Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

PSYC*2650 (cog) > Unit 02- Cognitive Neuroscience & Methods > Flashcards

Unit 02- Cognitive Neuroscience & Methods Flashcards

1
Q

information about structure of the brain was gained in older studies from ____ scans. However, now, newer studies rely on _____ scans.

A

PET scans, MRI scans

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

how is Capgras syndrome visible when doing a brain scan?

A

damage in the temporal lobe. the damage disrupts circuits involving the amygdala.

As well as damage in the prefrontal cortex

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

what is the amygdala?

A

an almond shaped structure in the intact brain, it serves as an “emotional elevator” helping an organism detected stimuli associated with threat or reward

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

what are the symptoms of a patient with Capgras Syndrome?

A
  • patients may be less able to keep track of what is real and what is not, generating delusions
    -patients also will not experience the feeling of safe and secure, or experience love
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

what does capgras syndrome teach us about the brain?

A

many part of the brain are needed for even the simplest of achievement

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

the structure of the brain has been estimated to conatin 86 billion ____ _____, each of these collected to 10,000 others, for a total of 860 trillion ________.

A

nerve cells, connections

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

the brain is divided into three main structures…

A

1: the hindbrain
2: the midbrain
3: the forebrain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

describe the hindbrain structure

A

it is located at the very top of the spinal cord
- it contains structures crucial for controlling key life functions (rhythm of heartbeat), as well as the bodies posture/balance

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

the largest area of the hindbrain is the….

A

cerebellum

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

what is the cerebellum?

A

generates our spatial reasoning. damage to this organ can cause problems in sounds and the ability to receive various sensory systems

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

describe the midbrain structure

A

it plays an important part in coordinating the precise moment’s of the eyes, it also relays auditory info from the ears to areas in the forebrain where it is processed and interpreted

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

describe the forebrain structure

A

this structure surrounds the midbrain and most of the hindbrain. only the outer surface of the forebrain (cortex) is visible

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

what is the cortex

A

an organs outer surface- it is a thing covering on the outer surface of the forebrain. The cortex make sup 80% of the brain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

the cortex produces the brains most obvious feature, the _____ that covers the brains outer surface

A

convolutions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

what is the longitudinal fissure?

A

the deepest grove, running from the front of the brain to the back

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

what is a “groove”?

A

“valleys” between the wrinkles that divide the brain into different sections

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

what is the “cerebral hemisphere”?

A

a groove that separates the left from the right

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

what are the 4 lobes of the brain

A

1: frontal lobe
2: parietal lobe
3: temporal lobe
4: occipital lobe

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

hidden from view, underneath the cortex, are many ______ structures

A

subcortical

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

what is the thalamas

A

a subcortical structure that acts as a relay station for nearly all the sensory info going to the cortex

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

what is the hypothalamus

A

directly under the thalamus, this subcortical structure plays a role in controlling behaviour that serve bio needs (eating, drinking, sexual activity)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

what is the limbic system?

A

surrounds thalamus and hypothalamus, it contains the amygdala
(essential for learning and memory)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

what is the hippocampus

A

located under cortex in the temporal lobes
(essential for learning and memory)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

what subcortical structures affected patient H.M

A

limbic system and hippocampus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

what does lateralization mean?

A

visually, all parts of the brain come in pairs (ex- there is a hippocampus on the left side, and another on the right) - however, there is differences in functioning between left and right side

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

the integration of the “right and left side” of the brain is possible by…

A

commissures: thick bundles of fibers that carry info back and forth between the two hemispheres

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

the largest commissure is the…

A

corpus callosum

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

what is neuropsychology

A

the study of the brains structures and how they relate to brain function

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

what is a “lesion”

A

a specific area of damage in the brain (the consequence of brain damage depends on where it is)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

a lesion in the hippocampus produces…

A

memory problems, but not language disorders

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

a lesion in the occipital cortex produces…

A

problems in vision but spares the other sensory modalities

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

neuroimaging produces…

A

precise, three-dimensional pictures of the living brain (either structural or functional imaging)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

what is structural imaging

A

images containing shapes, sizes, and positions of brain components

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

what is functional imaging

A

tells us about activity levels throughout the brain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

Computerized Axial Tomography (CT scans)

A

provide three- dimensional, X-ray pictures of the brain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

Position Emission Tomography (PET scans)

A

introduce a tracer substance (glucose) to patient body, then the molecules of this tracer keep track of radioactivity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI scans)

A

relies on magnetic properties of the atoms that make up the brain tissue, and provides very detailed functional imaging

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI scans)

A

provides functional imaging - measures the oxygen in blood flowing through each region - tracks moment-by-moment activity levels

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

nerve cells are known as….

