Interconnections between neurons Flashcards
What is the focus of studying interconnections between neurons?
Understanding patterns of connections between neurons, rather than their cellular structure.
What are tract tracers used for in neuroscience research?
They are substances taken up by neurons and transported along axonal routes, helping map neural connections.
What unique properties do some tracers have?
Some tracers jump across synapses and move retrograde (backward) through neural pathways.
What is Brainbow?
A method where genes are inserted to express fluorescent proteins in diverse hues to visualize neuronal interconnections and brain development.
What types of studies can Brainbow help with?
Studies related to brain development, neuronal circuitry, and connectivity.
What do modern brain-imaging techniques allow us to study?
The living brain in healthy participants, revealing both structure and activity patterns associated with behaviors.
How do CT scans work?
They use X-rays to generate cross-sectional images of the brain by measuring X-ray absorption at multiple angles.
What does tissue density determine in a CT scan?
The level of X-ray absorption, which helps create the image.
What is the resolution of CT scans?
Medium-resolution images.
What are CT scans commonly used to detect?
Strokes, tumors, and cortical shrinkage.
Provide an example of a CT scan diagnosis.
A meningioma compressing the motor cortex was identified in a CT scan, leading to successful surgical removal and restored motor function.
Why are Tract Tracers and Brainbow techniques important?
They are crucial for mapping neural pathways and understanding interconnections at a microscopic level.
What role do CT scans play in medical diagnostics?
They are essential for diagnosing structural abnormalities and guiding interventions in acute neurological conditions.
How does MRI work?
It uses magnetic fields and radio waves instead of X-rays to create images.
What happens during the MRI process?
Magnetic field aligns protons in the brain.
Radio waves knock protons out of alignment.
Protons return to alignment, emitting energy.
The emitted energy is detected and analyzed to create images.