Cognitive neuroscience terms
Introduction to the brain
Gray matter = matter consisting primarily of neuronal cell bodies
White matter = tissue of the nervous system consisting primarily of axons and support cells
Glia = support cells of the nervous system involved in tissue repair and in the formation of
myelin
Corpus callosum = a large white matter tract that connects the two hemispheres
Ventricles = the hollow chambers of the brain that contain cerebrospinal fluid
Anterior = towards the front
Posterior = towards the back
Superior = towards the top
Inferior = towards the bottom
Dorsal = towards the top (back)
Ventral = towards the bottom (front)
Lateral = the outer part
Medial = in or toward the middle
Gyri = the raised folds of the cortex
Sulci = the buried grooves of the cortex
Brodmann’s areas = regions of cortex defined by the relative distribution of cell types across
cortical layers
Basal ganglia = regions of subcortical gray matter involved in aspects of motor control and
skill learning; they consist of structures such as the caudate nucleus, putamen, and globus
pallidus
Limbic system = a region of subcortex involved in relating the organism to its present and
past environment; limbic structures include the amygdala, hippocampus, cingulate cortex,
and mamillary bodies
Thalamus = a major subcortical relay center; for instance, it is a processing station between
all sensory organs (except smell) and the cortex
Hypothalamus = consists of a variety of nuclei that are specialized for different functions that
are primarily concerned with the body and its regulation
Superior colliculi = a midbrain nucleus that forms part of a subcortical sensory pathway
involved in programming fast eye movements
Inferior colliculi = a midbrain nucleus that forms part of a subcortical auditory pathway
, Cerebellum = structure attached to the hindbrain; important for dexterity and smooth
execution of movement
Pons = part of the hindbrain; a key link between the cerebellum and the cerebrum
Medulla oblongata = part of the hindbrain; it regulates vital functions such as breathing,
swallowing, heart rate, and the wake-sleep cycle
The developing brain
Nature-nurture debate = the extent to which cognition and behavior can be attributed to
genes or environment
Neuroconstructivism = a process of interaction between environment and multiple,, brain-
based constraints that leads to the mature cognitive system emerging out of transformations
of earlier ones
Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) = a hemodynamic method that measures blood
oxygenation, normally in one brain region
Neural tube = the embryo’s precursor to the central nervous system, consisting of a set of
cells arranged in a hollow cylinder
Neuroblasts = stem cells for neurons
Radial glial cells = support cells that guide neurons from the neural tube to final destination
Myelination = an increase in the fatty sheath that surrounds axons and increases the speed
of information transmission
Filial imprinting = the process by which a young animal comes to recognize the parent
Critical period = a time window in which appropriate environmental input is essential for
learning to take place
Sensitive period = a time window in which appropriate environmental input is particularly
important (but not necessarily essential) for learning to take place
Empiricism = in philosophy, the view that the newborn mind is a blank slate
Nativism = in philosophy, the view that at least some forms of knowledge are innate
Instinct = a behavior that is a product of natural selection
Prepared learning = the theory that common phobias are biologically determined from
evolutionary pressures
Introduction to the brain
Gray matter = matter consisting primarily of neuronal cell bodies
White matter = tissue of the nervous system consisting primarily of axons and support cells
Glia = support cells of the nervous system involved in tissue repair and in the formation of
myelin
Corpus callosum = a large white matter tract that connects the two hemispheres
Ventricles = the hollow chambers of the brain that contain cerebrospinal fluid
Anterior = towards the front
Posterior = towards the back
Superior = towards the top
Inferior = towards the bottom
Dorsal = towards the top (back)
Ventral = towards the bottom (front)
Lateral = the outer part
Medial = in or toward the middle
Gyri = the raised folds of the cortex
Sulci = the buried grooves of the cortex
Brodmann’s areas = regions of cortex defined by the relative distribution of cell types across
cortical layers
Basal ganglia = regions of subcortical gray matter involved in aspects of motor control and
skill learning; they consist of structures such as the caudate nucleus, putamen, and globus
pallidus
Limbic system = a region of subcortex involved in relating the organism to its present and
past environment; limbic structures include the amygdala, hippocampus, cingulate cortex,
and mamillary bodies
Thalamus = a major subcortical relay center; for instance, it is a processing station between
all sensory organs (except smell) and the cortex
Hypothalamus = consists of a variety of nuclei that are specialized for different functions that
are primarily concerned with the body and its regulation
Superior colliculi = a midbrain nucleus that forms part of a subcortical sensory pathway
involved in programming fast eye movements
Inferior colliculi = a midbrain nucleus that forms part of a subcortical auditory pathway
, Cerebellum = structure attached to the hindbrain; important for dexterity and smooth
execution of movement
Pons = part of the hindbrain; a key link between the cerebellum and the cerebrum
Medulla oblongata = part of the hindbrain; it regulates vital functions such as breathing,
swallowing, heart rate, and the wake-sleep cycle
The developing brain
Nature-nurture debate = the extent to which cognition and behavior can be attributed to
genes or environment
Neuroconstructivism = a process of interaction between environment and multiple,, brain-
based constraints that leads to the mature cognitive system emerging out of transformations
of earlier ones
Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) = a hemodynamic method that measures blood
oxygenation, normally in one brain region
Neural tube = the embryo’s precursor to the central nervous system, consisting of a set of
cells arranged in a hollow cylinder
Neuroblasts = stem cells for neurons
Radial glial cells = support cells that guide neurons from the neural tube to final destination
Myelination = an increase in the fatty sheath that surrounds axons and increases the speed
of information transmission
Filial imprinting = the process by which a young animal comes to recognize the parent
Critical period = a time window in which appropriate environmental input is essential for
learning to take place
Sensitive period = a time window in which appropriate environmental input is particularly
important (but not necessarily essential) for learning to take place
Empiricism = in philosophy, the view that the newborn mind is a blank slate
Nativism = in philosophy, the view that at least some forms of knowledge are innate
Instinct = a behavior that is a product of natural selection
Prepared learning = the theory that common phobias are biologically determined from
evolutionary pressures
