Human Neuropsychology Review 1

Dualism

The belief that the mind and body are separate entities.

Mind-Body Problem

A philosophical question regarding how the non-material mind interacts with the material body.

Localization of Function

The concept that specific areas of the brain are responsible for specific functions or processes.

Broca's Area

Region in the left frontal lobe associated with speech production.

Broca's Aphasia

A condition resulting from damage to Broca's area, leading to difficulty in speech production.

Wernicke's Area

Region in the left temporal lobe involved in language comprehension.

Wernicke's Aphasia

A condition resulting from damage to Wernicke's area, causing nonsensical speech and comprehension difficulties.

Conduction Aphasia

A disorder characterized by the inability to repeat words despite intact language comprehension and production.

Hierarchical Organization

The theory that the nervous system is organized in a hierarchy, controlling more complex behaviors at higher levels.

Diencephalon

A division of the brain that includes the thalamus and hypothalamus, crucial for sensory relay and motivated behavior.

Pineal Body

A small endocrine gland in the brain that produces melatonin, once thought to be the connection between mind and body.

Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)

Fluid that cushions the brain and spinal cord, continuously produced and drained.

Blood-Brain Barrier

A selective permeability barrier that protects the brain from harmful substances in the bloodstream.

Glial Cells

Supportive cells in the nervous system that assist neurons and maintain homeostasis.

Neurons

The primary signaling cells in the nervous system responsible for transmitting information.

Axon

The long projection of a neuron that transmits electrical impulses away from the cell body.

Synapse

The junction between two neurons where signals are transmitted.

Neurotransmitter

Chemicals released from terminal buttons that transmit signals across a synapse.

Action Potential

A rapid rise and fall in electrical membrane potential that occurs when a neuron fires.

Dorsal Stream

Part of the visual system involved in processing the 'where' information of visual perception.

Ventral Stream

Part of the visual system responsible for processing the 'what' information of visual perception.

Prosopagnosia

A neurological condition characterized by the inability to recognize faces.

Balint’s Syndrome

A condition resulting from bilateral damage to the parietal lobes causing visual attention deficits.

Contralateral Neglect

A condition where patients fail to respond to stimuli on one side of their body or space.

Agnosia

The inability to process sensory information, which can lead to difficulties in recognizing objects or geography.

Corticospinal Tract

The major pathway for voluntary motor control that runs from the cerebral cortex to the spinal cord.

Auditory Cortex

The region of the brain that processes auditory information, located in the superior temporal gyrus.

Medial Temporal Projection

Pathways that link auditory and visual areas to regions involved in long-term memory.

Frontal Lobe

The area of the brain responsible for higher-level functions such as movement control and executive functions.

Prefrontal Cortex

The part of the frontal lobe involved in complex cognitive behavior, decision making, and moderating social behavior.

Meninges

The three protective membranes (dura mater, arachnoid, pia mater) that cover the brain and spinal cord.

Lateralization

The tendency for some neural functions or cognitive processes to be specialized to one side of the brain.

Microglia

Glial cells that act as the brain's immune system, responding to injury and disease.

Oligodendrocytes

Glial cells that provide support and insulation to axons in the central nervous system by forming myelin.

Schwann Cells

Glial cells that provide myelin insulation to axons in the peripheral nervous system.

Graded Potentials

Changes in membrane potential that vary in size and are not all-or-nothing responses.

Resting Membrane Potential

The electrical charge across a neuron's membrane when it is not firing, typically around -70 mV.

Absolute Refractory Period

The period following an action potential during which a neuron cannot fire again.

Relative Refractory Period

A phase after an action potential has occurred during which a neuron can fire again only with a stronger stimulus.

Cerebellum

A structure of the brain that regulates movement and balance.

Neural Stem Cells

Undifferentiated cells in the nervous system that can develop into various types of neurons and glia.

Hippocampus

A brain structure essential for forming new memories and is part of the limbic system.

Thalamus

A brain structure that relays sensory information to the appropriate areas of the cerebral cortex.

Corpus Callosum

The largest commissure in the brain, connecting the left and right cerebral hemispheres.