Neuroscience final exam study guide

Ascending Pathways

Carry sensory information to the brain, e.g. the Lateral Spinothalamic Tract.

Thalamus

Processes all sensation except olfaction.

Exteroceptors

Receptors that respond to external stimuli such as touch, vision, and hearing.

Interoceptors

Receptors that respond to internal stimuli such as pain and pressure.

Proprioceptors

Receptors that provide information about body position and prevent overstretch.

Cutaneous Receptors

Skin receptors that detect pain, temperature, and touch.

Visceral Receptors

Receptors that carry information from internal organs.

Mechanoreceptors

Receptors that respond to touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception.

Thermoreceptors

Respond to temperature changes (hot/cold) and pain from extreme temperatures.

Chemoreceptors

Receptors that respond to chemical stimuli, for example, taste and smell.

Photoreceptors

Receptors sensitive to light, including rods (black and white) and cones (color).

Homunculus

A map representing the sensory representation of body parts in the brain.

Pain Stages

The stages of pain include transduction, transmission, perception, and modulation.

Nociceptors

Receptors that detect harmful stimuli and are involved in the sensation of pain.

Spinothalamic Pathway

Carries signals of conscious pain from skin and muscle to the brain.

Reticulospinal Pathway

Sends pain signals to the brainstem and releases endorphins.

Trigeminothalamic Pathway

Carries facial pain signals via the trigeminal nerve.

Chronic Pain

Prolonged pain condition that may alter pain threshold and lead to pain memory in the spinal cord.

Referred Pain

Pain felt in an area different from the site of origin.

Gate Theory

Proposes that pain can be blocked at the spinal level, forming the basis for further theories of pain modulation.

Analgesia

Total absence of pain in response to painful stimuli.

Fibromyalgia

A chronic pain condition marked by widespread tenderness and possibly linked to poor sleep or hormonal dysfunction.

Olfaction

The sense of smell, processed by the olfactory nerve.

Gustation

The sense of taste, involving nerves CN VII, IX, and X.

Visual Pathway

Pathway for vision that involves the retina, optic nerve, and occipital lobe.

Audition

The sense of hearing, processed by hair cells in the inner ear.

Equilibrium

The sense of balance, involving the vestibular system.

Upper Motor Neurons

Neurons in the CNS that include the corticospinal tract and basal ganglia.

Lower Motor Neurons

Neurons in the PNS that connect to muscles and include alpha and gamma motor neurons.

Hypotonicity

Abnormally low muscle tone, often seen in lower motor neuron lesions.

Hypertonicity

Abnormally high muscle tone associated with upper motor neuron lesions.

Attention

Core cognitive function that influences focus, linked to arousal and alertness.

Memory Types

Includes short-term, long-term, explicit, and implicit memories.

Amnesia Types

Different types of memory loss, including retrograde and anterograde amnesia.

Anosmia

Loss of the sense of smell, often due to bilateral lesions.

Prosopagnosia

Inability to recognize faces, caused by visual agnosia.

Tactile Agnosia

Inability to recognize objects by touch.

Apraxia

Motor planning disorders that affect the ability to execute motor tasks.

Postcentral Gyrus

Part of the brain involved in processing sensory information.