Cognitive Neuroscience – Key Vocabulary

A set of 99 English vocabulary flashcards covering major structures, terms, and disorders presented in the Cognitive Neuroscience lecture.

Cognitive Neuroscience

Field that links the brain and nervous system to cognitive processing and behavior.

Localization of function

Concept that specific brain areas control specific skills or behaviors.

Forebrain

Top-front brain region containing the cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, limbic system, thalamus, and hypothalamus.

Cerebral cortex

Outer layer of the hemispheres vital for thinking and mental processes.

Basal ganglia

Neuronal collections crucial for motor function; dysfunction causes tremors, posture changes, slowness of movement.

Limbic system

Group of structures important for emotion, motivation, memory, and learning.

Thalamus

Relay station sending sensory input to cortex; aids sleep–wake control and attention filtering.

Hypothalamus

Structure beneath thalamus governing fighting, feeding, fleeing, mating, sleep, endocrine control, and emotions.

Septum

Limbic component involved in anger and fear responses.

Amygdala

Limbic nucleus whose activation produces fear and enhances perception of emotional stimuli.

Hippocampus

Limbic structure essential for memory formation, flexible learning, spatial memory; Greek for “seahorse.”

Korsakoff’s syndrome

Condition causing severe memory loss, linked to hippocampal disruption.

Declarative memory

Memory for facts and events impaired by hippocampal damage.

Procedural memory

Skill memory spared when hippocampal function is disrupted.

Superior colliculi

Midbrain structures involved in vision.

Inferior colliculi

Midbrain structures involved in hearing.

Reticular activating system

Network controlling consciousness, attention, cardiorespiratory function, and movement.

Brainstem

Connector between forebrain and spinal cord; vital for life functions.

Periaqueductal gray (PAG)

Brainstem area key for defensive and adaptive behaviors.

Medulla oblongata

Elongated brainstem part regulating heart activity, breathing, swallowing, digestion.

Pons

‘Bridge’ in brainstem carrying signals and housing parts of the RAS.

Hindbrain

Oldest brain region; first to develop evolutionarily.

Midbrain

Evolutionarily newer region between hindbrain and forebrain.

Sulcus

Small groove on the cerebral cortex surface.

Fissure

Large groove separating cortical regions.

Gyrus

Bulge between adjacent sulci or fissures.

Gray matter

Outer cortical surface composed mainly of neuron cell bodies.

White matter

Brain interior consisting mostly of myelinated axons.

Contralateral transmission

Information flow from one side of the brain to the opposite side of the body.

Ipsilateral transmission

Information flow on the same side of the brain and body.

Corpus callosum

Dense bundle of fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres.

Marc Dax

Physician who noted left-hemisphere damage in patients with aphasia.

Aphasia

Disorder affecting language comprehension and/or expression.

Paul Broca

Neurologist who identified a left-frontal area critical for speech production.

Broca’s area

Frontal-lobe region responsible for language production.

Broca’s aphasia

Expressive aphasia with labored speech but intact comprehension.

Carl Wernicke

Researcher who located a temporal area critical for language comprehension.

Wernicke’s area

Posterior temporal region involved in understanding language.

Wernicke’s aphasia

Receptive aphasia with fluent but nonsensical speech and poor comprehension.

Roger Sperry

Nobel laureate who advanced research on hemispheric specialization.

Frontal lobe

Region for motor processing, abstract reasoning, planning, judgment, and speech.

Prefrontal cortex

Frontal area handling complex motor control and time-integrated tasks.

Parietal lobe

Lobe for somatosensory processing, consciousness, and attention.

Temporal lobe

Region for auditory processing, language comprehension, and visual memory storage.

Occipital lobe

Posterior lobe specialized for visual processing.

Rostral

Directional term referring to the front (nasal) part of the brain.

Ventral

Directional term for the underside or bottom of the brain.

Caudal

Directional term meaning tail; refers to the back part of the brain.

