Psychology Exam 2 - The Brain

The Parietal Lobes

"The somato sensory cortex." Process bodily sensations, primarily from your skin, muscles and bones. Process pain, pressure, touch and temperature. Combines visual info and auditory info in an integrated manner with other bodily info.

Somatosensory Cortex

A region in the cerebral cortex that processes information about body sensations, located at the front of the parietal lobes.

Motor Cortex

A region in the cerebral cortex, located just behind the frontal lobes, that processes information about voluntary movement.

The substantia nigra

Aka the black mass. Part of the midbrain. Produces dopamine for the cerebellum. (Parkinson's is due to lack of dopamine.)

Cerebral Dominance

Cerebral dominance is the ability of one cerebral hemisphere (commonly referred to as the left or right side of the brain) to predominately control specific tasks. Accordingly, damage to a specific hemisphere can result in an impairment of certain identifiable functions.

CAT scan

Imaging technique for studying the brain. Computerized axial tomography (CAT). Produces a three-dimensional image obtained from x-rays of the head that are assembled into a composite image by a computer.

fMRI

Imaging technique for studying the brain. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Allows scientists to literally see what is happening in the brain while it is working.

MRI

Imaging technique for studying the brain. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Involves creating a magnetic field around a person's body using radio waves to construct images of the person's tissues and biochemical activities. Generates very clear pictures of the architecture of the brain.

PET scan

Imaging technique for studying the brain. Positron-emission tomography (PET). Is based on metabolic chances in the brain related to activity. Measure the amount of glucose in various areas of the brain and then send this info to a computer for analysis.

Left/Right handedness

In most people, one hemisphere is dominant over the other (this is called hemispheric dominance). About 9 out of 10 people, in all cultures, are left-brain dominant...aka right-handed. Slightly less than 10% of people are right brain dominant...aka left-handed. About 1% of people are co-dominant (ambidextrous). Left-handedness runs in families. Males are more likely than females to be left-handed. There is no known cause for left-handedness. It is not due to brain damage or birth or any known genetic defect.

Hindbrain/brain stem

Oldest part of the brain. Contains primitive structures necessary for physical survival. Has three major structures: the medulla, the pons, the cerebellum.

Hippocampus

One of the 5 major structures in the forebrain - part of the limbic system. Consolidation of new memories into permanent memories. Destruction here occurs during eary stages of Alzheimer's Disease.

Limbic System

One of the 5 major structures in the forebrain. A series of structures involved in memory and emotion.

Amygdala

One of the 5 major structures in the forebrain. Linked to powerful emotions such as fear, rage, aggression, and jealousy. Involved in territoriality and stalking prey.

The Occipital Lobes

One of the four lobes of the Cerebral Cortex. The "visual cortex" process and interpret visual info. Damage here can cause blindness, visual hallucinations, inability to organize or interpret visual stimuli.

Pituitary gland

Part of the forebrain and hypothalamus. The pea-sized "master gland" of the body sits just below the hypothalamus. It produces many hormones that travel throughout the body, directing certain processes or stimulating (causing) other glands to produce other hormones. Controls the endocrine system. Contains reward/pleasure center. Involved in the aging process.

Thalamus

Part of the forebrain and inner core. The "great traffic cop" of the brain. Regulates the flow of sensory info to higher brain centers (except smell). Also sends messages from higher brain centers to the cerebellum and medulla.

Hypothalamus

Part of the forebrain and inner core. The body's "thermostat." Controls a variety of self-regulatory, homeostatic functions such as hunger, thirst, body temperature, and sexual behavior. Also controls the (3) pituitary gland, the body's "master gland" which controls the endocrine system. Contains reward/pleasure center. Involved in the aging process.

The pons

Part of the hindbrain. Connects various parts of the nervous system and upper/lower parts of the brain. Involved in sleeping/walking, alertness and consciousness. REM sleep originated here. Regulated facial expression to match emotions.

