Week 3 Flashcards
Neurons
Specialized cells that transmit information.
Basic functional unit of the brain.
- Receives signals.
- Integrates incoming signals.
- Communicates signals (to other cells).
Three specialized types…
- Sensory Neurons
- Motor Neurons
- Interneurons
Sensory Neurons
Neurons that receive input from the inside/outside body and rely to the central nervous system.
Motor Neurons
- Neurons that receive input from other neurons and send commands to your muscles/organs.
Interneurons
- Neurons that connect one neuron to another.
Synapse
How neurons communicate.
- Neurons communicate with each other through electrochemical transmutations.
Neurotransmitter
- Chemical transmitter that moves between neurons.
Glial Cells
Supportive cells that…
- Modulate neuronal function.
- Provide structural support and myelination.
- The brain’s immune system.
Grey Matter
- Neuronal cell bodies.
- Processes and transmits information.
- Controls movement, memory, and emotion.
- Fully developed by 20s.
White Matter
- Axon bundles.
- Connects brain regions to help with learning, attention, and motor control.
- Develops into middle age.
Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)
A watery liquid that circulates through the brain’s ventricles (hollow cavities) and around the surface of the brain and spinal cord.
Congenital Hydrocephalus
- The buildup of excess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain at birth.
- Can include pressure in the baby’s brain, causing brain injury and mental/physical problems.
Cerebral Palsy
Abnormal development/damage in parts of the brain that control movement.
- Typically a grey matter injury (GMI).
Can happen before, during, or shortly after birth.
Brain Lateralization
Hemispheric specialization.
- Right hemisphere: visuospatial awareness.
- Left hemisphere: language comprehension and production.
Cortical Homunculus
Represents either the motor or the sensory distribution along the cerebral cortex of the brain.
The Cerebral Cortex
The outermost layer of the brain.
Used in higher order cognition.
Split into lobes “F-POT”
- Frontal
- Parietal
- Occipital
- Temporal
Frontal Lobe
Involved in goal directed behaviour, control of motor behaviours, emotional processing, and executive functioning.
Damage to the Frontal Lobe
- Difficulty making decisions, completing simple and complex tasks, communicating socially, and with emotional processing.
Parietal Lobe
- Involved in guidance of movements, spatial processing, understanding where something is in space, and attention.
Damage to the Parietal Lobe
Impairments to motor control, spatial perception, and abstract thinking.
Occipital Lobe
- Involved in vision.
Damage to the Occipital Lobe
- Vision loss, blindness, visual hallucinations, and certain types of agnosia.
Temporal Lobe
- Involved in sensory processing, memory, language, and comprehension.
Damage to the Temporal Lobe
Impairments in recognizing sensory information, in understanding language, and in semantic memories.
Stages of Brain Development
- Embryonic Brain Development
- Neurogenesis + Migration
- Cell Maturation
- Synaptogensis
- Programmed Death
- Synaptic Pruning
- Myelination
Neurogenesis
Growth of new neural cells.
- Still possible in adulthood in the hippocampus and the olfactory bulb.
Migration
Progenitor cells (replicated stem cells) move to target regions of the developing brain and differentiate to specific cell types.
Lissencephaly
- Smooth brain.
- The result of improper neuronal migration.
Cell Maturation
- Aggregation of neurons in their proper destinations.
- Growth of axons and dendrites.
- Neurons form connections.
Synaptogenesis
- Generation of synapses.
- Axons and dendrites position for neurotransmission.
- Synaptic refinement happens over years (beginning at embryo and slowing down at adolescence).
Pre-Programmed Cell Death
- The nervous system creates too many neurons, meaning that all neurons are not meant to survive.
- Input from other neurons is important in determining which neurons die.
Synaptic Pruning
Changes in synapses.
Weeding out unnecessary connections between neurons.
- It is necessary for development because this is how we predominately learn and change in response to our environments.
Synesthesia
A consequence for deficient synaptic pruning.
Occurs when more neurons than necessary are being activated at once.
Lexical-Gustatory Synesthesia
One experiences taste or smells when they hear/see/think of words.
Influenced by the meaning of the word, not spelling or sound of it.
- ex. the word “society” might taste like “fried onion”.
Myelination
- Starts in embryonic development and continues through adolescence.
- Covering axons with myelin sheath.
- Increases speed of synapses.
- Improved coordination and reaction times.
Brain Plasticity
The brain changes itself.
Critical Periods in Development
Windows of heightened plasticity in development.
- Experiences have a greater impact on the brain.
