Topic 1.4 The Brain

Brain Plasticity (Neuroplasticity)

The brain's ability to change and reorganize itself by forming new neural connections

EEG

A test that records the brain's electrical activity using electrodes on the scalp

fMRI

A brain scan that measures changes in blood oxygen levels to show which brain areas are active

Lesions

Damaged areas of the brain used to study how specific brain regions affect behavior

Brain Stem

The part of the brain that controls basic survival functions and connects the brain to the spinal cord

Medulla

The brain stem structure that controls breathing heart rate and blood pressure

Reticular Activating System

A network in the brain stem that controls alertness and arousal

Cerebellum

The brain structure that coordinates balance movement and motor learning

Cerebral Cortex

The brain's outer layer responsible for complex functions such as thinking perception and language

Limbic System

A group of brain structures involved in emotion motivation and memory

Thalamus

The brain structure that relays most sensory information to the cerebral cortex except smell

Hypothalamus

The brain structure that regulates hunger thirst body temperature and other basic needs and helps control the endocrine system

Pituitary Gland

The endocrine system's master gland that releases hormones and controls other endocrine glands under the hypothalamus's direction

Hippocampus

The brain structure important for forming new explicit memories

Amygdala

The brain structure involved in processing emotions especially fear and aggression

Corpus Callosum

A bundle of nerve fibers that connects the brain's left and right hemispheres and allows them to communicate

Broca's Area

A brain area in the frontal lobe involved in producing speech

Wernicke's Area

A brain area usually in the left temporal lobe involved in understanding language

Cortex Specialization

The idea that different areas of the cerebral cortex perform different functions

Contralateral Hemispheric Organization

The principle that each brain hemisphere mainly controls movement and processes sensory information from the opposite side of the body

Aphasia

A language impairment caused by brain damage that affects speaking or understanding language

Occipital Lobe

The brain lobe primarily responsible for processing visual information

Temporal Lobe

The brain lobe involved in hearing language comprehension and memory

Parietal Lobe

The brain lobe that processes touch and other body sensations and helps with spatial awareness

Somatosensory Cortex

The area of the parietal lobe that processes touch pressure pain temperature and body position

Frontal Lobe

The brain lobe involved in planning decision-making personality speech production and voluntary movement

Prefrontal Cortex

The front part of the frontal lobe involved in planning judgment decision-making and impulse control

Motor Cortex

The area of the frontal lobe that controls voluntary muscle movement