AP Psychology: 1.4 - The Brain

Psych

Medulla

Located in the hindbrain. Controls autonomic functions (heart rate, breathing, blood pressure) and reflexes (swallowing, sneezing, vomiting)

Pons

Located in the hindbrain. Connects brain stem and cerebellum and helps coordinate movements on each side of the body. Plays a role in sleep function

Reticular Activating System (RAS)/Reticular Formation

Located in the hindbrain. A network of nerve fibers involved in attention, arousal, alertness

Cerebellum

Located in the hindbrain. Controls balance and equilibrium, coordinated sequences of movement, and implicit memory (muscle memory)

Midbrain

A nerve system that connects the higher and lower portions of the brain. Relays information between brain, ears, and eyes

Thalamus

Located in Limbic System. Retrieves and sorts sensory information then sends it to the prefrontal cortex, “sensory switchboard”. Smell is a sensory exception

Hypothalamus

Located in Limbic System. Controls fight or flight, feeding, fornication

Amygdala

Located in Limbic System. Controls anger, aggression, afraid. Helps ingrain highly emotional memories

Hippocampus

Located in Limbic System. Converts short-term memories into long-term. Involved in processing and retrieving declarative memory. Spatial relationship memories

Prefrontal cortex

Located in frontal lobe. Controls thinking, planning, decision-making, impulse control

Motor cortex

Located in frontal lobe. Initiates voluntary movement. Contralateral

Somatosensory cortex

Located in the parietal lobe and is responsible for processing sensory information from the body. Contralateral

Primary visual cortex

Located in the occipital lobe and interprets signals from the eyes. Contralateral

Auditory association cortex

Located in the temporal lobe, helps distinguish sounds

Primary auditory cortex

Located in temporal lobe and is the primary place where audio perception occurs

Broca’s Area

Located in frontal lobe (usually left side) and controls expressive speech

Wernicke’s Area

Located in temporal lobe (usually left side) and controls language comprehension

Corpus callosum

a bundle of nerves that connects the two hemispheres and allows constant communication between both spheres

Left brain

language interpreter (expression, comprehension, and reading)

Right brain

spatial abilities, face recognition. More active while appreciating art/music

Neuroplacsticity

The ability of the brain to change as a result of experience or injury

Neurogenesis

The creation of new cells

Long term potentiation (LTP)

when a network of neurons fire together repeatedly, the neural path becomes more efficient

Electroencephalograph (EEG)

Measures electrical activity coming off brain surface. Can identify issues such as epilepsy and sleep disorders

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

measures change in oxygen levels as brain activates/deactivates

Brain Lateralization

Some things are lateralized to the left hemispheres and others are lateralized to the right