Psychology; The Brain
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Created by:
CourteneyAlyse on September 16, 2012
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26 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Lesion | tissue destruction. A brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue |
| electroencephalogram | an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp |
| PET (positron emission tomography) scan | a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain preforms a given task |
| MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) | a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissue; allows us to see structures within the brain |
| fMRI (Functional magnetic resonance imaging) | a technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. MRI scans show brain anatomy; fMRI scans show brain function |
| brainstem | the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions |
| medulla | the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing |
| reticular formation | a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal |
| thalamus | the brain's sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla |
| cerebellum | the "little brain" attatched to the rear of the brainstem; its functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance |
| limbic system | a doughnut shaped system of neural structures at the border of the brainstem and cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions such as fear and aggression and drives such as those for food and sex. Includes the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus |
| amygdala | two lima bean sized neural clusters that are components of the limbic system and are linked to emotion |
| hypothalamus | a neural structure lying below (hypo) the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature) helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion |
| cerebral cortex | the intricate fabric of intercontinental neural cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information processing center |
| glial cells (glia) | cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons. |
| frontal lobes | the portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments. |
| parietal lobes | the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position |
| occipital lobes | the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes the visual areas, which receives visual information from the opposite visual field |
| temporal lobes | the portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each of which receives auditory areas, each of which receives auditory information primarily from the opposite ear |
| motor cortex | an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements |
| sensory cortex | the area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations |
| association areas | areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking,and speaking |
| aphasia | impairment of language usually caused by left hemisphere damage either to Broca's area (impairing speaking) or to Wernicke's area (impairing understanding) |
| Broca's area | controls language expressions -- an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech |
| Wernicke's area | controls language reception -- a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe |
| Plasticity | the brain's capacity for modification, as evident in the brain reorganization following damage (especially in children) and in experiments on the effects of experience on brain development |
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