BIO 3310: Neurobiology of Aging - Comprehensive Lecture Series

Comprehensive set of 400 vocabulary flashcards covering neuroanatomy, neuroimaging modalities, normal versus pathological brain aging, cognitive network reorganization, myelination, cardiovascular and immune interactions, and microglial senescence.

Sensory input (nervous system)

One of the three overlapping functions of the nervous system responsible for monitoring internal and external environmental stimuli and conveying this information to the central nervous system.

Integration (nervous system)

The central processing function of the nervous system where incoming sensory signals are evaluated, compared, stored, and integrated to formulate an appropriate physiological or behavioral response.

Motor output (nervous system)

The conduction of signals from integration centers via efferent pathways to effector organs, such as muscles and glands, to initiate a response or movement.

Meninges

A three-layered membranous protective sheath enveloping the brain and spinal cord that provides physical protection and vascular nourishment to underlying neural tissues.

Cellular gray matter

The outer cortical layer and deep nuclei of the cerebrum comprising predominantly neuronal cell bodies, neuropil, dendrites, and unmyelinated synapses.

Subcortical white matter

Subsurface cerebral tissue composed primarily of bundles of myelinated axonal tracts that interconnect cortical areas and link the cortex with subcortical structures.

Basal ganglia

A group of prominent deep subcortical nuclei primarily dedicated to the planning, initiation, smooth execution, and modulation of voluntary motor control.

Thalamus

A large paired deep gray matter structure that acts as the principal sensory relay station, filtering and routing sensory signals to appropriate cerebral cortical regions.

Hypothalamus

A vital regulatory brain structure situated inferior to the thalamus that orchestrates neuroendocrine release, autonomic nervous function, and internal metabolic homeostasis.

Midbrain

The most rostral division of the brainstem that serves as a conduit for ascending and descending neural tracts and houses cranial nerve nuclei involved in vision and audition.

Pons

The intermediate division of the brainstem containing transverse fiber bundles connecting the cerebrum to the cerebellum along with critical autonomic and cranial nerve nuclei.

Medulla oblongata

The caudal segment of the brainstem that transitions into the spinal cord and governs fundamental life-sustaining autonomic reflexes including cardiovascular and respiratory control.

Cerebellum

A highly folded structure located posterior to the brainstem that is fundamental for maintaining equilibrium, postural balance, and the precise coordination of motor movements.

Cerebral cortex

The outer laminated mantle of gray matter covering the cerebral hemispheres, organized into distinct functional layers composed of neuronal cell bodies responsible for high-order cognition.

Brainstem

The composite stalk consisting of the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata that contains cranial nerve nuclei and tracts executing the most basic vegetative functions.

Frontal lobe

The superior/anterior cerebral lobe responsible for executive cognitive factors including expressive language production, organizational skills, motor planning/initiation, and volitional eye movements.

Parietal lobe

The superior/posterior cerebral lobe responsible for processing somatosensory information, polymodal sensory integration, and spatial orientation.

Temporal lobe

The inferior cerebral lobe responsible for language comprehension, visual object identification, and the storage of visual, auditory, and olfactory information.

Occipital lobe

The posterior cerebral lobe primarily dedicated to cortical visual perception, processing of light and spatial frequencies, and higher visual analysis.

Limbic lobe

A centrally positioned rim of cortex and subcortical structures on the medial brain surface playing central roles in memory processing and emotional regulation.

Corpus callosum

A thick, arched commissural bundle of heavily myelinated white matter fibers interconnecting homologous regions of the left and right cerebral hemispheres.

Sylvian fissure (Lateral sulcus)

A prominent lateral cerebral groove separating the overlying frontal and parietal lobes from the underlying temporal lobe.

Central sulcus

A major transversely oriented sulcus on the lateral brain surface demarcating the boundary between the anterior frontal lobe and the posterior parietal lobe.

Precentral gyrus

The gyrus positioned immediately anterior to the central sulcus that constitutes the primary motor cortex responsible for voluntary motor command initiation.

Postcentral gyrus

The gyrus situated immediately posterior to the central sulcus that constitutes the primary sensory cortex, serving as the initial cortical reception site for somatic sensation.

