Behavioral Neuroscience: Higher Cognitive Functions

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts relevant to Behavioral Neuroscience and Higher Cognitive Functions as outlined in the lecture notes.

Split-brain

A condition arising from surgery severing the corpus callosum, leading to disruptions in communication between hemispheres.

Corpus Callosum

The largest white matter structure in the brain, connecting the left and right hemispheres.

Lateralization

The specialization of certain functions in one hemisphere of the brain over the other.

Broca's Area

The region in the left frontal cortex responsible for speech production.

Wernicke's Area

The region in the left temporal cortex responsible for language comprehension.

Aphasia

A language disorder resulting from brain damage affecting speech production or comprehension.

Dopamine

A neurotransmitter involved in motivation, reward, and motor control.

Norepinephrine

A neurotransmitter linked to arousal and the regulation of attention.

Gamma Waves

Brain wave frequencies associated with active cognitive function and alertness.

Default Mode Network

A network of brain regions that are active when a person is not focused on the external environment.

Phantom Limb Pain

The sensation of pain in a limb that has been amputated.

Neuroplasticity

The ability of the nervous system to change its structure in response to experience.

Bayesian Inference

A statistical method used for updating the probability of a hypothesis as more evidence becomes available.

Predictive Processing

A theory suggesting that the brain predicts sensory input and updates beliefs based on errors in prediction.

Attention

The cognitive process of selectively concentrating on one aspect of the environment while ignoring others.

Goal-driven Attention

Attention that is voluntarily allocated to certain tasks based on individual goals.

Stimulus-driven Attention

Involuntary attention triggered by an unexpected stimulus.

Hemispatial Neglect

A deficit in attention resulting from brain damage, often neglecting one side of the body or environment.

Thalamus

The brain structure acting as a gatekeeper for sensory perception and attention.

Emotional Tone

The prosodic elements of language that convey feelings beyond the literal meaning of words.

Cognitive Capacity

The limit of information that an individual's mind can process at any given time.

Cultural Transmission

The process by which language and cultural knowledge is passed between generations.

Unlimited Productivity

The capacity of language to produce an infinite number of meaningful sentences.

Displacement

The ability of language to refer to things that are not present in time or space.

Recursive Thinking

The ability to embed clauses within sentences, allowing for complex sentence structures.

Joint Intentionality

The understanding and sharing of intentions during cooperative tasks.

Clive Wearing

A famous case study in amnesia, known for his extreme short-term memory loss.

Henry Molaison (Patient H.M.)

A patient who underwent surgery that resulted in significant memory impairments yet intact nondeclarative memory.

Procedural Memory

A type of nondeclarative memory related to skills, habits, and tasks.

Episodic Memory

A form of declarative memory involving personal experiences and specific events.

Semantic Memory

A form of declarative memory that involves facts and general knowledge.

Alzheimer’s Disease

A progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by memory loss and cognitive decline.

Prediction Error

The difference between expected outcomes and actual experiences; used in predictive models.

Synaptic Plasticity

The ability of synapses to strengthen or weaken over time, affecting learning and memory.

Long-term Potentiation (LTP)

A long-lasting increase in synaptic strength that is thought to underlie learning and memory.

Long-term Depression (LTD)

A long-lasting decrease in synaptic strength, opposing LTP.

Feature Search

A quick visual search for a target defined by a single unique attribute.

Conjunction Search

A visual search for a target defined by multiple attributes, requiring more cognitive effort.

Inattentional Blindness

A psychological phenomenon where a person fails to notice an unexpected stimulus in their visual field.

Event-Related Potentials (ERPs)

Brain responses measured by EEG that relate directly to specific sensory, cognitive, or motor events.

Neural Correlates of Consciousness (NCC)

Brain areas or networks believed to be necessary for consciousness.

Claudation

For an imbalance between the sensed and perceived areas; related to lobes managing every area.

Vigilance

The state of being alert and attentive, particularly in a demanding context.

Cognitive Load

The total amount of mental effort being used in the working memory.

Neuroscience

The scientific study of the nervous system and its functions.

Behavioral Neuroscience

The field of research that focuses on understanding how the brain and behavior influence each other.

Functional Connectivity

The patterns of correlations between different areas of the brain that have specific functional roles.

Structural Connectivity

The physical connections between brain regions, measured by imaging techniques like MRI.

Combining Facts with Evidence

The practice of integrating factual information and empirical data to form logical conclusions.

Statistical Regularities

Patterns in data that remain consistent across different conditions or populations.

Hebbian Learning

A learning principle stating that neurons that fire together will wire together.

Neurodegeneration

The progressive loss of structure or function of neurons, including death of neurons.

Memory Reconstruction

The process of retrieving memories that can be influenced by current knowledge or beliefs.

Perceptual Inference

The process of interpreting sensory input using prior knowledge and experiences.

Cognitive Strategies

Methods used to enable learning and memory retention.

Functional Dynamics

The variable relationships between brain regions during cognitive tasks.

Behavioral Response

An observable reaction to external environmental stimuli.

Animal Communication

The various ways animals convey information to one another.

The Hard Problem of Consciousness

The philosophical issue of explaining why and how we have subjective experiences.

Mind-Body Dualism

The philosophical viewpoint that mind and body are fundamentally different kinds of things.

Causal Relationships

Links between cause and effect, particularly in neurobiology.

Cognitive Development

The progression of learning and the mechanisms that shape abilities and behaviors.

Memory Classification

The categorization of types of memory (i.e., sensory, short-term, long-term, etc.).

Attention Shift

The process of reallocating cognitive resources to different stimuli or tasks.

Neuronal Activation

The process of neuron firing or the engagement of brain regions in response to stimuli.

Psychological Constructs

Theoretical concepts that are used to understand human behaviors and cognitive processes.

Cognitive Biases

Patterns of deviation in judgment and decision-making.

Retroactive Interference

When newer memories interfere with recalling older memories.