AP Psych: Unit 1.4- Brain Plasticity and Specialization (Notes Version)

Plasticity

The brain’s ability to reorganize and adapt throughout life in response to experiences, learning, and environmental changes

Split brain research

Studies individuals who have undergone a corpus callosotomy, which disconnects the two hemispheres of the brain

Contralateral Hemispheric Organization

The phenomenon where each hemisphere of the brain controls the opposite side of the body

Hemispheric Specialization

Explored through split brain research, refers to the concept that each hemisphere of the brain has specialized functions and abilities

Linguistic Processing

The complex cognitive processes involved in understanding and producing language

Broca’s Area

Responsible for speech production and language processing

Broca’s aphasia

Language disorder, difficulty producing fluent speech and grammatical sentences

Wernicke’s Area

Region in the temporal lobe involved in language comprehension

Wernicke’s Aphasia

Language disorder where patients exhibit fluent speech that can be nonsensical

Electroencephalogram

Non-invasive neuroimaging technique used to record the electrical activity of the brain

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Neuroimaging technique used to measure brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow and oxygen levels

Lesioning

Research technique used to study brain function by intentionally damaging or destroying specific areas of the brain in experimental animals