Psychology 1.4c, 1.5a, 1.5b, and 1.5c

neurogenesis

the formation of new neurons

stem cells

cells which can develop into any type of brain cell

left hemisphere

Reading, writing, speaking, arithmetic reasoning, and understanding

Right hemisphere

excels at making inferences, modulate our speech, helps orchestrate our self awareness

sigmund freud’s interpretation of consciousness

hiding place for our most anxiety provoking ideas and emotions; uncovering hidden thoughts could lead to healing

consciousness

being aware of yourself and your surroundings

cognitive neuroscience

the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating)

Dual processing

the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tasks.

conscious “high road”

reflective (Thinks about it first)

conscious “low road”

intuitive (fast and automatic requiring little conscious effort

blindsight

a condition to which a person can respond to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it

parallel processing

processing multiple acts of a stimulus or problem simultaneously

sequential processing

processing on aspect of a stimulus or problem at a time

sleep

a periodic natural loss of consciousness

REM Sleep

rapid eye movement sleep; a recurring sleep stage through which vivid dreams occur (muscles relaxed, other body systems aren’t)

alpha waves

relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed awake state

NREM Sleep

all sleep stages aside from REM

hallucinations

false sensory experiences

Hypnagogic sensations

bizarre experiences such as twitching or a feeling of falling or floating weightlessly while transitioning to stage 2

sleep spindles

part of stage 2 sleep where bursts of rapid rhythmic brain wave activity aids in memory processing

stage 3

slow wave sleep lasting 30 minutes that admits large, slow delta waves (hard to awaken)

Delta Waves

the large slow brain waves associated with deep sleep

suprachiasmatic nucleus

a pair of cell clusters within the hypothalamus that controls the circadian rhythm (secretes melatonin)

Memory consolidation and sleep

replays recent learning and strengthening neural connections and takes recent memories in the hippocampus and puts them elsewhere in the cortex

Insomnia

recurring problems falling or staying asleep

narcolepsy

Uncontrolled sleep attacks; often at bad times

sleep apnea

sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings

REM sleep behavior disorder

a sleep disorder in which REM Paralysis does not occur; instead twitching talking or even kicking and punching may occur, often acting out dreams

sleepwalking (somnambulism)

repeated episodes of complex motor behavior

dream

a sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping persons mind

REM rebound

the tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation

prosopagnosia

“face blindness” a person can’t recognize familiar faces despite being able to see and recognize other objects

information processing / consolidation

dreams help us sort out the days events and consolidate memories

psychological foundation

regular brain stimulation from REM sleep may help develop and preserve neural pathways

activation synthesis

REM sleep triggers neural activity that evokes random visual memories, which our sleeping brain weaves into stories

cognitive development

dream content reflects dreamers’ level of cognitive development