Pain and Sensory Processing Flashcards

Flashcards related to pain and sensory processing.

Ampulla

An enlarged region of each semicircular canal that contains the receptor cells (hair cells) of the vestibular system.

Amusia

A disorder characterized by the inability to discern tunes accurately.

Anosmia

A loss of the sense of smell.

Basilar Membrane

A membrane in the cochlea that contains the principal structures involved in auditory transduction.

Bass

An aspect of pitch corresponding to the subjective experience of low-frequency sounds (especially musical sounds, such as bass guitar).

Binaural

Listening with two ears.

Central Deafness

Impaired hearing that results from damage to the auditory cortex.

Cilium

A tiny tuft of thin hairs projecting out of each olfactory receptor cell and extending through the mucous layer into the nasal cavity; thought to be the site where odorous molecules trigger electrical changes in the olfactory receptor cell.

Circumvallate Papillae

Large, dome-shaped structures located at the back of the tongue that contain taste buds.

Cochlea

A coiled, fluid-filled chamber in the inner ear containing the specialized organ for hearing, the basilar membrane.

Cochlear Implant

An electromechanical device that detects sounds and selectively stimulates nerves in different regions of the cochlea via surgically implanted electrodes.

Cochlear Nuclei

Brainstem nuclei that receive input from auditory hair cells and send output to the superior olivary complex.

Coincidence Detector

A device that senses the co-occurrence of two events.

Conduction Deafness

A hearing impairment that is associated with pathology of the external ear or middle ear cavities.

Cortical Deafness

Impaired hearing that results from damage to the auditory cortex.

Cupula

A gelatinous structure in the semicircular canals of the inner ear that moves in response to fluid motion, bending hair cells and initiating nerve impulses.

Deafness

Hearing loss so profound that speech perception is lost.

Decibel (dB)

A measure of sound intensity.

Dendritic Knob

The swollen end of a dendrite that forms a synapse with another neuron.

Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI)

A special use of MRI that takes advantage of the differences in how water molecules are constrained in myelin to reveal axonal tracts connecting brain regions.

Duplex Theory

A theory that we localize sound by combining information about intensity differences and latency differences between the two ears.

Ear Canal

The hollow cavity leading from the pinna to the eardrum, which in humans is about 2.5 cm long and 7 mm in diameter.

External Ear

The outermost part of the ear, including the pinna and ear canal, that collects sound waves.

Flavor

The combined sensory experience of taste and smell.

Foliate Papillae

Leaf-shaped structures located on the sides of the tongue that contain taste buds.

Fourier Analysis

A mathematical method for analyzing complex waveforms by breaking them down into simpler sine waves.

Frequency

The number of cycles per second of a sound wave, measured in hertz (Hz).

Fundamental

The lowest frequency of vibration of a standing wave.

Fungiform Papillae

Mushroom-shaped structures located on the tongue that contain taste buds.

Glomerulus

Spherical clusters of cells in the vertebrate olfactory bulb that process information from a particular class of olfactory sensory neurons and therefore a particular odor.

Gustatory System

The sensory system responsible for the sense of taste.

Hair Cell

The ears' receptors.

Harmonics

Multiples of the fundamental frequency present in a complex sound wave.

Hearing Loss

A decrease in the ability to perceive sound.

Hertz (Hz)

A unit of frequency equal to one cycle per second.

Incus

The middle ossicle in the middle ear, transmitting sound vibrations from the malleus to the stapes.

Inferior Colliculi

Paired structures in the midbrain involved in auditory processing and reflexes.

Infrasound

Sound waves with frequencies below the lower limit of human hearing (20 Hz).

Inner Ear

The part of the ear containing the cochlea and vestibular apparatus, responsible for hearing and balance.

Inner Hair Cell (IHC)

Sensory cells in the cochlea that transduce sound vibrations into neural signals.

Interaural Intensity Differences

Differences in the loudness of a sound reaching each ear, used to localize sound sources.

Interaural Temporal Differences

Differences in the time at which a sound reaches each ear, aiding in sound localization.

Labeled Lines

The concept that specific neural pathways are dedicated to transmitting particular types of sensory information.

Lateral-Line System

A system in aquatic vertebrates that detects water movements and vibrations, aiding in spatial orientation.

Loudness

The perceptual quality of sound related to its intensity or amplitude.

Malleus

The first ossicle in the middle ear, transmitting sound vibrations from the tympanic membrane to the incus.

Medial Geniculate Nuclei

Nuclei in the thalamus that relay auditory information to the auditory cortex.

Middle Ear

The air-filled cavity between the tympanic membrane and the cochlea, containing the ossicles.

Minimal Discriminable Frequency Difference

The smallest difference in frequency that can be reliably detected by the auditory system.

Mitral Cell

A type of neuron in the olfactory bulb that relays olfactory information to higher brain regions.

Motion Sickness

A condition characterized by nausea and discomfort due to conflicting sensory inputs related to movement.