A

neurons: neurons communicate with one another via chemical signals (fundamental unit of the nervous system)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

what are the chemical signals called that neurons use to communicate with each other

A

neurotransmitters: once the neuron is “activated” it releases the transmitter

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

describe neurons “input’ end

A

the “input” end is the neuron thats most sensitive to neurotransmitters

42
Q

describe the neurons “output” end

A

the “output” end is the portion that releases neurotransmitters, sending the signal to others

43
Q

communication within neurons involves an ________ _______, made possible by a flow _____ ______ in and out of the neuron

A

electrical pulse, charged atoms (ions)

44
Q

define electroencephalogram (EEG)

A

recording of the brains electrical activity

45
Q

what are EEGs used for?

A

they are often used to study broad rhythm’s in the brains activity

46
Q

define event-related potentials

A

when measuring changes in the EEG before, during, or after an event

47
Q

what brain area is active whenever a face is being percieved?

A

Fusiform Face Area (FFA)

48
Q

define the transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

A

creates a series of strong magnetic pulses at a specific location on the scalp- these pulses activates the neurons underneath the scalp area- it helps determine what happens if we stimulate certain neurons

49
Q

define the “localization of function”

A

an effort aimed at figuring out whats happening where within the brain

50
Q

what is the “cerebral cortex”

A

the brain area in which an enormous amount of information processing takes place- it includes many distinct regions, each with its own function

51
Q

what are the three cerebral cortex regions?

A

1) Motor areas
2) sensory areas
3) association areas

52
Q

define the cerebral cortex region: “motor areas”

A

contain brain tissues that are crucial for organizing and controlling bodily movements

53
Q

define the cerebral cortex region: “sensory areas”

A

contain brain tissues that are essential for organizing and analyzing the information received from the senses

54
Q

define the cerebral cortex region: “association areas”

A

support many functions, including the essential (but not well-defined) human activity we call “thinking”

55
Q

______ points are signals leaving the cortex, other areas are the _____ points, info from the eyes, ears, and other organs coming into the cortex

A

departure, arrival

56
Q

both “departure points” and “arrival points” are called…

A

primary projection areas

57
Q

define “contralateral control”

A

the stimulation of the left hemisphere leading movements on the right side of the body, and vice versa - (the concept of communication between a “split in half” brain)

58
Q

define “somatosensory”

A

information arriving from the skin senses (sense of touch, sense of temperature) projected to a region in the partial lobe, just behind the motor projection area

59
Q

some lesions in the frontal lobe produce “apraxias”, what is this?

A

distances in the initiation or organization of voluntary action

60
Q

some lesions in the occipital cortex produce: “agnosias”, what is this?

A

disruptions in the ability to identify familiar objects

61
Q

define “unilateral neglect syndrome”

A

the individual seems to ignore half of the visual world

62
Q

lesions in areas near the seperation of frontal and temporal lobe can result in

A

aphasia; disruption in language capabilities

63
Q

define “Wernicke’s aphasia”

A

difficulty in comprehending speech and producing meaningful language (ex: broccoli hat in suitcase)

64
Q

define “Broca’s aphasia”

A

involves difficulty producing speech but comprehension remains intact

65
Q

what are “Glia’s” functions?

A

they help guide the development of the nervous system in the young fetus, support repairs if nervous system is damaged, and control the flow of nutrients to neurons

66
Q

what are the three major parts of a neuron?

A

1: the cell body
2: the dendrites
3: the axon

67
Q

what is the “cell body” part of a neuron?

