| A | B |
|---|
| Lesion | tissue destruction; a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue. |
| Electroencephalogram (EEG) | an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain’s surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp. |
| CT Scan | a series of X-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice through the body. |
| PET Scan | a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task. |
| MRI | a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue;scans show brain anatomy. |
| fMRI (functional MRI) | a technique for revealing bloodflow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive scans; show brain function. |
| Brainstem | the oldest part of the central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; responsible for automatic survival functions. |
| Medulla | the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing. |
| Reticular Formation | a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal. |
| Thalamus | the brain’s sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla. |
| Cerebellum | the “little brain” at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance. |
| Limbic System | doughnut-shaped neural system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives. |
| Amygdala | two lima bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion. |
| Hypothalamus | a neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion and reward. |
| Cerebral Cortex | the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body’s ultimate control and information-processing center. |
| Glial Cells | cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons. |
| Frontal Lobes | portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments. |
| Parietal Lobes | portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position. |
| Occipital Lobes | portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive information from the visual fields. |
| Temporal Lobes | portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear. |
| Motor Cortex | an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements. |
| Sensory Cortex | area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations. |
| Association Areas | areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking. |
| Aphasia | impairment of language, usually caused by left hemisphere damage either to Broca’s area (impairing speaking) or to Wernicke’s area (impairing understanding). |
| Broca’s Area | controls language expression that directs the muscle movements involved in speech. |
| Wernicke’s Area | controls language reception – a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe. |
| Plasticity | the brain’s ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience. |
| Neurogenesis | the formation of new neurons. |
| Corpus Callosum | the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them. |
| Split Brain | a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain’s two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them. |
| Consciousness | our awareness of ourselves and our environment. |
| Cognitive Neuroscience | the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory and language). |
| Dual Processing | the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks. |
