limbic system: Controls emotions, thinking, learning, and drives. Contains the hippocampus, hypothalamus, amygdala, and the pituitary gland

motor cortex (location and function): Voluntary movement, in the frontal lobe

parietal lobe (location and function): Touch sensitivity + controls association areas which organize information

somatosensory cortex (location and function): Touch sensitivity

aphasia (see notes or in glossary/index): impairment of language caused by damage in the left hemisphere

association areas: areas of cerebral cortex not involved with movement or senses, makes up largest portion of cortex involved in learning, memory, thinking, and speaking.

Broca’s area: Area of the left hemisphere involved in movements needed for speech

Wernicke’s area: Area of left hemisphere involved in language comprehension

plasticity: The brains ability to change, reorganize, or grow neural networks.

cerebral cortex: The ultimate control and info processing center, contains the lobes.

corpus callosum: Allows 2 sides of the brain to communicate

pituitary gland: Controlled by hypothalamus, regulates growth and releases hormones

hippocampus: Memories are formed here

brainstem: Connects spinal cord and brain, responsible for automatic survival functions, oldest part of the brain

medulla: Control heart rate and breathing, at the bottom of the brainstem

reticular activating system (includes reticular formation): network of neurons in the brainstem that regulates arousal, sleep and wakefulness

cerebellum: The “little brain” responsible for balance and movement

left vs. right hemisphere function: Left: language, Right: perception of spatial relationships

thalamus: Directs information throughout the brain (Thal and Amus)

NREM 1 Sleep characteristics: Light sleep, theta waves, jerks, and feeling of falling.

NREM 2 Sleep characteristics: Fully asleep, theta waves, sleep spindles

NREM 3 Sleep characteristics: Deep sleep, delta waves, night terrors and somnambulism

Alpha Waves: Active during relaxation

Beta Waves: Active during normal wakefulness

Theta Waves: Active during light sleep in NREM 1 and 2

Sleep Spindles: Rapid bursts for neural activity in NREM 2

Delta Waves: Active during deep sleep in NREM 3

REM Sleep: Paradoxical sleep, where the brain is active but body is paralyzed

REM Rebound: When people enter directly into REM sleep after being deprived of it.

Night Terrors: Overactive sympathetic nervous activity (screaming and flailing)

Somnambulism (in notes): When people walk or do weird activities while asleep.

Insomnia: Unable to fall asleep

Narcolepsy: Uncontrollable “sleep attacks”

Sleep Apnea: When breathing stops during sleep