A

the portion of the cell that contains the neurons nucleus and all the elements needed for the normal metabolic activities of the cell

68
Q

what is the “dendrites part of a neuron?

A

the “input” side of the neuron, receiving signals from many other neurons

69
Q

what is the “axon” part of a neuron?

A

the “output” side of the neuron, it sends neural impulses to other neurons

70
Q

when a neuron has been successfully stimulated, it releases a minute quantity of…

A

neurotransmitters

71
Q

the bit of the neuron that releases the transmitter into space between neurons is the…

A

Pre-synaptic membrane

72
Q

the bit of the neuron, affected by the transmitter being released is the…

A

post-synaptic membrane

73
Q

if these ionic flows in the postsynaptic cell are too small they ……?

A

the postsynaptic cell quickly recovers and ions are transported back to where they were initially

74
Q

if these ionic flows in the postsynaptic cell are too large they ……?

A

trigger a response in the postsynaptic cell… which produces a “action potential”

75
Q

define the “myelin sheath”

A

specialized glial cells wrapped around the axon, creating a layer of insulation

76
Q

what affect does myelin have on neuron signals?

A

“myelinated” neurons travel 10x faster because they are “jumping” from gap to gap, which increases speed

77
Q

neurons depend on two different forms of information flow… what are they?

A

1) chemical signal
2) electoral signal

78
Q

define the “all-or-none law”

A

once an input reaches the postsynaptic neurons, a signal is either sent down the axon at the same magnitude, or not at all

79
Q

how do microscopic nerve cells manage to represent a specific idea or specific content?

A

coding

80
Q

define Magnetoencephalography (MEG)

A

measures the magnetic fields generated by neural activity in real-time

81
Q

define “dualism”

A

looking at the relationship between the mind and the brain- different substances

82
Q

define “Epiphenomenalism” perspective

A

mind is simply a by-product of brain processes, and is irrelevant for understanding behaviour

83
Q

define “parallelism” perspective (modern thinking)

A

mind and brain are two aspects of the same reality; every event in the mind has a corresponding event in the brain, and vice versa

84
Q

define the perspective of Phrenology/Modularity

A

the idea that every part of your brain does something unique and special

85
Q

define the perspective of “Equipotentiality”

A

idea that all brain regions contribute equally to complex mental functions

86
Q

what is the Central Nervous System (CNS) focus on

A

brain and spinal cord

87
Q

what is the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) focus on

A

everything else (aside from brain and spinal cord)

88
Q

define “local field potentials”

A

summed activity of groups of neurons (can also measure activity from single neuron)

89
Q

what is electrocorticography (ECoG)?

A

measuring electrical activity
(placing a grid of electrons onto section of the brain- each record the change in electrical activity in particular electric

90
Q

what are the benefits of electrocorticography (ECoG)?

A

it is a direct measure of neural activity, and gives insight into the functional specificity of neurons

91
Q

what are the limits of electrocorticography (ECoG)?

A

typically performed in animals only, and provides limited insight into large-scale network properties of the brain

92
Q

define a “reversible lesion”

A

temporarily cooling of cerebral cortex can deactivate particular brain regions

93
Q

define neuropsychology

A

the study if psychological impairment following neural injury in humans

94
Q

define “Prosopagnosia” syndrome

A

“face blindness” difficulty indentifying familiar faces

95
Q

define; Split-brain patients

A

Communication between each hemisphere of the brain is lost due to severed corpus callosum (white band of white matter)

96
Q

what is the difference between the right and left hemisphere for someone with split-brain

A

Left hemisphere – Verbal
Right hemisphere – Visuospatial

97
Q

define “Electrocardiography (ECG)”

A

Measures electrical activity of the heart- can link changes in cardiovascular functioning to behavior

98
Q

define “Facial Electromyography (fEMG)”

A

Measures changes in facial muscle activity
Important in studies of emotion - can detect subtle changes in
smiling / frowning

99
Q

define “Skin Conductance (SCR)”

A

Classical measure of automatic arousal - Electrical conductivity modulated by skin sweating

100
Q

define “Pupilometry”

A

Measures dilation and constriction of pupil

PSYC*2650 (cog) (3 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions