Chapter 2 Mastery Training

Chapter 2 - Cognitive Neuroscience

NERVE IMPULSE

An electrical response that is propagated down the length of an axon (nerve fiber) (also called an action potential)

CELL IMPULSE

Part of a cell that contains mechanisms that keep the cell alive. In some neurons, the cell body and the dendrites associated with it receive information from other neurons

AXON(S)

Part of the neuron that transmits signals from the cell body to the synapse at the end of the axon

NERVE NET

Network of continuously interconnected neuron fibers

NEURON

Cell that is specialized to receive and transmit information in the nervous system

DENDRITE

Structure that branches out from the cell body to receive electrical signals from other neurons

ACTION POTENTIAL

Impulse responsible for transmitting neural information and for communication between neurons

BROCA’S AREA

Region in the frontal lobe associated with the production of language

WERNICKE’S AREA

Region in the temporal lobe associated with understanding language

EXTRASTRIATE BODY AREA (EBA)

Region in the temporal cortex activated by pictures of the human form, not by faces

NEURAL CIRCUIT

Group of interconnected neurons that are responsible for processing

SYNAPSE

Space between the end of an axon and the cell body or dendrite of the next axon

RECEPTOR

Specialized neural structure that responds to environmental stimuli, mechanical stimulation, or chemical stimuli

NEUROTRANSMITTER

Chemical that is released at the synapse in response to incoming action potentials

FEATURE DETECTORS

Neurons that respond to specific stimuli such as orientation, movement, and length

EXPERIENCE-DEPENDENT PLASTICITY

Characteristic of the brain in which its structure is changed by experience

HIERARCHIAL PROCESSING

Neural movement that occurs in a progression from lower to higher areas of the brain

POPULATION CODING

Neural representation of a stimulus by the pattern of firing of many neurons

LOCALIZATION OF FUNCTION

Idea that specific areas of the brain are responsible for specific operations

CEREBRAL CORTEX

Outer layer of the brain that contains the mechanisms responsible for higher mental functions

CORTICAL EQUIPOTENTIALITY

Idea that the brain operates as an indivisible whole

BROCA’S APHASIA

Condition caused by frontal lobe damage that is characterized by slow, labored, ungrammatical speech

PROSOPAGNOSIA

Condition caused by temporal lobe damage that is characterized by an inability to recognize faces

DOUBLE DISSOCIATION

Process by which it is determined that different functions are served by different mechanisms

BRAIN IMAGING

Technique that creates pictures of neural structures

FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (fMRI)

Technique that measures how blood flow changes in response to cognitive activity

VOXEL

Small cube-shaped area in the brain used in analyzing data from brain scanning experiments

FUSIFORM FACE AREA (FFA)

Region in the brain responsible for recognizing human features

PARAHIPPOCAMPAL PLACE AREA (PPA)

Region in the brain containing neurons selectively activated by pictures of indoor and outdoor scenes

EXTRASTRIATE BODY AREA (EBA)

Region in the temporal cortex activated by pictures of the human form, not by faces

DISTRIBUTED REPRESENTATION

Characteristic of the brain in which looking at a face activates many areas

NEURAL NETWORK

Group of structures that are connected together

CONNECTOME

Structural description of the network of elements and connections forming the human brain

DEFAULT MODE NETWORK (DMN)

Network of structures that respond when a person is not involved in specific tasks

CELL BODY

Part of a cell that contains mechanisms that keep the cell alive