Coronal plane

A vertical anatomical slicing plane dividing the brain into anterior (front) and posterior (rear) segments.

Sagittal plane

A longitudinal vertical sectioning plane that bisects the brain into left and right lateral components parallel to the medial longitudinal fissure.

Axial plane

A horizontal anatomical sectioning plane cutting across the transverse axis, separating the brain into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) portions.

Dorsal (superior)

An anatomical directional term referring to the top surface of the brain, analogous to the dorsal fin of a shark.

Ventral (inferior)

An anatomical directional term designating the bottom surface or underbelly of the brain.

Rostral

A neuroanatomical positional term derived from the Latin word for 'beak', indicating an orientation toward the anterior or front end of the brain.

Caudal

A neuroanatomical directional descriptor derived from the Latin word for 'tail', denoting positioning toward the posterior end of the neuraxis.

Medial

A spatial descriptor specifying orientation toward the longitudinal midline or central axis of the brain.

Lateral

A spatial descriptor specifying an orientation directed outward toward the outer periphery or sides of the cerebral hemispheres.

Radiographic right

The convention in radiological imaging where the observer's left-hand side corresponds to the subject's anatomical right.

Radiographic left

The convention in clinical brain imaging where the observer's right-hand side corresponds to the patient's anatomical left.

Korbinian Brodmann

The German neurologist who in 1909 mapped the human cerebral cortex into 52 distinct histological regions based on regional cytoarchitectonic differences.

Cytoarchitectonics

The microscopic study and classification of cellular composition, stratification, and regional laminar organization across distinct brain cortical areas.

Nissl staining

A histological staining method utilizing basic dyes to stain acidic ribosomal RNA, delineating cell bodies and laminar patterns of cortical neurons.

52 cortical regions

The original set of discrete, numbered functional areas demarcated across the cerebral cortex by Korbinian Brodmann using cytoarchitectonic profiling.

Direct cortical stimulation / recording

An invasive neurosurgical electrophysiological mapping technique applying small electrical currents directly onto the exposed living cortex to map functional speech and motor areas.

Individualized neurosurgery

The application of direct invasive electrocortical stimulation mapping during awake craniotomy to establish a unique, personalized functional brain map for every patient.

Motor homunculus

The somatotopically organized representation of body musculature along the precentral gyrus, showing disproportionately large representations for the hands, face, and tongue.

Sensory homunculus

The somatotopic cortical mapping of cutaneous sensory reception along the postcentral gyrus, where receptor-dense body parts like the lips and fingers occupy oversized areas.

Hans Berger

The German neuropsychiatrist at the University of Jena who first recorded the electrical activity of the human brain in 1929.

Elektrenkephalogram

The original German term coined by Hans Berger in 1929 for the continuous recording of macroscopic cerebral electrical fluctuations from the intact scalp.

Adrian and Matthews (1934)

The English researchers who successfully replicated Hans Berger's electroencephalographic recordings, establishing widespread scientific acceptance of human EEG.

Delta waves

The slowest electroencephalographic oscillatory waves ($0.5\text{--}4\text{ Hz}$ or $1\text{--}3\text{ Hz}$) characteristic of deep, dreamless slow-wave sleep and pathological brain dysfunction.

Theta waves

EEG neural rhythms oscillating at $4\text{--}7\text{ Hz}$ (or $4\text{--}8\text{ Hz}$) associated with light sleep, drowsiness, deep relaxation, meditation, and vivid mental imagery.

Alpha waves

Synchronous EEG rhythms oscillating at $8\text{--}13\text{ Hz}$ (or $9\text{--}14\text{ Hz}$) most prominent over occipital and parietal regions when an individual is awake, relaxed, and has their eyes closed.

Beta waves

High-frequency EEG oscillations ($13\text{--}30\text{ Hz}$ or $15\text{--}30\text{ Hz}$) dominant in frontal regions during alert consciousness, active thinking, and focused problem-solving.

