Psychophysiological methods in neuroscience terms

Blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD)

The signal typically measured in fMRI that results from changes in the ratio of oxygenated hemoglobin to deoxygenated hemoglobin in the blood.

Central nervous system

The part of the nervous system that consists of the brain and spinal cord.

Deoxygenated hemoglobin

Hemoglobin not carrying oxygen.

Depolarization

A change in a cell's membrane potential, making the inside of the cell more positive and increasing the chance of an action potential.

Hemoglobin

The oxygen-carrying portion of a red blood cell.

Hyperpolarization

A change in a cell's membrane potential, making the inside of the cell more negative and decreasing the chance of an action potential.

Invasive Procedure

A procedure that involves the skin being broken or an instrument or chemical being introduced into a body cavity.

Lesions

Abnormalities in the tissue of an organism usually caused by disease or trauma.

Neural plasticity

The ability of synapses and neural pathways to change over time and adapt to changes in neural process, behaviour, or environment.

Neuroscience methods

A research method that deals with the structure or function of the nervous system and brain.

Noninvasive procedure

A procedure that does not require the insertion of an instrument or chemical through the skin or into a body cavity.

Oxygenated hemoglobin

Hemoglobin carrying oxygen.

Parasympathetic nervous system (PNS)

One of the two major divisions of the autonomic nervous system, responsible for stimulation of "rest and digest" activities.

Peripheral nervous system

The part of the nervous system that is outside the brain and spinal cord.

Positron

A particle having the same mass and numerically equal but positive charge as an electron.

Psychophysiological methods

Any research method in which the dependent variable is a physiological measure and the independent variable is behavioural or mental (such as memory).

Spatial resolution

The degree to which one can separate a single object in space from another.

Sympathetic nervous system (SNS)

One of the two major divisions of the autonomic nervous system, responsible for stimulation of "fight or flight" activities.

Temporal resolution

The degree to which one can separate a single point in time from another.

Voltage

The difference in electric charge between two points.