Download case studies In-depth examinations of an individual or a single event

Chapter 2 Key Terms
acetylcholine (Ach)
action potential
amygdala
axons
basal ganglia
Brodmann areas (BA)
case studies
cerebellum
computer-assisted tomography (CT)
consolidation
default mode network (DMN)
dendrites
diencephalon
dopamine
electroencephalography (EEG)
emergent property
event related desynchronization (ERD)
event related potentials (ERP)
event related synchronization (ERS)
frontal lobes
functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
GABA
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glutamate (Glu)
hippocampus
hypothalamus
laterality
long-term depression (LTD)
long-term potentiation (LTP)
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
magnetoencephalography (MEG)
myelin sheath
neurogenesis
neuron
neurotransmitters
nodes of Ranvier
norepinephrine
occipital lobes
parietal lobes
Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
reconsolidation
single-cell recording
soma
special populations
subtractive method
synapse
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synaptic consolidation
systems consolidation
temporal lobes
terminal buttons
thalamus
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
acetylcholine (ACh) A neurotransmitter important for establishing new memories. For
example, low levels of acetylcholine are implicated in Alzheimer’s disease
action potential The electrical component of neural communication. The action potential occurs
when a neuron “fires” by shifting the electrical charge of the neuron from –70 mv to +40 mv
amygdala A portion of the brain that is critical for processing emotional aspects of memory
axons Parts of neurons used for transmitting neural signals
basal ganglia A collection of subcortical structures that are involved in memory. These
structures include the caudate nucleus, the putamen, the globus pallidus, and the subthalamic
nucleus and are located above and around the thalamus. Important for memories involving
habits and motor skills
Brodmann areas (BA) A numerical mapping of different parts of the cortex
case studies In-depth examinations of an individual or a single event
cerebellum A subcortical structure located at the back of the brain and involved in memory.
This structure is involved in memory for fine motor skills
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computer-assisted tomography (CT) Also known as a CT or CAT scan. A neuroimaging
technique that involves taking multiple x-ray “slices” of the brain
consolidation The process of solidifying memory traces in the neural structure over very long
periods of time
default mode network (DMN) A collection of brain regions that are more active when a person
is not strongly engaged in an activity
dendrites The part of an individual neuron that is primarily specialized for receiving signals
from other neurons
diencephalon A portion of the brain including the thalamus and hypothalamus that primarily
serves as a routing station. It is involved in memory for conscious, factual knowledge
dopamine This is a neurotransmitter that is important for memory. For example, people with
Parkinson’s disease have lower than normal dopamine levels
electroencephalography (EEG) Recordings of the electrical activity in large groups of cells
through electrodes placed on a person’s scalp
emergent property A property of a system that does not exist in any of its parts but that
emerges out of the combination of the parts into a new system
event related desynchronization (ERD) A desynchronization of neural firing, often measured
with EEG recordings, that may occur when mental work is being done
event related potential (ERP) A positive or negative wave of electrical charge, measured using
EEG recordings, that regularly occurs following an event
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event related synchronization (ERS) A synchronization of neural firing, measured using EEG
recordings, that occurs after an event
frontal lobes The lobes of the cortex located at the front of the head. These lobes are involved
in memory by controlling the flow and coordination of various memory processes, including
both long-term memory and working memory
functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) The neuroimaging technique of tracking
oxygen-level concentrations to measure cerebral blood flow under various conditions
GABA (gamma-amino butyric acid) An inhibitory neurotransmitter
glutamate (Glu) An excitatory neurotransmitter critical for forming new memories
hippocampus The brain structure that is often implicated in memory encoding
hypothalamus A subcortical structure that is part of the diencephalon
laterality The primary localization of a function in either the left or right hemisphere of the
brain. Often laterality does not imply that one function is completely in one hemisphere but
that one hemisphere is dominant for that function and does it much better than the other
long-term depression (LTD) Relatively long-lasting suppression of neural connections as part
of early memory formation
long-term potentiation (LTP) Relatively long-lasting durability of neural connections that may
serve as one of the initial encoding aspects to move information into long-term memory
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) A neuroimaging technique that relies on the natural
oscillations of atoms that make up various components of the brain and nervous system
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magnetoencephalography (MEG) A neuroimaging technique that relies on the electrical
signals generated by clusters of neurons firing
myelin sheath A fatty coating on a neural axon
neurogenesis The creation of new neurons
neuron An individual cell that serves as the basic building block of the nervous system and,
hence, memory
neurotransmitters Chemicals in the nervous system that are released from the terminal buttons
of one neuron into a synapse. These neurotransmitters then affect the firing pattern of the
postsynaptic neurons
nodes of Ranvier Gaps along a myelinated axon that facilitate the speed of neural transmission
norepinephrine A neurotransmitter that is thought to be important for memory consolidation
occipital lobes These are the lobes of the neocortex located at the back of the brain. These lobes
are primarily responsible for visual processing
parietal lobes The lobes of the cerebral cortex located in front of the occipital lobes and behind
the frontal lobes. Often involved in working memory processes, such as those involving the
visuo-spatial sketchpad
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) This is a neuroimaging technique that involves tracking
blood flow under various conditions. This tracking is done by measuring concentrations of a
radioactive isotope that has been injected into the bloodstream
reconsolidation A process that occurs when a previously consolidated memory is reactivated.
When the old memory undergoes reconsolidation, it enters a labile state in which it can be
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changed
single-cell recording The recording of the firing rate of a single neuron
soma The cell body of a neuron
special populations A group of people who share a feature of interest. For example, those who
have a neurological condition such as Alzheimer’s disease
subtractive method A way of determining which brain regions are active by comparing the
difference between a scan taken when the person is engaged in an activity of interest and
when the person is not engaged in any particular activity
synapse The gap between two neurons across which neurotransmitters are released
synaptic consolidation The creation of memories that have just been actively thought about
systems consolidation
A wider type of consolidation in which memories become less
dependent on the hippocampus
temporal lobes One of the lobes of the neocortex located below and behind the frontal lobes.
Probably the portion of the cortex most strongly associated with memory storage
terminal buttons Part of a neuron at the end tips of an axon where the neurotransmitters are
stored before being released into the synapse
thalamus A midbrain structure that is involved in memory by coordinating different types of
information from different parts of the brain
Tannscranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) The neuroscience measure of artificially
stimulating a cortex to create a temporary “lesion”
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