Gamma waves

Very fast EEG oscillations ($30\text{ Hz}\text{ and above}$ or $31\text{--}100\text{ Hz}$) tied to high-order multimodal cognitive integration, focused concentration, and conscious perception.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

A quantitative functional nuclear imaging technique with high sensitivity that detects pairs of gamma rays emitted indirectly by a positron-emitting radionuclide.

Cyclotron

A particle accelerator utilized to synthesize short-lived positron-emitting radioisotopes by bombarding target nuclei with charged particle beams.

Scintillation coincidence detectors

A ring of specialized detectors surrounding a subject during a PET scan that register the simultaneous arrival of paired $511\text{ keV}$ annihilation photons traveling at the speed of light.

$511\text{ keV}$ gamma rays

The exact energy level of dual, opposing photons produced when an emitted positron collides with an electron and undergoes mutual annihilation.

Carbon-11 ($^{11}\text{C}$)

A positron-emitting radioisotope commonly utilized in clinical PET imaging with a radioactive half-life of $20.3\text{ minutes}$.

Oxygen-15 ($^{15}\text{O}$)

A rapid-decaying positron-emitting isotope with a radioactive half-life of $2.03\text{ minutes}$, frequently integrated into water molecules to track cerebral perfusion.

Fluorine-18 ($^{18}\text{F}$)

A widely utilized clinical PET radiolabeling isotope featuring a half-life of $109.8\text{ minutes}$, ideal for synthesized tracers targeting metabolic substrates.

Bromine-75 ($^{75}\text{Br}$)

A positron-emitting halogen radioisotope applied in specialized PET molecular imaging studies exhibiting a half-life of $98.0\text{ minutes}$.

Oxygen-15 water

A positron-emitting radiopharmaceutical ($\text{H}_2^{15}\text{O}$) injected intravenously to quantify regional cerebral blood flow ($\text{rCBF}$).

Kety-Schmitt method

A foundational physiological clearance technique utilized alongside inert diffusible tracers to quantitatively determine total and regional cerebral blood flow.

Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF)

The hemodynamic rate of blood delivery through the cerebral microvasculature supplying a localized volume of brain tissue over time.

Acute hyperglycolysis (Bergsneider et al., 1997)

The transient, dramatic surge in cerebral glucose utilization ($\text{CMRglc}$) occurring immediately following traumatic brain injury, demonstrating TBI as a metabolic disorder.

Chronic metabolic depression

A prolonged, state-dependent down-regulation of cerebral metabolic rates of glucose occurring in the weeks and months following traumatic head injury.

Functional MRI (fMRI)

A non-invasive, high spatial-resolution neuroimaging modality that monitors localized hemodynamic fluctuations in oxygen-rich versus oxygen-poor blood to assess regional brain activity.

Blood-Oxygen-Level-Dependent (BOLD) response

The endogenous hemodynamic magnetic contrast generated during fMRI when active neural tissue recruits excess oxygenated hemoglobin, lowering local paramagnetic deoxyhemoglobin.

fMRI proton alignment

The initial physical stage of magnetic resonance scanning in which the scanner's powerful magnetic field aligns the magnetic moments of hydrogen nuclei (protons) in tissue water.

fMRI radiofrequency pulse

Brief electromagnetic bursts delivered at the resonant frequency to perturb aligned protons out of equilibrium, generating detectable radio signals upon relaxation.

Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT)

A nuclear imaging technique that detects single gamma-emitting radiotracers to visualize cerebral blood flow, offering lower spatial resolution but higher cost-effectiveness than PET.

Computed Tomography (CT)

A fast structural radiographic diagnostic modality that captures series of X-ray attenuation profiles to construct detailed cross-sectional tomographic slices of intracranial anatomy.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

A clear, colorless, salty bodily fluid filling the ventricles and subarachnoid space that cushions the neuraxis and provides nutrient support.

Mechanical protection (CSF)

The physical hydrodynamic cushioning provided by CSF that suspends the brain in liquid, rendering it buoyant and lighter to buffer against kinetic impacts.

Intracranial pressure regulation (CSF)

The dynamic compensatory shifting and absorption of cerebrospinal fluid volume that maintains stable intracranial tension inside the rigid skull.

