Test 2 (Chapter 5) Flashcards
contrast x-ray techniques
x-ray techniques that involve the injection into one compartment of the body a substance that absorbs x-rays either less than or more than the surrounding tissue
cerebral angiography
a contrast x-ray technique for visualizing the cerebral circulatory system by infusing a radiotraslucent dye into a cerebral artery
computed tomography
a computer-assisted x-ray procedure that can be used to visualize the brain and other internal structures of the living body
magnetic resonance imaging
a procedure in which high-resolution images of the structures of the living brain are constructed from the measurement of waves that hydrogen atoms emits when they are activated by radio-frequency waves in a magnetic field
spatial resolution
ability of a recording technique to detect differences in spatial location (e.g. to pinpoint a location in the brain)
positron emission tompgraphy (PET)
a technique for visualizing brain activity, usually by measuring the accumulation of radioactive 2-deoxyglucose or radioactive water in the various areas of the brain
2-deoxyglucose
a substance similar to glucose that is taken up by active neurons in the brain and accumulates in them because, unlike glucose, it cannot be metabolized
functional MRI
a magnetic resonance imaging technique for inferring brain activity by measuring increased oxygen flow into particular areas
BOLD signal
a blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal, which is recorded to fMRI and is related to the level of neural firing
magnetoencephalography
a technique for recording changed produced in magnetic fields of the surface of the scalp by changes in underlying patterns of neural activity
temporal resolution
ability of a recording technique to detect differences in time (i.e. to pinpoint when an event occurred)
transcranial magnetic stimulation
a technique for disrupting the activity in an area of a the cortex by creating a magnetic field under a coil positioned next to the skull; the effect of the disruption on cognition is assessed to clarify the function of the affected area of cortex
electroencephalography
a technique for recording the gross electrical activity of the brain through disc-shaped electrodes, which in humans are usually taped to the surface of the scalp
alpha waves
regular, 8- to 12-per-second, high-amplitude EEG waves that typically occur during relaxed wakefulness and just before falling asleep
event-related potentials
the EEG waves that regularly accompany certain psychological events
sensory evoked potential
a change in the electrical activity of the brain (e.g., in the cortical EEG) that is elicited by the momentary presentation of a sensory stimulus
signal averaging
a method of increasing the signal-to-noise ratio by reducing background noise
average evoked potentials
the various waves in the averaging signal
P300 Wave
the positive waves that occurs about 300 milliseconds after a momentary stimulus that has meaning for a subject
far-field potentials
EEG signals recorded in attenuated form at the scalp because they originate far away- for example, in the brain stem
electromyography
a procedure for measuring muscle tension by recording the gross electrical discharged of muscles
electrooculography
a technique for recording eye movements through electrodes places around the eye
skin conductance level
the steady level of skin conductance associated with a particular situation
skin conduction response
the transient change in skin conductance associated with a particular situation
electrocardiogram
a recording of the electrical signals associated with the heartbeats
hypertension
chronically high blood pressure
sphygmomanometer
a crude device composed of a hollow cuff, a rubber bulb for inflating it, and a pressure gauge for measuring the pressure in the cuff
plethysmography
any technique for measuring changes in the volume of blood in a part of the body
stereotaxic surgery
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stereotaxic atlas
a series of maps representing the three-dimensional structure of the brain that is used to determine coordinates for stereotaxic surgery
bregma
the point on the surface of the skull where two of the major sutures intersect, commonly used as a reference point in stereotaxic surgery on rodents
stereotaxic instrument
a device for performing stereotexic surgery, composed of two parts: a head holder and an electrode holder
aspiration
a lesion technique in which tissue is drawn off by suction through the fire tip of a glass pipette
radio-frequency
high frequency
knife cut
sectioning used to eliminate conduction in a nerve or tract
cryogenic blockade
the temporary elimination of neural activity in an area of the brain by cooling the area with a cryoprobe
unilateral lesion
lesions restricted to one half of the brain
bilateral lesion
lesions involving both sides of the brain
bipolar electrode
two insulated wires wound tightly together and cut at the end
intracellular unit recording
records the membrane potential from one neuron as it fires
extracellular unit recording
records the electrical disturbance that is created each time an adjacent neuron fires
multiple-unit recording
a graph of the total number of recorded action potentials per unit of time; the electrode top picks up signals from many neurons
invasive EEG recording
recording EEG signals through large implanted electrodes in lab animals