Intro to Psych > Brain Structures > Flashcards

Brain Structures Flashcards

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1
Q

What are “hypothetical constructs” in cognitive neuropsychology?

A

Internal mental processes such as representations, expectations, and mental imagery that cannot be directly observed but can be studied through their effects.

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2
Q

What is the primary function of the amygdala?

A

Emotion regulation and fear learning; triggers physiological fear responses.

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3
Q

What is the function of the hippocampus?

A

Formation and consolidation of new memories.

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4
Q

What is the function of the cingulate gyrus?

A

Integrates emotional, visceral, and attentional information to give feelings meaning and regulate emotional states.

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5
Q

What structures make up the limbic system (main ones)?

A

Amygdala, hippocampus, and cingulate gyrus.

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6
Q

What is fear conditioning?

A

A form of associative learning where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a fearful response.

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7
Q

What happens during fear conditioning in the brain?

A

The amygdala pairs sensory input with emotional response — the lateral amygdala receives sensory info, and the central amygdala triggers physiological fear responses.

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8
Q

Synaptic Consolidation

A

Strengthening of individual neural connections (short-term; hours; during REM).

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9
Q

Systems Consolidation

A

Gradual reorganization of memory networks between hippocampus and cortex (long-term; during SWS).

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10
Q

Which brain structure coordinates memory consolidation?

A

The hippocampus.

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11
Q

What happens to newly encoded memories before consolidation?

A

they are weak and easily disrupted or lost.

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12
Q

What role does sleep play in memory consolidation?

A

Sleep, especially REM and SWS, facilitates the transfer and strengthening of memories.

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13
Q

What type of memory benefits from slow-wave sleep (SWS)?

A

Declarative (explicit) memory — facts and events.

Episodic + Semantic Long Term Memory

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14
Q

What is the hippocampal replay hypothesis?

A

During sleep, hippocampal neurons replay firing patterns from learning experiences, strengthening memory traces.

Seen in rats that the parts of the hippocampus that fired while they explored a maze also fired when they slept (for shorter time frames)

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15
Q

What human study supports hippocampal replay?

A

Maquet et al. (2000) — PET scans showed task-related brain areas reactivated during sleep after learning a motor skill.

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16
Q

What is memory reconsolidation?

A

When a retrieved memory becomes unstable and must be “re-stored,” allowing modification or weakening.

Occurs after memory is pulled back into working memory, which alters it, and then must be reconsolidated back into LTM

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17
Q

Which brain structure is central to both emotional learning (Fear associations) and reconsolidation?

A

The amygdala.

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18
Q

Which structure coordinates long-term storage by reactivating neural patterns during sleep?

A

The hippocampus.

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19
Q

What type of memory consolidation occurs over longer time periods (days/weeks)?

A

Systems consolidation.

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20
Q

What happens in the brain during REM sleep?

A

Emotional and procedural memories are refined and strengthened through synaptic consolidation.

Hypocampal replay theory

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21
Q

What are the two main parts of the human nervous system?

A

The Central Nervous System (CNS) — brain and spinal cord — and the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) — all nerves outside the CNS.

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22
Q

What are the two subsystems (types of neurons) of the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)?

A

The sensory system (afferent) and the motor system (efferent).

Afferent neurons mean carrying info to brain, efferent means carrying info from brain

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23
Q

What is the cerebral cortex?

A

The outermost layer of the brain, responsible for higher-order functions like thought, perception, and decision-making.

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24
Q

what are the four main lobes of the cerebral cortex?

A

Frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes.

