AP Psychology - 1.4 The Brain Key Terms

Brain stem

contains the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata; connects the cerebrum to the spinal cord and cerebellum

Limbic system

emotional center of brain that also plays roles in smell, motivation, and memory

Occipital lobes

back part of cerebral cortex specialized for vision

for vision

Medulla

The lowest part of the brainstem that connects the higher levels of the brain to the spinal cord

Thalamus

a forebrain structure that processes sensory information for all senses, except smell, and relays it to the cerebral cortex

Temporal lobes

lower part of cerebral cortex involved in hearing, understanding language, and memory

Reticular activating system

network of neurons in the brain stem involved in mediation of behavior and arousal

Hypothalamus

a structure below the thalamus responsible for maintaining a constant internal state

Parietal lobes (RAS)

upper middle part of the cerebral cortex lying behind the frontal lobe that is specialized for touch and perception

Pituitary gland

makes, stores, and releases several important hormones including those for growth and metabolism

Association areas

areas of the cerebral cortex responsible for the coordination and interpretation of information, as well as higher mental processing

Reward center

A group of connected regions that process pleasure and motivation by releasing dopamine

Hippocampus

part of the brain that plays a role in spatial memory

Somatosensory cortex

area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations

Cerebellum

a structure located at the base of the brain that controls muscle movement and procedural learning

Amygdala

part of limbic system involved in fear, excitement, and arousal; the 4 F’s

Frontal lobes

a region of the cerebral cortex that has specialized areas for movement, abstract thinking, planning, memory, and judgement

Cerebral cortex

outermost part of forebrain; controls voluntary muscular movements as well as sensation, movement, memory, emotions, and executive function

Corpus callosum

a thick band of nerve fibers that connects large areas of the cerebral cortex on each side of the brain and supports communication of information across the hemispheres

Linguistic processing

when language areas of the brain connect meanings of words, grammar, and rules of language to put together an utterance

Higher-order thinking

includes higher cognitive skills such as problem solving, thinking, reasoning, planning, and organizing

Executive functioning

a set of mental skills that include working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control

Prefrontal cortex

part of frontal lobe responsible for thinking, planning, and language

Motor cortex

an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements

Split brain research

study of patients with a severed corpus callosum; demonstrates right and left brain specialization; has been used to treat epilepsy

Hemispheric specialization

each hemisphere of the brain handles specific tasks (left - logic, language; right - creativity, spatial reasoning, art, emotion)

Broca's area

the language expression area in the frontal lobe (usually in the left hemisphere) that directs the muscle movements involved in speech

Wernicke's area

part of the temporal lobe involved in understanding speech

Aphasia (Broca's and Wernicke's)

impairment of language, usually caused by left hemisphere damage either to Broca's area (impairing speaking) or to Wernicke's area (impairing understanding).

Contralateral hemispheric organization

opposite side communication between the brain and the body (the left side of the brain controls the right side and vice versa)

Plasticity

When the brain changes and builds new neural pathways in response to a person’s experiences

EEG (electroencephalograph)

recording of the brain's electrical activity at the surface of the skull

Lesioning

damage to a part of the brain that results in destruction to the neurons; can be natural (like brain injury or disease) or deliberate (surgery)

fMRI

a type of MRI scan that can show which areas of your brain are most active during specific functions