ap psych unit 1 - brain plasticity and specialization

Plasticity

the brain's ability to CHANGE, especially during childhood, by REORGANIZING AFTER DAMAGE or by building new pathways based on experience

Split Brain Research

-study of patients with SEVERED corpus callosum

-involves sending messages to ONLY 1 side of the brain

-demonstrates right and left brain specialization

Contralateral Hemisphere Organization

The PHENOMENON where each hemisphere of the brain CONTROLS the OPPOSITE SIDE of the BODY.

Hemisphere Specialization

The control of DISTINCT neurological FUNCTIONS by the right and left hemispheres of the brain.

Linguistic Processing

Brain functions involved in understanding and producing language.

Broca's Area

-left frontal lobe

-speech PRODUCTION and language PROCESSING

Broca's Aphasia

DISORDER resulting from damage to Broca's area, causing the affected person to be UNABLE to speak fluently, to mispronounce words, and to speak haltingly

Wernicke's Area

-left temporal lobe

-language COMPREHENSION and understanding spoken and written language

Wernicke's Aphasia

DISORDER resulting from damage to Wernicke's area, causing the affected person to be UNABLE to produce MEANINGFUL language

Electroencephalogram EEG

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.

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging fMRI

an imaging technique used to examine CHANGES in the activity of the working human brain by measuring changes in the BLOOD'S OXYGEN LEVELS

Lesioning

DESTROYING a piece of the brain :(