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60 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
6-Hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)
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a chemical that is absorbed by neurons that release dopamine or norepinephrine; it then oxidized into toxic chemicals that kill those neurons.
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Ablation
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the removal of a structure.
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Action potential
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rapid depolarization and slight reversal of the usual polarization caused by stimulation beyond the threshold.
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Amphetamine
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stimulant drug that increases the release of dopamine.
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Apomorphine
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morphine derivative that stimulates dopamine receptors.
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Apoptosis
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developmental program by which a neuron kills itself at a certain age unless inhibited from doing so.
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Axons
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single thin fibers of constant diameter that extend from a neuron.
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Blood-brain barrier
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the mechanism that keeps many chemicals out of the brain.
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Central nervous system (CNS)
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the brain and spinal cord.
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Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
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liquid similar to blood serum, found in the ventricles of the brain and in the central canal of the spinal cord.
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Closed head injury
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sharp blow to the head resulting from a fall, an automobile or motorcycle accident, an assault, or other sudden trauma that does not actually puncture the brain.
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Cocaine
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stimulant drug that increases the stimulation of dopamine synapses by blocking the reuptake of dopamine by the presynaptic neuron.
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Collateral sprout
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newly formed branch from an uninjured axon that attaches to a synapse vacated when another axon was destroyed.
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Deafferent
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to remove the sensory nerves from a body part.
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Dendrite
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branching fiber that emanates from a neuron, growing narrower as it extends from the cell body toward the periphery.
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Denervation supersensitivity
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increased sensitivity by a postsynaptic cell after removal of an axon that formerly innervated it.
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Diaschisis
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decreased activity of surviving neurons after other neurons are damaged.
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Differentiation
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formation of the axon and dendrites that gives a neuron its distinctive shape.
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Disuse supersensitivity
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increased sensitivity by a postsynaptic cell because of decreased input by incoming axons.
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Dopamine
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a neurotransmitter.
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Edema
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accumulation of fluid.
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Evolution
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change in the frequencies of various genes in a population over generations.
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Fetal alcohol syndrome
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condition resulting from prenatal exposure to alcohol and marked by decreased alertness, hyperactivity, varying degrees of mental retardation, motor problems, heart defects, and facial abnormalities.
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Focal hand dystonia
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musician's cramp, a condition in which the touch responses to one finger overlap those of another, leading to clumsiness, fatigue, and involuntary movements.
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GABA (gamma amino butyric acid)
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the most abundant inhibitory neurotransmitter.
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Ganglioside
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molecule composed of carbohydrates and fats.
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Glutamate
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the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter.
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Hemorrhage
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the rupture of an artery.
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Hormones
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chemicals secreted by glands and conveyed by the blood to other organs, which are influenced by their activity.
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Ischemia
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local insufficiency of blood because a blood clot or other obstruction has closed an artery.
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Kennard principle
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generalization (not always correct) that it is easier to recover from brain damage early in life than later.
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Lesion
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damage to a structure.
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Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
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method of imaging a living brain by using a magnetic field and a radio frequency field to make atoms with odd atomic weights all rotate in the same direction and then removing those fields and measuring the energy that the atoms release.
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Magnetoencephalograph (MEG)
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a device that measures the faint magnetic fields generated by the brain's activity.
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Migration
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the movement of neurons toward their eventual destinations in the brain.
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Myelin sheath
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insulating material that covers many vertebrate axons.
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Myelination
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development of a myelin sheath that insulates an axon.
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Nerve growth factor (NGF)
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protein that promotes the survival and growth of axons in the sympathetic nervous system and certain axons in the brain.
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Neural Darwinism
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the principle that, in the development of the nervous system, synapses form haphazardly at first, and then a selection process keeps some and rejects others.
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Neurons
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cells that receive information and transmit it to other cells by conducting electrochemical impulses. See also Synapses.
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Neurotrophin
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a chemical that promotes the survival and activity of neurons.
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Penumbra
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area of endangered cells surrounding an area of primary damage.
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Phantom limb
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the continuing sensation of an amputated body part.
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Postcentral gyrus
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a gyrus of the cerebral cortex just posterior to the central gyrus; a primary projection site for touch and other body sensations.
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Postsynaptic neuron
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a neuron on the receiving end of a synapse.
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Prefrontal cortex
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the anterior portion of the frontal lobe of the cortex, which responds mostly to the sensory stimuli that signal the need for a movement.
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Primates
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monkeys, apes, and humans.
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Progesterone
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a steroid hormone which, among other functions, prepares the uterus for the implantation of a fertilized ovum and promotes the maintenance of pregnancy.
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Proliferation
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the production of new cells.
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Sham lesion
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a control procedure for an experiment, in which an investigator inserts an electrode into a brain but does not pass a current.
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Somatosensory system
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the sensory network that monitors the surface of the body and its movements.
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Spinal cord
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the part of the CNS found within the spinal column; it communicates with the sense organs and muscles below the level of the head.
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Stem cells
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undifferentiated cells that can divide and produce daughter cells that develop more specialized properties.
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Stereotaxic instrument
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a device for the precise placement of electrodes in the head.
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Stimulant drugs
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drugs that tend to produce excitement, alertness, elevated mood, decreased fatigue, and sometimes increased motor activity.
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Stroke (cerebrovascular accident)
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the temporary loss of normal blood flow to a brain area.
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Synapses
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points of communication at the gap between two neurons or between a neuron and a muscle.
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Synaptogenesis
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the formation of synapses.
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Tectum
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the roof of the midbrain.
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Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)
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a drug that breaks up blood clots.
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