Brain/Eye/Disorders for ALL YEAR

Brain stem

the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; responsible for automatic survival functions

Medulla

the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing

Reticluar formation

a nerve network that travels through the brainstem and thalamus and plays an important role in controlling arousal

Cerebellum

the "little brain" at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance

Cerebral Cortex

The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center.

Hemispheres

we have two, right and left, and some brain functions seem to centered in one or the other

limbic system

neural system located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives

thalamus

the brain's sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla

hypothalamus

A neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion and reward.

pituitary

The endocrine system's most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, it regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands.

hippocampus

A neural center located in the limbic system that helps process explicit memories for storage.

amygdala

two lima bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion.

corpus callosum

the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them

Occipital Lobes

portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive information from the visual fields

temporal lobes

portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear

parietal lobes

portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position

frontal lobes

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments

somatosensory cortex

area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations

motor cortex

an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements

broca's area

Controls language expression - an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech.

Werenicke's area

controls language reception - a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe

Reticular Activating System (RAS)

brain area that plays a key role in arousal

Major parts of the limbic system

amygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

A personality disorder characterized by preoccupation with orderliness, perfection, and control.

Person does not have any true obsessions/compulsions, but may instead accumulate money and worthless objects. Person is perfectionistic, rigid, and stubborn.

Dependent personality disorder

A personality disorder characterized by a pattern of clinging and obedience, fear of separation, and an ongoing need to be taken care of.

Avoidant personality disorder

A personality disorder characterized by consistent discomfort and restraint in social situations, overwhelming feelings of inadequacy, and extreme sensitivity to negative evaluation. Person dodges social interactions/connections more than one with social anxiety

Borderline personality disorder

a personality disorder characterized by lack of stability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and emotion; impulsivity; angry outbursts; intense fear of abandonment; recurring suicidal gestures

Histrionic personality disorder

a personality disorder characterized by excessive emotionality and preoccupation with being the center of attention; emotional shallowness; overly dramatic behavior

Antisocial personality disorder

A personality disorder in which the person (usually a man) exhibits a lack of conscience for wrongdoing, even toward friends and family members. May be aggressive and ruthless or a clever con artist.

Schizotypal personality disorder

Cluster A (odd or eccentric) personality disorder involving a pervasive pattern of interpersonal deficits featuring acute discomfort with, and reduced capacity for, close relationships, as well as cognitive or perceptual distortions and eccentricities of behavior.

Schizoid personality disorder

a personality disorder characterized by persistent avoidance of social relationships and little expression of emotion

Paranoid personality disorder

type of personality disorder characterized by extreme suspiciousness or mistrust of others. They find it difficult to trust others and share personal information.

Bulimia nervosa

an eating disorder in which a person alternates binge eating (usually of high-calorie foods) with purging (by vomiting or laxative use) or fasting

Dissociative identity disorder

A rare dissociative disorder in which a person exhibits two or more distinct and alternating personalities. Formerly called multiple personality disorder.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

a disorder characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsessions) and/or actions (compulsions)

Generalized Anxiety disorder (GAD)

an anxiety disorder in which a person is continually tense, apprehensive, and in a state of autonomic nervous system arousal

Taijin Kyofusho

a form of social anxiety common in Japan involving a fear of offending or embarrassing others with one's odor, eye contact, or appearance.

Social Anxiety disorder

intense fear and avoidance of social situations

Ataque de nervios

A cultural syndrome primarily seen in Latin Americans, involving symptoms of intense emotional upset, acute anxiety, fear, or anger.

Panic Disorder

An anxiety disorder marked by unpredictable minutes-long episodes of intense dread in which a person experiences terror and accompanying chest pain, choking, or other frightening sensations.

Agoraphobia

fear or avoidance of situations, such as crowds or wide open places, where one has felt loss of control and panic

Major Depressive disorder

a disorder in which a person experiences, in the absence of drugs or another medical condition, two or more weeks with five or more symptoms, at least one of which must be either (1) depressed mood or (2) loss of interest or pleasure

Persistent Depressive disorder

a disorder in which people experience a depressed mood on more days than not for at least two years.

Retina

the light-sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information

Rods

Retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray and are sensitive to movement. Necessary for peripheral and twilight vision.

Cones

retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions. They detect fine detail and give rise to color sensations.

Lens

the transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina

Ganglion cells

the specialized cells which lie behind the bipolar cells whose axons form the optic nerve which takes the information to the brain

Fovea

the central focal point in the retina, around which the eye's cones cluster

Blind Spot

the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a "blind" spot because no receptor cells are located there