All Flashcards
What is the function of the Brainstem?
Controls vital functions like breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and regulates sleep-wake cycles.
What is the function of the Reticular Activating System (RAS)?
Modulates arousal, attention, and consciousness; filters sensory info and directs attention.
What are the functions of the Right Hemisphere?
Processes spatial, nonverbal, and holistic information.
What are the functions of the Left Hemisphere?
Handles language, logic, and analytical tasks.
What is the function of the Occipital Lobe?
Processes visual information, including color, shape, depth, and motion.
What is the function of the Temporal Lobe?
Processes auditory information and language comprehension; involved in memory and emotion.
What is the function of the Parietal Lobe?
Processes sensory information related to touch, pressure, temperature, and pain; spatial processing.
What is the function of the Frontal Lobe?
Involved in higher-order cognitive processes, voluntary movements, and emotional regulation.
What is Split-Brain Research?
Surgical procedure that severs the corpus callosum to treat severe epilepsy, revealing hemispheric specialization.
How does the brain compensate after disconnection in split-brain patients?
The brain demonstrates the ability to compensate and adapt after disconnection.
What is the role of the Limbic System?
Involved in emotion, motivation, memory, and hormone regulation. Includes the thalamus, hypothalamus, hippocampus, and amygdala.
Compare Broca's Aphasia and Wernicke's Aphasia.
Broca's Aphasia: difficulty producing speech. Wernicke's Aphasia: difficulty understanding language. Both result from damage to the left hemisphere.
Compare the functions of the Right and Left Hemispheres.
Right Hemisphere: processes spatial, nonverbal, and holistic information. Left Hemisphere: handles language, logic, and analytical tasks.
Compare EEG and fMRI.
EEG measures electrical activity, good for studying sleep. fMRI detects blood flow changes, provides detailed images of brain activity.
Compare the functions of the Motor Cortex and the Sensory Cortex.
Motor cortex controls voluntary movements; sensory cortex processes sensory information like touch and pain.
Compare the roles of the Hippocampus and the Amygdala.
Hippocampus is involved in memory formation and retrieval; amygdala plays a role in emotion and social perception.
Compare the functions of the Pons and the Medulla.
Both are part of the brainstem. Pons helps coordinate movement and sleep. Medulla controls heartbeat and breathing.
Compare the effects of damage to the Frontal lobe and the Temporal lobe.
Frontal lobe damage can lead to personality changes and impaired judgement. Temporal lobe damage can lead to hearing loss and language impairments.
Compare the use of PET scans and fMRI in brain research.
PET scans use radioactive tracers to visualize brain metabolism. fMRI detects changes in blood flow related to neural activity.
Compare the effects of TMS and Optogenetics.
TMS temporarily disrupts neural activity. Optogenetics allows researchers to control the activity of specific neurons using light-sensitive proteins.
How is brain plasticity seen in stroke recovery?
The brain can recruit other areas to perform lost functions, aiding in recovery.
How is EEG used in studying sleep?
EEG measures electrical activity, allowing for the study of sleep cycles and identification of sleep disorders.
How is fMRI used in cognitive research?
fMRI provides detailed images of brain activity, helping researchers understand cognitive processes.
How are case studies helpful in understanding brain function?
In-depth investigations of patients with brain lesions provide insights into the functions of specific brain regions.
How is TMS used in research?
TMS temporarily disrupts neural activity to study brain-behavior relationships.
How can Optogenetics be used in research?
Optogenetics allows researchers to control the activity of specific neurons using light-sensitive proteins.
How does damage to Broca's area affect language?
Damage leads to Broca's aphasia, causing difficulty producing fluent speech.
How does damage to Wernicke's area affect language?
Damage causes Wernicke's aphasia, leading to difficulty understanding language.
How does brain plasticity help in learning new skills?
The brain forms new neural connections and strengthens existing ones, enabling skill acquisition.
How does the cerebellum contribute to riding a bike?
The cerebellum is involved in motor learning and procedural memories, like riding a bike.