Unit 2 Flashcards
Aphasia
In aphasia, a person may be unable to comprehend or unable to formulate language because of damage to specific brain regions.
Wernicke’s area
involved in language processing/comprehension
Broca’s area
a region in the brain that plays a vital role in language production
autonomic arousal
a series of bodily changes that occur when the autonomic nervous system is activated, especially in response to fear or anger
Parasympathetic functioning
a network of nerves that helps the body relax and perform life-sustaining functions
autonomic nervous system
a component of the peripheral nervous system that regulates involuntary physiologic processes including heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, digestion, and sexual arousal
sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system
controls “fight-or-flight” responses
Brain lateralization
inclination for certain cognitive processes to be specialized to one hemisphere of the brain or the other
Occipital Lobe
the part of the brain that processes visual information
cerebellum
a part of the brain that controls balance, muscle tone, and motor movement
Amygdala
the part of the brain that’s most closely associated with fear, emotions, and motivation
Left side of brain
speech, comprehension, arithmetic, and writing
Right side of brain
creativity, spatial ability, artistic, and musical skills
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
Stop serotonin from coming back to Presyunaptic neuron
Sensory neurons
nerve cells that receive and transmit sensory information from the environment to the nervous system
Frontal lobe of brain
the way you think, how you move and how you remember things
Medulla
cardiovascular and respiratory systems, controlling heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure
The Pons
Links brain to spine. Associated with sleep and arousal
CAT scan
the X-ray beam moves in a circle around the body, allowing many different views of the brain.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
uses radio waves and strong magnetic fields to create detailed pictures of the inside of the body
Positron emission tomography (PET)
a nuclear medicine imaging technique that uses a radioactive tracer to measure metabolic activity and other physiological processes in the body (metabolism of glucose)
Electroencephalography (EEG)
a technique that allows for the recording of the electrical impulses that are generated by muscle activity. Mainly used for sleep research
reticular activating system
a network of nerve fibers in the brainstem that plays a key role in consciousness, arousal, and the sleep-wake cycle
fMRI
combintaiotn of PET and MRI