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25
Where is the frontal lobe located?
At the front of the brain, behind the forehead.
26
What is the main function of the frontal lobe?
Executive functions — planning, reasoning, decision-making, and voluntary movement.
27
Which specific area in the frontal lobe controls voluntary motor movement?
he primary motor cortex (precentral gyrus).
28
Which area in the frontal lobe is responsible for speech production?
Broca’s area (usually in the left hemisphere).
29
Broca's Area
Located in Frontal Lobe Function: Responsible for speech production and the motor planning of language. It helps you form words, articulate sentences, and organize grammatical structure when you speak or write. Damage (Broca’s Aphasia): People can understand language, but have difficulty speaking fluently. Speech becomes slow, effortful, and broken, but usually makes sense (e.g., “Walk dog… park”).
30
Wernicke’s Area
Location: In the temporal lobe, also usually in the left hemisphere (specifically the posterior superior temporal gyrus). Function: Responsible for language comprehension — understanding spoken and written language. It helps you interpret meaning, syntax, and context of words and sentences. Damage (Wernicke’s Aphasia): People can speak fluently, but their words often lack meaning — known as “word salad.” They have poor comprehension of what others say. Example: “The dog purple runs softly bicycle.”
31
Where is the parietal lobe located?
Behind the frontal lobe, near the top and back of the brain.
32
What is the function of the parietal lobe?
Processing touch, temperature, pain, and spatial awareness.
33
Which area in the parietal lobe processes body sensations? (such as touch)
somatosensory cortex
34
Where is the temporal lobe located?
On the sides of the brain, near the temples and ears.
35
What is the main function of the temporal lobe?
Processing auditory information, language comprehension, and memory storage.
36
Which area in the temporal lobe is responsible for understanding language?
Wernicke’s area.
37
Where is the occipital lobe located?
At the back of the brain.
38
What is the main function of the occipital lobe?
Processing visual information.
39
What is the limbic system responsible for?
Emotion, motivation, and memory formation.
40
What are the main parts of the limbic system?
Amygdala, hippocampus, and cingulate gyrus.
41
What is the function of the cingulate gyrus?
Integrates emotional and cognitive information; helps regulate emotional responses.
42
Where are the basal ganglia located?
Deep in the cerebral hemispheres, surrounding the thalamus.
43
What is the basal ganglia responsible for
Coordination of movement and motor control; habit formation.
44
What are the three main parts of the brainstem?
Midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata.
45
Where is the pons located?
In the brainstem, above the medulla and below the midbrain.
46
What is the function of the pons?
Regulates sleep, breathing, and relays signals between the cerebrum and cerebellum. autonomic
47
Where is the medulla oblongata located?
At the base of the brainstem, connecting to the spinal cord.
48
What is the function of the medulla oblongata?
Heart rate, vital functions
49
Where is the midbrain located?
At the top of the brainstem, between the pons and the thalamus.
50
What is the function of the midbrain?
Cordinates movement, regulates reward and addiction involved in conditioning
51
Where is the thalamus located?
In the center of the brain, above the brainstem.
52
What is the function of the thalamus?
Acts as the brain’s sensory relay station, sending incoming sensory information to the appropriate cortical area
53
Where is the cerebellum located?
At the back of the brain, underneath the occipital lobes.
54
What is the function of the cerebellum?
Coordinates balance, posture, and fine motor movements.
55
Substantia Nigra
Reward, Addiction , and motor control involved in conditioning located above the pons in the midbrain
56
Thalamus
Major Sensory relay station
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Pulivinar
Part of the thalamus, control center for attention
58
The forebrain contains
Cerebral cortex, Limbic Systems and Basal Ganglia
59
Consolidation Hypothesis
Information initially transferred to LTM is weak and subject to disruption/error Ø Requires consolidation -Synaptic consolidation -Systems consolidation Ø Role of the Hippocampus - Coordination of associative connections via reactivation
60
How does age of second language acquisition affect brain representation?
Early learners: Overlapping Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas for both languages. Late learners: Distinct, non-overlapping Broca’s area activation for the second language.
61
Which hemisphere is dominant for language in most people?
The left hemisphere.
62
What is the Broca’s area responsible for?
Speech production (frontal lobe).
63
What is the Wernicke’s area responsible for?
Language comprehension (temporal lobe).
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