The Brain Flashcards
lesion
tissue destruction
electroencephalogram (eeg)
amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity in the brain; mesured by electrodes placed on the scalp
computed tomography (ct) scan
x-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representation of a slide through the body
positron emission tomography (pet) scan
visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucos goes while the brain performs a given task
magnetic resonance imaging (mri)
uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue; show brain anatomy
functional mri (fmri)
revealing bloodflow and brain activity by comparing successive mri scans
brainstem
oldest part of the central core of the brain; responsible for automatic survival functions
medulla
base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing
reticular formation
nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal
thalamus
brain’s sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstep; directs messages to the sensory receiving areas on the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla
cerebellum
processes sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance
limbic system
neural system located below the hemispheres, associated with emotions and drives
amygdala
lime bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion
hypothalamus
directs maintenance activities, governs endocrine system; linked to emotion and reward
cerebral cortex
the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body’s ultimate control and information-processing center
glial cells
cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons
frontal lobes
just behind the forehead, involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgements
parietal lobes
near the top of the head, receives sensory input for touch and body position
occipital lobes
includes areas that receive information from the visual fields
temporal lobes
lies roughly above the ears, includes the auditory areas, receives information primarily from the opposite ear
motor cortex
registers and processes body touch and movement sensations
association areas
areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking
aphasia
impairment of language (caused by damage to Broca’s or Wernicke’s areas)
Broca’s area
controls language expression that directs the muscle movements involved in speech
Wernicke’s area
controls language reception- a brain area invovled in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe
plasticity
brain’s ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience
neurogenesis
formation of new neurons
corpus callosum
large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them
split brain
condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain’s hemispheres
consciousness
awareness of one’s self and the environment
cognitive neuroscience
study of the brain activity linked with cognition (perception, thinking, memory, and language)
dual processing
principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks
medulla
- heart and lungs
- digestion and swallowing
pons
- sleep, dreaming, waking, relaxation
- relays info to other parts of brain
reticular formation
- controls arousal and alertness
- reticular activating system (ras)
- regulates sleep/wake cycle
hippocampus
memory processing center
amygdala
agression & fear
somatosensory cortex
receives and processes sensory information across the body (touch, temperature, and pain)
angular gyrus
transforms visual representations into an auditory code
brain lateralization
certain cognitive processes seem to be focused in one hemisphere or the other
where do images in the left visual field go in the brain ?
right visual cortex (brain is cross-wired)
wagner preference inventory
discovers a person’s brain dominance through a short test
two-track mind alludes to..
conscious vs unconscious decisions
what does a moral dilemma do to our brain processes ?
our reasoning processes conflict with our basic emotional processes and the decision takes longer
