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PSC100 Chapter 2
Cognitive Neuroscience
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| action potential | electrical signal in a neuron, which travels down the axon once an activation threshold is crossed |
| axon | the part of a neuron that carries nerve impulses AWAY from the cell body, towards the receiving dendrites of other neurons |
| behavioral genetics | attempts to link behavior (phenotypes) and genes (genotypes) |
| blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal | signal used to generate images in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), indicating blood oxygen levels throughout the brain |
| brain stimulation | stimulation or disruption of brain activity to study causal effects on perceptual and cognitive function |
| Broca's area | area in the brain's LEFT FRONTAL lobe, with functions linked to SPEECH PRODUCTION |
| cell body (soma) | the neuron's core, which receives INPUT and provides the METABOLIC MACHINERY for the neuron |
| cerebellum | located near the brain stem, responsible for control of FINE MOTOR movements and possible the coordination of complex thoughts |
| cerebral cortex | thin, folded sheet of neurons constituting the outer layer of the brain |
| chromosome | long strand of DNA, human cells normally contain 23 pairs |
| cognitive neuroscience | interdisciplinary study of the neural mechanisms of cognition and behavior |
| corpus callosum | large bundle of neural fibers (axons) forming a massive interconnection between the two hemispheres of the brain |
| correlation and causation problem | mistaken assumption that correlation implies causation |
| dendrite | branchlike component of a neuron, receiving INPUT from sensory receptors or other neurons |
| DNA | molecule shaped like a twisted ladder, known as a double-helix configuration, and containing genes |
| dualism | (DESCARTES) there is a distinction between the physical world, where the brain resides, and a non physical world, where the mind and soul reside |
| electrocorticography (ECoG) (intracranial recording) | method of recording electrical signals from electrodes placed on surgically exposed cerebral cortex |
| electroencephalography (EEG) | method of using electrodes on the scalp to measure electrical activity in the brain |
| electrophysiology | direct measurement of electrical activity from neurons, either from single cells or from an aggregate of cells |
| epigenetics | study of external factors that affect how genes operate |
| event-related potential (ERP) | time-locked EEG waveform that occurs in response to a stimulus, event, or task |
| fMRI subtraction method | fMRI analysis technique that compares patterns of brain activity for elicited by different stimuli or tasks |
| frontal lobe | region in the FRONT of each brain hemisphere, involved in thinking, planning, decision making, and cognitive control |
| functional brain imaging | imaging that uses medical technology to non-invasively study brain activity |
| functional brain mapping | task of linking cognitive and perceptual functions to specific brain regions |
| functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) | technique that measures and localized blood oxygen levels throughout the brain to infer brain activity |
| functional specialization | the principle that different brain areas serve different perceptual and cognitive skills |
| genes | heritable codes in almost every cell that dictate how an organism develops and functions |
| genotype | entire set of genes that an organism carries |
| glial cells | non-neuronal cells in the brain and spinal cord that provide both structural and functional support to the neurons |
| hemisphere | left or right half of the brain |
| invasiveness | among cognitive neuroscience techniques, the degree to which a research method impacts the individual whose brain is being studied |
| knock-out | research technique that involves rendering a gene absent or unexpressed |
| lobe | one of the four major brain zones in each hemisphere: frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital |
| magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) | widely used technique for studying cognition, involving the use of a powerful magnetic field and brief radio pulses |
| materialism | the modern view that the mind is entirely a product of the brain |
| module | specialized region in the brain that performs a specific function |
| neuropsychology | study of the behavioral consequences of brain damage |
| neurotransmitter | a chemical through which neurons communicate with other networked neurons |
| occipital lobe | region in the back of each brain hemisphere, devoted to visual perception |
| parietal lobe | a region in the upper back side of each brain hemisphere, important for controlling action |
| phenotype | all of an organism's observable traits resulting from the interactions of its genotype and its environment |
| plastic | referring to the ability for the strength of neuronal connections to change with learning and experience |
| postsynaptic | referring to the RECEIVING neuron in the transmission of a neural signal |
| presynaptic | referring the the SENDING neuron in the transmission of an electrical impulse |
| primary visual cortex | area at the back of each brain hemisphere, specialized for basic visual feature processing |
| prosopagnosia | neurological condition characterized by difficulty recognizing faces; also known as face blindness |
| region of interest (ROI) | brain area designated by an investigator to be the focus of study |
| reverse inference | illogical inference of a mental process (cognitive or emotional) from the activation of a particular brain region |
| spatial resolution | ability of a research method to pinpoint where neural activity occurs (e.g., ranging from neurons to brain areas of varying size) |
| split-brain patient | a patient whose CORPUS COLLOSUM, which helps the two brain hemispheres communicate with each other, has been severed |
| synapse | gap between neurons, across which chemical or electrical signals are transmitted |
| temporal lobe | a region in the LOWER side of each brain hemisphere, important for COMPLEX PERCEPTION, MEMORY, and LANGUAGE |
| temporal resolution | the ability of a research method to pinpoint which neural activity occurs over milliseconds, seconds, minutes, or longer |
| transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) | brain stimulation technique that involves applying a weak electrical current across the skull to modify brain activity, thereby increasing or decreasing the likelihood that underlying neurons will fire |
| transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) | a method to temporarily disrupt brain activity using focal magnetic pulses targeted over different areas of the scalp |
| Wernicke's area | region in the brain's left temporal lobe, important for comprehension of language |
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