Neuroscience and Brain Structure Review

Flashcards testing definitions and functions related to brain structure, nervous system divisions, neural communication, and neuroimaging.

What is lateralization in the brain?

The process by which certain functions become more specialized in one brain hemisphere than the other.

What is neuroplasticity?

The brain's ability to change, reorganize, and adapt based on experience, learning, therapy, or injury.

What functions are governed by the prefrontal cortex?

Planning, executive control, and the maturation of higher-order behavior.

What is the primary role of the amygdala?

Emotional processing, particularly emotional/arousal responses.

What is a corpus callosotomy and what does it demonstrate?

It is a split-brain operation that surgically cuts the corpus callosum to prevent or limit seizures from spreading between hemispheres; it also demonstrates how the two hemispheres can perform somewhat different functions.

What is a PET scan and how is it used during neurosurgery?

A brain-imaging technique used to map brain activity/function; class notes mention using PET scans during neurosurgery to help identify functional areas.

What is aphasia, and how do Broca's and Wernicke's aphasia differ?

Aphasia is a language disorder caused by brain damage. Broca's aphasia primarily affects speech production, while Wernicke's aphasia primarily affects language comprehension.

What functions are associated with the frontal lobe?

Planning, personality, and executive control.

What is the main function of the parietal lobe?

Touch/somatosensory processing and integration.

What functions are located in the temporal lobe?

Hearing and language comprehension.

What function is processed in the occipital lobe?

Vision.

How do the functions of the left and right brain hemispheres differ?

The left hemisphere is often dominant for language/logic, while the right hemisphere is often more involved in spatial processing and visualization.

What is corticalization, and what structural feature increases the surface area of the cortex?

Corticalization is the development/differentiation of the cerebral cortex, the brain's outer layer supporting higher-order processing. The cortex's wrinkles increase its surface area.

What is an action potential?

The all-or-nothing electrical impulse that travels down a neuron's axon, carrying information from the neuron toward the axon terminals.

What is myelin, and what occurs when it is damaged?

Myelin is a substance that insulates axons and speeds up neural signaling. Damage to myelin can slow or disrupt communication, as seen in multiple sclerosis.

What is an axon?

The long fiber of a neuron that carries the electrical impulse away from the soma toward the axon terminals.

How are the Central Nervous System (CNS) and Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) composed?

The CNS comprises the brain and spinal cord. The PNS comprises all nerves outside the CNS that carry information to and from the brain/spinal cord.

What is the function of the Somatic Nervous System?

It is the part of the PNS responsible for voluntary actions/behavior, especially communication with skeletal muscles.