Term
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Definition
| the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions. |
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Definition
| the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing. |
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Definition
| tissue destruction. A brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue. |
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Term
Electroencephalogram
(EEG) |
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Definition
| 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. |
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Term
Positron Emission Tomogrophy Scan
(PET) |
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Definition
| a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task. |
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Magnetic Resonance Imaging
(MRI) |
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Definition
| a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue. MRI scans show brain anatomy. |
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Term
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
(fMRI) |
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Definition
| a technique for revealing bloodflow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. fMRI scans show brain function. |
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Definition
| 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. |
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Definition
| a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal. |
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Definition
| the “little brain” at the rear of the brainstem; functions include some nonverbal learning, processing sensory input, and coordinating movement output and balance. |
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Definition
| neural system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives. |
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Definition
| two lima-bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion. |
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Term
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Definition
| a neural structure lying below (hypo) 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. |
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Term
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Definition
| the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body’s ultimate control and information-processing center. |
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Definition
| portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments. |
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Definition
| portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position. |
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Definition
| portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive information from the visual fields. |
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Term
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Definition
| portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear. |
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Definition
| an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements. |
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Definition
| area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations. |
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Term
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Definition
| reas 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, speaking, and integrating information. |
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Term
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Definition
| impairment of language, usually caused by left-hemisphere damage either to Broca’s area (impairing speaking) or to Wernicke’s area (impairing understanding). |
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Term
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Definition
| controls language expression; an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech. |
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Term
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Definition
| controls language reception; a brain area, usually in the left temporal lobe, that is involved in language comprehension and expression. |
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Term
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Definition
| the brain’s ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience. |
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Term
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Definition
| the formation of new neurons. |
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Term
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Definition
| the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them. |
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Term
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Definition
| a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain’s two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them. |
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