Psychology unit 5

Question 1

acquired brain injury

Answer 1

any type of brain damage or injury that occurs after birth

Question 2

aphasia

Answer 2

a language disorder due to an acquired brain injury to an area responsible for language production or processing

Question 3

brain injury

Answer 3

any brain damage or disorder that impairs normal functioning of the brain, either temporarily or permanently

Question 4

brain plasticity

Answer 4

the ability of the brain to change in response to experience; also called neuroplasticity

Question 5

Broca’s aphasia

Answer 5

a language disorder involving difficulty with speech production

Question 6

concussion

Answer 6

a type of traumatic brain injury caused by a blow to the head or by a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth

Question 7

chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)

Answer 7

a progressive brain degeneration and fatal condition thought to be caused by repeated blows to the head and repeated episodes of concussion

Question 8

epilepsy

Answer 8

a neurological disorder involving recurrent, spontaneous seizures brought on by interference in normal brain activity

Question 9

experience-dependent plasticity

Answer 9

brain change that modifies some part of its neuronal structure that is already present

Question 10

experience-expectant plasticity

Answer 10

brain change in response to environmental experience that is ordinarily expected

Question 11

focal seizure

Answer 11

a seizure which originates in one brain area in one hemisphere (a ‘focal point’) and affect the part of the body controlled by that brain area

Question 12

generalised seizure

Answer 12

originates in both brain hemispheres simultaneously and therefore tends to involve the whole body

Question 13

insidious onset

Answer 13

a brain injury that gradually develops over a period of time in an imperceptible way, showing few signs and symptoms; for example, due to prolonged use of alcohol

Question 14

neurogenesis

Answer 14

production of new neurons

Question 15

neurological disorder

Answer 15

any disease or disorder of any part of the nervous system

Question 16

neuroplasticity

Answer 16

the ability of the brain and other parts of the nervous system to change in response to experience

Question 17

pure aphasia

Answer 17

involving specific impairments in reading (alexia), writing (agraphia) or recognising spoken words despite being able to hear them (word deafness)

Question 18

seizure

Answer 18

uncontrolled, excessive electrical activity of neurons in the brain

Question 19

stroke

Answer 19

when blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted

Question 20

sudden onset

Answer 20

when something occurs abruptly, often at a single point in time; for example, a brain injury caused by a blow to the head

Question 21

synapse

Answer 21

the site where adjacent neurons communicate by transmitting neural signals to one another

Question 22

traumatic brain injury

Answer 22

a type of acquired brain injury caused by an external force, such as a blow to the head

Question 23

Wernicke’s aphasia

Answer 23

a language disorder involving difficulties understanding spoken or written language and speaking in a meaningful way