The medulla

Part of the hindbrain. Controls basic survival functioning like heartbeat, breathing, blood vessel functioning, swallowing, coughing and sneezing.

The cerebellum

Part of the hindbrain. The "little brain". Contains more neurons than the rest of the brain. Coordinates voluntary muscle movement. Enables non-verbal learning and memory (i.e.-muscle memory and muscle learning). Helps us judge time. Helps us modulate our emotions.

Reticular formation

Part of the midbrain. Involved in alertness and arousal. Paralyzed voluntary muscles during R.E.M. Sleep.

Misbrain

Primarily a bridge connecting "lower & higher" brain centers. Also involved in the processing of pain. 2 major structures/ the substantial nigra (the black mass) and the reticular formation.

The Frontal Lobes

Receive and integrate info from other lobes. Distinguish humans from other animals. Center of self-awareness (human "soul" and personality reside here. Direct voluntary muscle movements. Source of logical, rational, planful thought. Involved in decision-making, judgement, and other "executive" functions. Control motivation and goal-directed behavior. Involved in emotional maturity. Involved in language production.

The Temporal Lobes

The "auditory cortex." Processes auditory info such as music, natural sounds, and language comprehension. Involved in balance and equilibrium. Involved in retrieval of long-term memories. Involved in some emotional control. Invovled in pleasure. Involved in our sense of spirituality (out of body experiences).

Cerebral Hemispheres

The cerebral cortex is divided in to two halves (hemispheres): Left Brain and Right Brain.

Split-brain Surgery

The differences between the two hemispheres were discovered after some epilepsy patients received "split-brain" operations, which severed the corpus callosum to prevent grand-mal seizures (epileptic seizures).

Hemispheric specialization

The differences in the functioning of the hemispheres are known as "hemispheric laterilization" or specialization. Left Brain: analytical thought, logic, language, science and math. Right Brain: holistic thought, intuition, creativity, art and music.

Right-push Theory

The most accepted theory of left-handedness is called "right push" theory. This theory argues that most people are born with a " right push" gene which pushes them to become right handed. There is no equivalent "left-push" gene. Dis: more likely to stutter, have reading disorder, get migraines, auto-immune disorders (colitis/celiac), hard time with tools, may die earlier, more likely to smoke and abuse alcohol, schizophrenia, etc. Adv: may have better spatial ability, may recover speech functions more quickly after brain injury or left side stroke, lower risk for certain cancers, advantages in certain sports like tennis and baseball, more likely to be artists/musicians/architects/mathematicians, more likely to have high IQs, men tend to make more money, better at playing video games, more emotionally expressive.

Forebrain

The most recently evolved (newest) part of the brain. Contains higher brain structures involved in memory, emotions, perception, judgement and intellect. Comprised of two parts: inner core and outer covering (cerebral cortex). Inner core contains 5 major structures: thalamus, hypothalamus, limbic system, hippocampus, and amygdala. Cerebral Cortex divided into 4 lobes: occipital, parietal, temporal and frontal.

The Cerebral Cortex

The second part of the forebrain (this and the inner core). Contains 85% of brains weight. Linked to higher cognitive functions such as: conscious awareness, self-awareness, perception, thinking, and speaking. Divided into 4 lobes: occipital, parietal, temporal and frontal.

Corpus Callosum

The thick band of neurons which connects the cerebral hemispheres (left and right).

Brain lesioning

Tool for studying the brain. An annormal disruption in the tossue of the brain resulting from injury or disease.

EEG

Tool for studying the brain. Electrical recording. The "electroencephalograph" records the brain's electrical activity. Electrodes placed on the scalp detect brain-wave activity, which is recorded on a chart known as an electroencephalogram (EEG). Can assess brain damage, epilepsy and other problems. Widely used in psychological research.

Brain imaging

Tool for studying the brain. Includes tools such as x-rays, CAT scan or CT scan, PET scan, MRI, fMRI.