Neuroscience & Aging Brain

Question 1

Neurons

Answer 1

brain cells

Question 2

Dendrites

Answer 2

structural feature of a neuron that acts like an antenna to receive signals from other neurons

Question 3

Axon

Answer 3

structure of a neuron that contains neurofibers

Question 4

Neurofibers

Answer 4

structures of the neuron that carry info inside the neuron from the dendrite to the terminal branches

Question 5

Terminal branches

Answer 5

the endpoints in a neuron that help transmit signals across the synapse

Question 6

Neurotransmitters

Answer 6

chemicals that carry info signals between neurons across the synapse

Question 7

Synapse

Answer 7

the gap between neurons across which neurotransmitters travel

Question 8

Cerebral cortex

Answer 8

the outermost part of the brain consisting of two hemispheres (left and right)

Question 9

Corpus callosum

Answer 9

a thick bundle of neurons that connects the left and right hemispheres of the cerebral cortex

Question 10

Prefrontal cortex and frontal cortex

Answer 10

part of the frontal lobe that is involved in higher order executive functioning (the ability to make and carry out plans, switch between tasks, and maintain attention and focus)

Question 11

Cerebellum

Answer 11

the back of the brain, which controls equilibrium and the coordination of fine motor movements (may be involved in some cognitive functioning)

Question 12

Hippocampus

Answer 12

a key structure associated with memory, located in the middle of the brain in the libic system

Question 13

The libmic system

Answer 13

a set of brain structures involved with emotion, motivation, and long-term memory

Question 14

Amygdala

Answer 14

located in the libmic system, structure believed to play a key role in emotion

Question 15

White matter

Answer 15

neurons covered by myelin, an insulating sheath, that transmit info from parts of the cerebral cortex to another, or from the cerebral cortex to other parts of the brain

Question 16

White matter hyperintensities (WMH)

Answer 16

abnormalities in white matter determined by the observation of high signal intensity or a bright, spotty appearance on MRI, which indicate brain pathologies

(increased risk of falling, brain pathologies, cerebrovascular diseases)

Question 17

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)

Answer 17

neuroimaging technique - a type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that measures the diffusion of water molecules in tissue to study connections of neural pathways in the brain

Question 18

Dopamine

Answer 18

a neurotransmitter associated with higher-level cognitive functioning (like inhibiting thoughts, attention, planning, movement, emotion, pain, pleasure)

Question 19

Dopaminergic system

Answer 19

the neurosystems that primarily use dopamine (functioning of deopaminergic systems is critical in for cognitive processes and declines in typical aging)

Question 20

Serotonin

Answer 20

a neurotransmitter involved in brain processes of memory, mood, appetite, and sleep (abnormal functioning of serotonin has been related to cognitive decline in both normative aging, dementia, sleep disorders, and schizophrenia)

Question 21

Acetylcholine

Answer 21

neurotransmitter that has an important role in general cognitive processes (arousal, sensory perception, sustaining attention, higher-order thinking) and cardiovascular functioning controlled by the autonomic nervous system (damage to the strucutres tha tuse acetylcholine are associated with decline in memory and development of cardiovascular disease)

Question 22

Positivity effect

Answer 22

the fact that older adults more often are motivated to derive emotional meaning from life and maintain positive feelings

Question 23

Theory of Mind (ToM)

Answer 23

the ability that helps us understand that other people have beliefs, desires, ideas, feelings, intentions, and viewpoints that are different from our own