Learn: Brain, Behavior and Cognition Exam 1 Study Guide

VLSM

Voxel-lesion symptom mapping, subjects WITH damage at voxel x perform poorly, whereas subjects WITHOUT damage at voxel x perform well, evidence for dissocition

Basal Ganglia

Regions of subcortical gray matter involved in aspects of motot control and skill learning: they consist of structures such as the caudate nucleus putamen and globus pallidus

EEG

Electrical fields that are created by the synchronous activity of apical dendrites of pyramidal cells oriented perpendicular to the cortical surface, creating a dipole , seperation of positive and negative charge, that can be measured at the surface.

Startle reflex

A normal, automatic physicla response in newborns triggered by sudden noises, bright lights, or a sudden change in position. Takes place in the inferior colliculus, specifically the auditory nuclei.

Sulci

The buried grooves of the cortex. Has individual variability, but general patterns

Thalamus

A major subcortical relay center; for instances, it is processing station between all snesory organs (except smell) and the cortex

Brodmann's area

Regions of cortex defined byy the relative distribution of cell types across cortical layers (cytoarchitecture)

Excitation

Process of adding energy to a system, cell, or device to make it more active or shift it from a a lower energy state to a higher-energy state

Limbic system

A region of subcortex invovled in relating the organism to its present and past enviornment; limbic structures include the amygdala, hippocampus, cingulate cortex and mamillary bodies

Nodes of ranvier

Gaps in the myelin, saltatory conduction

Visions

From eye to brain, left space to right brain. Info from left side each retina travels to the left LGN and then to the left hemisphere

Resting potential

When the cell is in a non-excited, resting state

Mind

Nonmaterial and does not follow laws of physics

Body

material

Movement

Physical act that is not necessarily cognitive (reflexes)

Action

Outcome of a number of cognitive processes that translate the goals and intentions of an individual into motor output (Cognitive process)

Myelin

A fatty substance that is deposited around the axon of some neurons that speeds conduction

PET

Measures the blood flow in a region; a radioactive tracer injected into blood stream that takes up to 30 seconds to peak

Transparency assumption

Lesions affect components in a cognitive system, but do not result in the creation of a new cognitive system

Cerebellum

Structure attached to the hindbrain; important for dexterity and smooth execution of movement

Dendrites

Branching structures that carry information from other neurons

Amygdala

Part of the limbic system that is part of processing emotions and triggers survival responses

Single unit recording

An invasive electrophysiological method that uses microscopic micro-electrodes to measure the electrical activity, or action potentials, of an individual neuron.

Gyri

The raised folds of the cortex (between the sulci). Allows massive amounts of gray matter as it increases the brains surface area.

TDCS

Transcranial direct current stimulation, runs a very small current through brain, modulated resting membrane potential of neurons

TMS

Transcranial magnetic stimulation, electrical energy coil converted to magnetic energy, induces electrical currents in underlying neurons.

Hippocampus

Part of the limbic system, part of processing emotions and memory

Refractory period

A recovery time after action or stimulus when the body or cell cannot immediately respond to a new one, hard to generate action potential

Inhibition

Core cognitive and behavioral process that stops impulsive actions, blocks distractions, and suppresses irrelevant thoughts

Double dissociation

Infer the functions are independent because the viability of one function does not depend on the other

Action potential

A sudden change in the electrical properties of the neuron membrane in an axon, which forms the basis for how neurons code information

FMRI

Directly measures the concentration of deoxyhemoglobin in the blood. BOLD response (blood oxygen level dependent) changes overtime is called the hemodynamic response which has a number of distinct phases, peaking at 6-8 seconds

Synapse

The small gap between neurons in which neurotransmitter are released, permitting signaling between neurons

Neurotransmitter

Chemical signals that are relaxed by one neuron and affect the properties of other neurons.