Vocab quiz 1.3b-1.4a Tuesday Sept 22

Psychoactive drug

a chemical

substance that alters the brain,

causing changes in perceptions

and moods.

Substance use disorder

a disorder characterized by

continued substance use despite

resulting life disruption.

Depressants

drugs that reduce

neural activity and slow body

functions.

Tolerance

the diminishing

effect with regular use of the

same dose of a drug, requiring

the user to take larger and larger

doses before experiencing the

drugs effect.

Addiction

an everyday term for

compulsive substance use (and

sometimes for dysfunctional

behavior patterns, such as

out-of-control gambling)

that continue despite harmful

consequences. (See also

substance use disorder.)

Withdrawal

the discomfort and

distress that follow discontinuing

an addictive drug or behavior.

Barbiturates

drugs that depress

central nervous system activity,

reducing anxiety but impairing

memory and judgment.

Opioids

opium and its

derivatives; they depress neural

activity, temporarily lessening

pain and anxiety.

Stimulants

drugs that excite

neural activity and speed up

body functions.

Hallucinogens

psychedelic

("mind-manifesting") drugs that

distort perceptions and evoke

sensory images in the absence of

sensory input.

Near- death experience

an

altered state of consciousness

reported after a close brush with

death (such as cardiac arrest);

often similar to drug-induced

hallucinations.

Biological psychology

psychology the

scientific study of the links

between biological (genetic,

neural, hormonal) and

psychological processes.

Some biological psychologists

call themselves behavioral

neuroscientists, neuropsychologists,

behavior geneticists, physiological

psychologists, or biopsychologists.

biopsychosocial approach

an integrated approach that

incorporates biological, psycho-

logical, and social-cultural levels

of analysis.

Levels of analysis

the differing

complementary views, from

biological to psychological to

social-cultural, for analyzing any

given phenomenon.

neuroplasticity

the brain's

ability to change, especially

during childhood, by reorganizing

after damage or by building new

pathways based on experience.

Lesion

tissue

destruction. Brain lesions may

occur naturally (from disease

or trauma), during surgery, or

experimentally (using electrodes

to destroy brain cells).

EEG (electroencephalogram)

an amplified recording of the

waves of electrical activity

sweeping across the brain's

surface. These waves are

measured by electrodes placed

on the scalp.

MEG (magneto encephalography)

a brain-imaging technique that

measures magnetic fields from the

brain's natural electrical activity.

CT (computed tomography)

scan

a series of X-ray

photographs taken from

different angles and combined

by computer into a composite

representation of a slice of the

brain's structure.

PET (positron emission

tomography)

a technique for

detecting brain activity that

displays where a radioactive

form of glucose goes while the

brain performs a given task.

MRI (magnetic resonance

imaging)

a technique that uses

magnetic fields and radio waves

to produce computer-generated

images of soft tissue. MRI scans

show brain anatomy.

MRI (functional MRI)

a technique for revealing blood

flow and, therefore, brain activity

by comparing successive MRI

scans. fMRI scans show brain

function as well as structure.