1.4-1.5 Vocabulary, AP Psych

Front

EEG

Back

An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity sweeping across the brain’s surface, measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.

Front

fMRI

Back

A technique for revealing blood flow and brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans.

Front

Lesioning

Back

Tissue destruction that may occur naturally, during surgery, or experimentally.

Front

Brain Plasticity

Back

The brain’s ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience.

Front

Brain Stem

Back

The central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; responsible for automatic survival functions.

Front

Medulla

Back

The hindbrain structure that is the brainstem’s base; controls heartbeat and breathing.

Front

Reticular Activating System

Back

Brainstem region that regulates wakefulness and sleep-wake transitions, turns on and off the processing of sensory stimuli, maintains consciousness, and regulates levels of alertness and arousal.

Front

Thalamus

Back

The forebrain’s sensory control center, located on the top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla.

Front

Cerebellum

Back

The hindbrain’s “little brain” at the rear of the brainstem; its functions include processing sensory input, coordinating movement output and balance, and enabling nonverbal learning and memory.

Front

Limbic System

Back

A neural system located mostly in the forebrain, including the amygdala, hypothalamus, hippocampus, thalamus, and pituitary gland; associated with emotions and drives.