AP PSYCH UNIT 1A (pt. 2) VOCAB

excitatory neurotransmitters

chemical messengers that bind to postsynaptic receptors and increase the likelihood a neuron will generate an electrical signal

inhibitory neurotransmitters

chemical messengers that decrease the likelihood a postsynaptic neuron will fire

acetylcholine (ACh)

neurotransmitter that triggers contractions, regulates autonomic body functions, and supports brain cognition

norepinephrine

fight or flight, alertness, increase BP

glutamate

energy, learning and memory

dopamine

neurotransmitter and hormone that acts as a chemical messenger and plays a role in body’s reward system

serotonin

neurotransmitter and hormone that helps regulate mood, digestion, sleep-wake cycles, and appetite

GABA

main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS; reduce stress, anxiety, mood, and sleep

substance P

relays pain signals and wound healing

endorphins

pain relief, mood regulation

multiple sclerosis (M.S.)

autoimmune disease that affects the CNS, damage to myelin and nerve fibers

myasthenia gravis

autoimmune disorder that interferes with communication between nerves and muscles, causing muscle weakness

depressants

slow down activity in CNS

alchohol

depressant that slows neural activity, reduces inhibitions, and impairs judgement, coordination, and memory

stimulants

increase activity in the CNS, often increasing alertness and energy

caffeine

stimulant that promotes wakefulness and reduces feeling of tiredness

cocaine

powerful stimulant that increases dopamine activity and can produce intense euphoria and energy

hallucinogens

alter perception, thoughts, and sensory experiences

marijuana

drug that can alter perception, memory, mood, and coordination

opiods

drugs that bind to opiod receptors to relieve pain and can produce euphoria

heroin

highly addictive opiod that produces intense euphoria and carries a high risk of overdose

tolerance

when repeated drug use causes the same dose to have less effect, leading a person

addiction

conditon involving compulsive substance use despite harmful consequences

physical dependence

when the body adapts to a drug and experiences withdrawal symptoms when it is reduced or stopped

psychological dependence

emotional or mental reliance on a substance to feel pleasure, cope, or function

withdrawal

physical or psychological syptoms that occur when a dependent person reduces or stops using a substance

hindbrain

lower region of the brain responsible for essential survival functions, coordination, and balance

brainstem

connects the brain to the spinal cord and controls essential functions such as breathing and heart rate

medulla

controls automatic functions such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure

pons

helps regulate sleep and arousal and assists with breathing and communication between brain regions

cerebellum

coordinates balance, posture, precise movements, and motor learning

reticular activating system

network involved in alertness, attention, and wakefulness

reward center

group of interconnected brainregions involved in motivation, reinforcement, and pleasure

hippocampus

helps form new explicit memories and supports spatial navigation

ventral tegmental area

brain region containing dopamine-producing neurons involved in reward and motivation

nucleus accumbens

region involved in reward, motivation, reinforcement, and addiction

prefrontal cortex

front part of the frontal lobe involved in planning, decision-making, impulse control, and working memory

cerebral cortex

brain's outer layer, responsible for complex processes such as thinking, perception, language, and voluntary movement

limbic system

group of interconnected brain structures involved in emotion, memory, motivation, and behavior

thalamus

relays most sensory information to the cerebral cortex, except smell

hypothalamus

regulates hunger, thirst, body temp, hormones, and other homeostastic functions

pituitary gland

releases hormones that regulate growth, reproduction, and other endocrine functions

amygdala

helps process emotions, particularly fear, threat, and emotional sugnificance

corpus callosum

thick bundle of nerve fibers connecting the brain’s left and right hemispheres

lobes

major divisions of the cerebral cortex, each associated with different functions

frontal lobes

involved in planning, decision-making, personality, impulse control, and voluntary movement

motor cortex

controls voluntary muscle movements

parietal lobes

process sensory information and help with spatial awareness

association areas

regions that integrate information from different brain areas to suppoty complex thinking, memory, and interpretation

somatosensory cortex

processes touch, pressure, pain, temp, and body-position information

occipital lobes

primarily responsible for processing visual information

temporal lobes

involved in hearing, language comprehension, memory, and aspects of emotion

contralaterality

principle that each brain hemisphere generally contols movement and receives much sensory information from the opposite side of the body

brain lateralization

specialization of certain functions in one hemisphere more than the other

split-brain procedure

surgery that cuts the corpus callosum to reduce the spread of severe epileptic seizures between hemispheres

hemispherectomy

surgery that removes or disconnects a large portion of one cerebral hemisphere, usually to treat severe neurological disorders

broca’s area

region, usually in the left frontal lobe, important for producing speech

wernicke’s area

region traditionally associated with understanding language

aphasia

language disorder caused by brain damage that can affect speaking, understanding, reading, or writing

brain plasticity

the brain’s ability to change its structure or function in response to experience, learning, or injury

neuroplasticity

another term for brain plasticity

CAT or CT scan

uses x-rays taken from different angles to create cross-sectional images of the brain; useful for detecting bleeding and skull injuries

MRI scan

uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed images of brain structures without using x-ray

PET scan

uses a radioactive tracer to measure processes such as glucose metablosim and blood flow, helping researchers assess brain activity

fMRI

measures changes in blood oxygenation associated with neural activity to estimate which brain areas are active

EEG

records electrical activity produced by the brain using electrodes placed on the scalp

lesioning

damaging or removing a specific area of tissue to study its function or to treat a medical condition