SEM 2 exam (studying the brain) Flashcards
Limbic system
System that drives emotion and excitement
Selective attention
The processes that allows an individual to select and focus on particular input, whilst simultaneously diminishing irrelevant or distracting information
Phineas Gage
American man who survived an accident of a large rod driven completely through his head (pre frontal cortex). His personality was noted to have changed after this accident as a result of damage to the frontal lobe of his brain
Neuroplasticity
The ability of the nervous system to change its activity in response to natural or un-natural stimuli
Eg. Norman doige came up with it
Synaptic pruning
A natural process that occurs in the brain between early childhood and adulthood where the brain eliminates extra synapses (removing connections in the brain that are no longer needed)
Lobotomies
A neurosurgical treatment of a mental disorder that involves severing connections in the brains pre frontal cortex
Concussion
When the brain is pushed to the side of the skull, causing damage to the brains ability in sending signals and communicating between other brain cells
fMRI
Magnetic resonance imaging that records brain activity
Eg. Investigating the blood vessels and finding out the level of oxygen in the brain
MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging used to determine the anatomical structure of the brain
Split brain
The severing of the corpus callosum, eliminating the two hemispheres of the brain to exchange information
Wernicke’s area
Located in the left hemisphere of the brain
Wernickes area is in the temporal lobe, an area related to language and comprehension
Broca’s area
Located in the left hemisphere of the brain
Broca’s area is in the frontal lobe, a language related area to grammar and pronunciation
Habituation
A decreased response to stimuli, it is the idea of getting used to something