Metabolic support (CSF)

The physiological role of cerebrospinal fluid in delivering vital metabolic nutrients to the central parenchyma while clearing waste metabolites.

CSF chemical composition

The molecular makeup of healthy cerebrospinal fluid consisting primarily of water, electrolytes ($\text{Na}^+$, $\text{K}^+$, $\text{Cl}^-$, $\text{Ca}^{2+}$, $\text{Mg}^{2+}$), glucose, low protein, and sparse cells.

Ventricles

An interconnected anatomical internal system of four communicating cavities inside the cerebrum and brainstem dedicated to circulating cerebrospinal fluid.

Lateral ventricles

The two largest C-shaped cerebrospinal fluid chambers located bilaterally deep within each cerebral hemisphere.

Third ventricle

A narrow, midline vertical slit-like ventricle positioned between the medial surfaces of the left and right diencephalic thalami.

Fourth ventricle

A tent-shaped CSF cavity located in the hindbrain between the dorsal surface of the pons/medulla and the overlying cerebellum.

Foramen of Monro

The bilateral interventricular conduits through which CSF flows from the lateral ventricles into the third ventricle.

Cerebral aqueduct of Sylvius

The narrow mesencephalic channel channeling cerebrospinal fluid downward from the third ventricle into the fourth ventricle.

Foramina of Luschka

The paired lateral apertures in the fourth ventricle allowing cerebrospinal fluid to escape into the subarachnoid space surrounding the brainstem.

Foramen of Magendie

The single median aperture situated in the caudal roof of the fourth ventricle through which CSF discharges directly into the cisterna magna.

Cisterna magna

A large subarachnoid reservoir situated between the inferior surface of the cerebellum and the dorsal aspect of the medulla oblongata.

Pontine cistern

A major ventral subarachnoid space surrounding the anterior surface of the pons through which cerebrospinal fluid ascends toward the cerebral convexity.

Choroid plexus

A specialized vascular tissue composed of modified ependymal cells located within the ventricles that secretes $50\text{--}70\%$ of total cerebrospinal fluid.

Arachnoid granulations (villi)

Microscopic projections of the arachnoid membrane protruding into the dural venous sinuses through which bulk CSF is filtered back into systemic venous circulation.

Superior sagittal sinus

The major longitudinal dural venous channel coursing along the attached margin of the falx cerebri that serves as the principal drainage basin for CSF.

Daily CSF production rate

The physiological volume of cerebrospinal fluid synthesized continuously by the choroid plexus and perivascular spaces, exactly $500\text{ ml/day}$.

Cranial CSF capacity

The total static volume of cerebrospinal fluid capable of being held within the human ventricular system and subarachnoid spaces, measuring $135\text{--}150\text{ ml}$.

CSF turnover rate

The daily biological replacement frequency of total cerebrospinal fluid, cycling completely through circulation approximately $3.7\text{ times a day}$.

Pulsatile CSF movement

The rhythmic, back-and-forth bulk flow of cerebrospinal fluid driven mechanically by systemic arterial pressure pulses throughout the cardiac cycle.

Dr. Paul Broca

The French physician and anthropologist who in 1861 localized expressive speech production to the posterior region of the left frontal lobe.

Louis Victor Leborgne ('Tan')

The historic neurological patient who suffered a progressive 21-year speech deficit leaving him capable of uttering only the syllable 'tan' while comprehension remained intact.

Broca's area

The expressive language region located in the inferior posterior left frontal lobe responsible for articulatory motor speech production.

Dupuytren Museum

The anatomical pathology museum in Paris, France where the formalin-preserved brain of Paul Broca's historic patient Leborgne was displayed.

Expressive aphasia

A motor language deficit characterized by severe impairment in fluent verbal expression despite preserved comprehension of spoken and written language.

Phineas P. Gage

A railroad construction foreman who in 1848 survived the traumatic passage of an iron tamping rod through his left frontal lobe, resulting in radical personality changes.

Dr. John Martyn Harlow

The physician from Cavendish, Vermont who treated Phineas Gage's penetrating brain trauma and documented his physical recovery and personality transformation.