensory attributes to produce integrated perceptions
Selective attention
The ability to focus on a small subset of the multitude of stimuli that are being received at any one time
Top-down
A sort of neural mechanism that involves activation of lower cortical areas by higher cortical areas
Bottom-up
A sort of neural mechanism that involves activation of higher cortical areas by lower cortical areas
Cocktail-party phenomenon
The ability to unconsciously monitor the contents of one conversation while consciously focusing on another
Change blindness
The difficulty perceiving major changes to unattended-to parts of a visual image when the changes are introduced during brief interruptions in the presentation of the image
Attentional gaze
The shift in attention from one perceptual object to another
Frontal eye field
A small area of prefrontal cortex that controls eye movements
Simultanagnosia
A difficulty attending to more than one stimulus at a time
