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| tissue destruction. A brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue |
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| 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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| CT (computed tomography) scan |
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| a series of X-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice through the body |
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| PET (positron emission tomography) scan |
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| 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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| MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) |
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| 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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| a technique for revealing bloodflow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. fMRI scans show brain function |
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| 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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| the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing |
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| a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal |
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| 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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| the "little brain" at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance |
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| doughnut-shaped neural system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives |
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| two lima bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion |
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| a neural structure living 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 |
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| the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center |
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| cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons |
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| 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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| 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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| 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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| 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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| an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements |
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| area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations |
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| 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 |
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| 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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| controls language expression- an area, usually in the left frontal lobe, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech |
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| controls language reception-a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe |
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| 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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| the formation of new neurons |
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| the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them |
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| 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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| our awareness of ourselves and our environment |
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| the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language) |
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| the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks |
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