Intro to Neuroscience Lecture 1

A set of vocabulary flashcards created from lecture notes on neuroscience concepts and history.

Trephining

An ancient surgical procedure involving drilling holes into the skull to treat health issues.

Hippocrates

Ancient Greek physician who proposed that the brain is the seat of thoughts and emotions.

Galen

Roman physician who connected brain function to behavior through studies of brain-injured gladiators.

Silent Cortex

Brain areas that do not show visible reactions when electrically stimulated.

Mozart Effect

The phenomenon that listening to Mozart can temporarily enhance spatial reasoning skills.

Neuroscience

The scientific study of the nervous system and its role in behavior and cognitive functions.

Phrenology

The practice of associating bumps on the skull with personality traits and mental abilities.

Broca's Area

The area of the brain responsible for language production, identified through patient studies.

Cerebellum

Part of the brain that coordinates voluntary movements, muscle tone, and balance.

Hippocampus

Brain structure associated with memory and learning.

Amygdala

Region of the brain involved in emotional regulation.

Neuron Doctrine

The concept that the nervous system is made up of distinct, individual cells, not a continuous network.

Hebbian Synapses

Neuronal connections that strengthen with consistent activation, proposed by Donald Hebb.

Functional MRI (fMRI)

Imaging technique that measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow.

CT Scan

A medical imaging method that uses X-rays to create detailed images of internal body structures.

MRI

Magnetic resonance imaging, a technique used to produce high-resolution images of the body's internal structures.

Wernicke's Area

Region of the brain responsible for language comprehension.

Cortex

The outer layer of the brain involved in high-level functions such as thought and perception.

Diencephalon

Brain region containing structures like the hypothalamus and thalamus, involved in sensory processing.

Medulla

Part of the brainstem that regulates autonomic functions such as respiration and heart rate.

PET Scan

Positron emission tomography, an imaging test that helps reveal how tissues and organs function.

Gyrification

The process of forming the folds of the cerebral cortex, which increases its surface area.

Residual

The distance between observed values and the line of best fit in statistical modeling.

Decussate

To cross over; used in the context of neural pathways crossing to opposite sides.

Ipsilateral

Relating to the same side of the body.

Contralateral

Relating to the opposite side of the body.

Anatomical Directions

Descriptive terms used to explain the positions of structures within the body.

Cerebrum

The largest part of the brain, responsible for sensory processing and higher brain functions.

Executive Brain Ratio

The comparison of cerebrum size to brainstem size, indicating cognitive ability.

Neural Pathways

Connections formed between neurons that transmit signals throughout the nervous system.

Spinal Reflexes

Involuntary responses to stimuli that involve the spinal cord without direct involvement of the brain.

Causal Methods

Research approaches that assess cause-and-effect relationships in brain studies.

Electrical Stimulation

A technique used to activate specific brain areas to study their function.

Gage's Personality Change

The significant behavioral shifts observed in Phineas Gage after sustaining a brain injury.

Local vs. Global

Differentiating between specific anatomical locations and their overall implications in brain function.

Thalamus

The brain's relay station for sensory information, regulating what gets sent to the cortex.

Cingulate

Part of the limbic system involved in emotional responses and memory processing.

Functional Significance

The role a particular structure plays in actual behaviour and psychological processes.

Caudal vs. Rostral

Directional terms referring to 'toward the tail' (caudal) or 'toward the head' (rostral).

Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) Effect

A measure used in fMRI reflecting changes in blood oxygenation related to neural activity.

Temporal Resolution

The accuracy with which one can measure when events occur within the brain.

Spatial Resolution

The accuracy with which one can measure where events are occurring in the brain.

Functional Methods

Techniques that assess brain function and activity.

Non-invasive Tests

Procedures that do not require entering the body or breaking skin, like fMRI and TMS.