the brain Flashcards
hindbrain
this controls balance, motor coordination, breathing, digestion, and general arousal processes (sleeping and waking)
contains:
- cerebellum
- medulla oblongata
- reticular formation
midbrain
- receives sensory and motor information from the rest of the body
- associated with involuntary reflex responses triggered by visual or auditory stimuli
contains:
- inferior and superior colliculi
forebrain
associated with complex perception, cognitive, and behavioral processes
contains:
- thalamus
- hypothalamus
- basal ganglia
- limbic system
- cerebral cortex
inferior colliculi
receives information from the auditory system
- plays a role in reactions to loud noises
superior colliculi
receives information from visual sensory input
- plays a role in moving based on sudden movements around us
thalamus
relay station for sensory information
hypothalamus
maintains homeostasis and integrates with the endocrine system through the hypophyseal system that connects it to the anterior pituitary
basal ganglia
smooths movements and helps maintain postural movements
limbic system
controls emotion and memory
contains:
- septal nuclei (pleasure, pleasure seeking behavior/ addiction)
- amygdala (fear and aggression)
- hippocampus (consolidation of memory)
- fornix (communication within limbic system)
electroencephalogram (EEG)
- this allows for patterns of electrical activity within the brain to be detected and recorded
- this is noninvasive and common on humans
regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF)
- this is a way to detect broad patterns of neural activity based on the increased blood flow to different parts of the brain
- this is noninvasive
- relies on the assumption that blood flow to a particular region means that region is involved in cognitive function
CT/CAT scan
computed (axial) tomography
- x-rays are taken at different angles and processed by a computer to produce a coss-sectional image of tissue
PET scan
positron emission tomography
- radioactive sugar is injected and absorbed into the body and its dispersion and uptake through target tissue is imaged
MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging
- a magnetic field that interacts with hydrogen atoms is used to map out hydrogen dense regions of the body
fMRI
functional magnetic resonance imaging
- uses the same base technique as MRI but specifically measures changes associated with blood flow.
- good for monitoring neuronal activity
frontal lobe
- executive functioning
- impulse control
- long term planning (prefrontal cortex)
- motor function (primary motor cortex)
- speech production (brocas)
parietal lobe
- sensation of touch, pressure, temperature, and pain at the somatosensory cortex
- spatial processing, orientation and manipulation
occipital lobe
visual processing
temporal lobe
- sound processing (auditory cortex)
- speech perception (wernicke’s area)
- memory and emotion (limbic system)
what are common studies used to look at nature vs nurture and what is nature vs nurture?
- this is looking at the contributions of genetics (nature and the environment (nurture) to an individual’s traits
- often studies through family, twin, and adoption
studies
wernicke’s area
this is in the temporal lobe
language comprehension
damage results in wernicke’s aphasia (speak fluently but have difficulty understanding language)
broca’s area
this is in the frontal lobe
motor function of speech is here
damage results in broca’s aphasia (speak comprehensibly in short sentences with great effort)
arcuate fasciculus
- this connects wernicke’s area and broca’ area
damage results in conduction aphasia (the inability to repeat words despite intact speech generation and comprehension)
ventromedial hypothalamus
this is part of the brain that tells the body when it is full and satiated
damage here can lead to obesity
lateral hypothalamus
this is the part of the brain that tells the body when it is hungry
damage here can lead to a lack of eating
