U1AOS4 Understanding The Brain Flashcards
Brain vs Heart debate
A historical date as to whether the heart or the brain is responsible for mental processes, brain hypothesis is now universally accepted
Mind body problem
The question of whether our kind and body are distinct, seperate entities or whether they are one and the same thing
Dualism
The belief that the human mind and body are seperate and distinguishable from one another
Monism
The belief that the human mind and body are together a singular complete entity
Phrenology
The study of the shape and size of the skull to determine personality and mental functioning
Brain ablation experiments
Cutting out and removing part of the brain to observe effects
Brain lesioning
The practice of inducing and/or studying the effects of damage to an area of the brain
Name of man who lost his frontal lobe
Phineas gage
Split brain experiments
Cutting of strands of the nerve tissue to disconnect the two hemispheres to study the different functions of each hemisphere
Left hemisphere
- analytical processing
- language
- logic and planning
- right vision and motor skills
Right hemisphere
- spatial and visual thinking
- emotional recognition and thought
- creativity
- left field vision and motor skills
- imagination
Structural neuroimaging techniques
MRI and CT
Images of the anatomy of the brain
Functional neuroimaging techniques
PET and fMRI
View the brain live during a response and provide information about both function and structure
Amygdala physicality
Within the temporal lobe in the middle of the brain as a small almond shape structure
Amygdala function
Processing of emotions and memories associated with fear and triggers flight, fight or freeze response
Hippocampus physicality
Small seahorse shaped structure located in the middle of the brain
Hippocampus function
Involved in learning and forming new memories and helps to consolidate explicit aspects of emotionally significant memories
Basal ganglia
Stores procedural memories, those related to performing specific tasks or skills. Become ingrained in our behaviour and may form unconscious habits or behaviours
Cerebellum
Receives info about spatial awareness and planned motor movements as well as balance and posture
Neocortex
Structure covering the outer layer of the brain that plays a crucial role in encoding, storing and retrieving memories, specifically explicit memories
Neurons
Nerve cells that enable the communication of information around the body by receiving, transmitting and processing information
Dendrites
Receive neuronal messages
Myelin
Insulates the neuron and prevents disturbances from other neurons
Axon terminals
Send neuronal messages to the next neuron
Synaptic gap
Tiny space between two neuron’s where they communicate with each other
Synapse
The entire junction between two neurons including all terminals and etc
CT
Structural neuroimaging technique involving continuous 2d x ray images of the brain that stack to create a 3d image
MRI
Structural imaging technique that uses magnetic and radio fields to create 2D and 3D images of the brain
MRI
Structural imaging technique that uses magnetic and radio fields to create 2D and 3D images of the brain
PET
Functional neuroimaging technique that uses a scanning device to take coloured images of the brain by tracing the levels of a radioactive substance in the brain
fMRI
Functional imaging technique to take 2D and 3D images of the brain by tracing biochemical changes
