Week 10 Vocabulary Flashcards
Cognition
Everything that the cerebral cortex does: action, perception, emotion, motivation, executive function, thought, and memory.
Thalamic Attention
Thalamic neurons that translate sensory information going to the cortex, also receive input from the brainstem and input from the sensory cortex itself. These non-sensory inputs are greater in number, however the sensory neurons have stronger synapses with thalamic neurons. The non-sensory neurons are important in incorporating our expectation into what we perceive.
Hemispatial Neglectlect
A syndrome caused by damage to the right parietal-temporal region of the brain. An individual with hemispatial neglect will completely ignore the left side of the world. It’s different than being blind to the left visual field, because to these people the left world does not even exist!
Explicit (Declarative) Memory
The memories that we can specifically recall, consisting of episodic and semantic memory.
Semantic Memory
Memory of specific facts. For example, the name of your favorite restaurant, or the date that World War II ended. These memories are stored in the neocortex and do not require the hippocampus for recall.
Episodic Memory
Autobiographical events that have happened in your life. These will contain specific memories of sensory stimuli associated with an event. These memories are stored in the neocortex, but part of their consolidation and recall will require the hippocampus.
Implicit Memory
Subconscious memories that impact our ability to perform tasks or the way we feel in certain environments or situations. These consist of motor memory (e.g. riding a bike), mirror tracing, emotional memories (e.g. PTSD, phobias), and perceptual memory. These memories are not forgotten and new ones can even be formed in amnesia patients.
Working Memory
Aka short-term memory. This memory lasts about 30 seconds, so as long as information is being repeated it can stay available for recall. These memories can become explicit memories via the hippocampus.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
A mental disorder that can develop following an intensely traumatic event (e.g. war, assault, disaster). Individuals suffering from this condition have a number of symptoms, including re-experiencing of the event, avoidance and emotional numbing, and hypervigilance. These symptoms can be extremely debilitating, but treatment through counseling and medication can be of help.
Aphasia
Any impairment in the ability to express or comprehend language.
Broca’s (Expressive) Aphasia
Comprehension of language is somewhat intact, but these patients have difficulty producing the words necessary to express themselves through language. This is caused by damage to Broca’s Area, which is near the motor cortex.
Wernicke’s (Receptive) Aphasia
An impairment in the ability to comprehend language. The production of speech is retained, but individuals will not be able to understand the semantics of language they are hearing or reading. This is caused by damage to Wernicke’s Area, which is near the auditory cortex.
