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Definition
| tissue destruction. A naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue |
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| 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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| PET scan (positron emission tomography) |
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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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Definition
| a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissue; allows us to see structures within the brain |
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| fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) |
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Definition
| a technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. |
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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. |
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Definition
| the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing |
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Definition
| 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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Definition
| the "little brain" attached to the rear of the brainstem; its functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance |
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Definition
| a doughnut-shaped system of neural structures at the border of the brainstem and cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions such as fear and aggressions and drives such as those for food and sex. Includes the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus |
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Definition
| two lima bean-sized neural clusters that are components of the limbic system and are linked to emotion |
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Definition
| a neural strcture 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 |
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Definition
| the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information processing center |
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Definition
| cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons |
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Definition
| the 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
| the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes the visual areas, which receive visual information from the opposite visual field |
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Definition
| the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes the visual areas, which receive visual information from the opposite visual field |
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Definition
| the portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each of which receives auditory 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
| the area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations |
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Definition
| 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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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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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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Definition
| controls language reception-a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe |
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Definition
| the brains capacity for modification, as evident in brain reorganization following damage (especially in children) and in experiments on the effects of experience on brain development |
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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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Definition
| a condition in which the two hemispheres of the brain are isolated by cutting the connecting fibers (mainly the corpus callosum) between them |
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