cognitive neuroscience (chapter 1) Flashcards
cells that carry information from one place to another
neurons
contains the nucleus and other cellular machinery necessary for cell functioning
cell body
carries information from the cell body to the synapse (the space between two neurons)
axon
receives input from other cells
dendritic tree
serve as “support cells” do not convey information like neurons
glia
modify the environment for neurons
remove dead neurons
myelinate axons: fatty tissue that insulates axons and increases speed of new transmission
help maintain blood brain barrier
functions of the glia
area with lots of myelination from glial cells
white matter
neuronal cell bodies
grey matter
brain and spinal cord
central nervous system
everything but the central nervous system
peripheral nervous system
bring info to the central nervous system
sensory neurons
associate information within the central nervous system
interneurons
send information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles
motor neurons
front of the brain
anterior
back of the brain
posterior
toward the front/head
rostral
toward the back/tail
caudal
top of the brain
superior
bottom of the brain
inferior
(4 legged animal) animals back
dorsal
(4 legged animal) animals stomach
ventral
towards the middle
medial
away from the middle
lateral
slicing the brain so the top is separated from the bottom
horizontal
slicing the brain ear to ear separating the from from the back
coronal
slicing the left side from the right side
saggital
fluid filled spaces
ventricles
a clear fluid that cushions the brain and is within the ventricles
cerebrospinal fluid
most prominent, left and right separated by tissue
lateral ventricles
situated at midline, between left and right thalamus
3rd ventricle
diamond shaped, behind pons and medulla
4th ventricle
brings input from peripheral sensory organs TO brain and sends motor information OUT
spinal cord
controls vital functions including breathing and heart rate, contains most of the cell bodies of the cranial nerves
medulla
located posterior to the medulla, roles in movement, balance, posture control and cognition
cerebellum
superior to medulla, anterior to cerebellum role in eye movement and balance
pons
superior to pons, role in processing visual and auditory information, contains superior colliculus (important in visual systems) and inferior colliculus (important in auditory systems)
midbrain
medulla, pons and midbrain
the brainstems
major relay station for sensory information coming into the cortex and almost all motor information leaving it
thalamus
helps body maintain a steady state (feeding, drinking, body temperature regulation, secretes hormones, fight or flight)
hypothalamus
thalamus and hypothalamus
diencephalon
consists of the caudate nucleus, putamen, and the globes pallidus
basal ganglia
important for motor control (helps control voluntary movement and can increase or decrease motor output)
basal ganglia
important for emotions
the limbic system
the bumps and grooves on the surface of the brain
cerebral cortex
a convolution or bump
gyrus
each valley between bumps
sulcus
a very deep sulcus
fissure
separates brain in an anterior posterior dimension
central fissure (rolandic fissure)
dorsal ventral dimension
sylvian fissure (lateral)
separates the right cerebral hemisphere from the left
longitudinal fissure (interhemispheric fissure)
although all regions of cortex have five or six layers of cells, the relative thickness of each layer, as well as shape and size of cell within those layers varies between brain regions
cytoarchitectonic divisions
divides the brain into distinct areas
broadmann map
the part of the cortex that directly drives your motor output
primary motor cortex
feeling, touch
primary sensory cortex/somatosensory cortex
nerves making contact with our muscles and joints that allow us to know where we are in space
proprioception
an area of the brain where information from multiple modalities is processed, regions that support abilities such as language, compassion, and foresight
association areas
whats in between association areas?
combined information from various brain regions
further processing of sensory information with object recognition, when we see a cup we know its a cup
multimodal
functions are planning, guidance, and evaluation of behavior
frontal lobe
when damaged there are usually behavioral changes
frontal lobe damage
function is to integrate information across sensory modalities
parietal lobe
when damaged, hemineglect (ignoring one side of space, usually left side) is usually a result
parietal lobe damage
function: memory, visual item recognition, emotion, auditory processing
temporal lobe
when damaged, inability to recognize common objects is a result
temporal lobe damage
input (perception)
- Speech sounds perception test (auditory)
* Tactile perception test (touch)
attention, concentration and memory
- Digit span (how many numbers can you repeat)
* Trail making test
language skills
- Ability to understand spoken language defining words
* Phonological processing: speech sounds in reading
♣ Visual spatial skills
Block design
• Rey-ostereith complex figure
♣ Concept formation, reasoning and logic analysis
- Matrix reasoning
* Wisconsin card sorting test
♣ Output/motor skills
- Fine motor skills (grooved pegs, finger tapping test)
* Gross motor skills (walking/throwing/catching)
o Halstead-Reitan Battery
♣ Common neuropsychological test battery
♣ Assesses many domains functioning
♣ Takes 8 months