Olfactory Bulb

A structure at the base of the brain involved in the processing of olfactory (smell) information.

Olfactory Epithelium

The tissue in the nasal cavity containing olfactory receptor neurons responsible for detecting odors.

Olfactory Receptor Neuron

Specialized neurons that detect odor molecules and transmit signals to the brain.

Organ of Corti

The sensory organ within the cochlea that contains hair cells responsible for converting sound vibrations into neural signals.

Ossicles

The three small bones in the middle ear (malleus, incus, and stapes) that transmit sound vibrations to the inner ear.

Otoacoustic Emission

Sounds generated by the inner ear that can be measured to assess cochlear function.

Otolith

Calcium carbonate crystals in the vestibular system that contribute to the detection of linear acceleration and gravity.

Ototoxic

Substances that are harmful to the structures of the ear, particularly the cochlea and vestibular system.

Outer Hair Cell (OHC)

Cells in the cochlea that amplify sound vibrations and contribute to the fine-tuning of hearing.

Oval Window

The membrane-covered opening between the middle ear and the cochlea that transmits sound vibrations.

Papilla

Small, nipple-like structures on the tongue that contain taste buds.

Pattern Coding

The encoding of sensory information based on the specific pattern of neural activity.

Pheromone

Chemical signals released by an individual that influence the behavior or physiology of others of the same species.

Pinna

The external, visible part of the ear that collects sound waves and directs them into the ear canal.

Pitch

The perceptual quality of sound that allows it to be classified as high or low, primarily determined by frequency.

Place Coding

The encoding of sound frequency based on the specific location of neural activation along the cochlea.

Prestin

A protein found in outer hair cells of the cochlea that is involved in their motility and amplification function.

Primary Auditory Cortex (A1)

The region of the cerebral cortex responsible for processing auditory information.

Pure Tone

A sound with a single frequency and no harmonics, often used in hearing tests.

Round Window

A membrane-covered opening between the middle ear and the cochlea that allows for the displacement of fluid within the cochlea.

Saccule

A part of the vestibular system that detects vertical linear acceleration.

Scala Media

The middle chamber of the cochlea, containing the organ of Corti.

Scala Tympani

The lower chamber of the cochlea, filled with perilymph fluid.

Scala Vestibuli

The upper chamber of the cochlea, filled with perilymph fluid.

Semicircular Canal

Three fluid-filled tubes in the inner ear that detect rotational movements and contribute to balance.

Sensorineural Deafness

Hearing loss resulting from damage to the cochlea or auditory nerve pathways.

Spectral Filtering

The process by which the ear’s anatomy alters the frequency content of incoming sounds, aiding in sound localization and speech comprehension.

Stapedius

A small muscle in the middle ear that stabilizes the stapes bone and dampens loud sounds to protect the inner ear.

Stapes

The innermost ossicle in the middle ear, transmitting sound vibrations from the incus to the oval window of the cochlea.

Stereocilium

Hairlike projections on the surface of hair cells in the cochlea that detect sound- induced vibrations.

Superior Olivary Nuclei

Brainstem nuclei involved in the localization of sound, processing interaural time and intensity differences.

T1R

A family of taste receptor proteins involved in the detection of sweet and umami flavors.

T2R

A family of taste receptor proteins involved in the detection of bitter flavors.

Tastant

A substance that can be tasted, typically dissolved in saliva, that activates taste receptor cells.

Taste Bud

Cluster of taste receptor cells located on the tongue and other parts of the oral cavity, responsible for detecting tastants.

Taste Pore

An opening at the surface of the tongue through which tastants enter and interact with taste receptor cells.

Tectorial Membrane

A membrane in the cochlea that interacts with stereocilia of hair cells, playing a role in sound transduction.

Temporal Coding

The encoding of sound frequency based on the timing of neural firing patterns.

Tensor Tympani

A muscle in the middle ear that dampens sounds, such as those produced by chewing.

Timbre

The quality or color of a sound that allows the listener to distinguish between different sources of sound, even when they have the same pitch and loudness.

Tinnitus

The perception of ringing or other noises in the ears without an external sound source.

Tip Link

Protein filaments that connect the tips of stereocilia in hair cells, essential for mechanotransduction.

Tonotopic Organization

The spatial arrangement of where sounds of different frequency are processed in the brain.

Trace Amine–Associated Receptors (TAARs)

A family of receptors involved in the detection of volatile amines, potentially playing a role in olfactory perception.

Transduction

The conversion of a sensory stimulus into an electrical signal in the nervous system.

Treble

The higher frequencies in sound, typically above 2,000 Hz, contributing to the brightness of sound.

Tuning Curve

A graph showing the response of a sensory receptor to different frequencies, indicating its sensitivity.

Tympanic Membrane

Also known as the eardrum, it vibrates in response to sound waves and transmits these vibrations to the ossicles.

Ultrasound

Sound waves with frequencies above the upper limit of human hearing (20,000 Hz), used in medical imaging and other applications.