Dorsal

Directional term for the upper side or back of the brain.

Neuron

Cell that transmits electrical signals in the nervous system.

Nucleus (neuron)

Central part of a neuron handling metabolic and reproductive functions.

Soma

Neuron cell body that supports life functions and links dendrites to the axon.

Dendrite

Branch-like structure receiving signals from other neurons.

Axon

Long fiber transmitting electrochemical signals from the soma to terminals.

Myelin sheath

White fatty coating insulating axons and speeding conduction.

Nodes of Ranvier

Gaps in myelin that boost conduction speed by regenerating action potentials.

Terminal buttons

Knobs at axon ends that release neurotransmitters into synapses.

Synapse

Junction between neurons where chemical transmission occurs.

Neurotransmitter

Chemical messenger carrying information across a synaptic gap.

GABA

Inhibitory amino-acid neurotransmitter exerting general neuromodulatory effects.

Glutamate

Excitatory amino-acid neurotransmitter involved in learning and memory.

Neuropeptides

Peptide chains acting as neurotransmitters with modulatory influences.

Endorphins

Neuropeptides that play a role in pain relief.

Stroke

Sudden disruption of blood flow to the brain causing vascular damage.

Ischemic stroke

Stroke from a clot or fatty buildup blocking cerebral blood vessels.

Hemorrhagic stroke

Stroke caused by a ruptured brain vessel leading to bleeding in tissue.

Anoxia

Lack of oxygen supply to brain tissue during ischemic events.

Thrombus

Clot that obstructs blood flow in an ischemic stroke.

Brain tumor

Abnormal growth (neoplasm) within the brain.

Primary brain tumor

Tumor that originates in brain tissue.

Secondary brain tumor

Tumor that spreads to the brain from another body site.

Benign tumor

Neoplasm without cancer cells.

Malignant tumor

Neoplasm containing cancer cells.

Closed-head injury

Brain damage with intact skull, often from blunt force.

Open-head injury

Brain injury where the skull is penetrated, e.g., by a bullet.

Concussion

Traumatic brain injury from head impact causing transient dysfunction.

Traumatic brain injury

Damage to brain tissue resulting from external mechanical force.

Motor deficits

Movement impairments such as tremors and slowness caused by basal ganglia problems.

Parkinson’s disease

Movement disorder linked to basal ganglia dysfunction and tremors.

Huntington’s disease

Genetic disorder causing involuntary movements from basal ganglia damage.

Species survival behaviors

Fighting, feeding, fleeing, and mating functions governed by the hypothalamus.

Narcolepsy

Sleep disorder of sudden, unpredictable sleep episodes linked to hypothalamus.

Schizophrenia (filtering deficits)

Condition where thalamic filtering problems contribute to hallucinations and delusions.

Cerebellum

Brain region that helps control eye movement and coordination.

Somatosensory processing

Handling of touch, pain, and temperature information in the parietal lobe.

Spatial memory

Ability to remember locations, supported by the hippocampus.

Brain death

Medical determination based on absence of brainstem function.

Adaptive behaviors

Defensive or confrontational responses mediated by the PAG.

Action potential

Electrical signal generated along axons for neural communication.

Electrochemical signal

Combined electrical and chemical transmission along and between neurons.

Endocrine system

Hormone-secreting network regulated partly by the hypothalamus.

Cardiorespiratory function

Heartbeat and breathing control influenced by the RAS.

Visual processing

Analysis of color, motion, location, and form in the occipital lobe.

Auditory processing

Handling of sound information within the temporal lobe.

Visual memory

Storage of seen information, aided by the temporal lobe.

Consciousness

Awake awareness state modulated by the RAS and parietal lobe.

Attention

Selective focus of mental resources, involving parietal and RAS activity.

Motor processing

Planning and execution of movement governed by frontal areas.

Higher thought processes

Abstract reasoning, problem solving, and judgment functions of the frontal lobe.