PSU Psych 260 Exam 1
neuroscience - ANSthe scientific study of the brain and nervous system in health and disease
biological psychology - ANSstudy of the biological foundations of behavior, emotions, and
mental processes
molecular neuroscientist - ANSattempts to understand the chemicals that build the system and
make neural functioning possible
cellular neuroscientist - ANSoutlines the structure, physiological properties, and functions of
single cells found within the nervous system
synaptic neuroscience - ANSexamines the strength and flexibility of neural connections
cognitive neuroscience - ANSstudy of the biological correlates of information processing,
learning and memory, decision making, and reasoning
social neuroscience - ANSexplores the interactions between the nervous system and our
human social environment and behavior
mind-body dualism - ANSRene Descarte's idea that the body is mechanistic while the mind is
separate and nonphysical; can't be studied through the natural sciences
monism - ANSphilosophical idea that the mind is the product of activity in the brain and,
therefore, can be scientifically studied
John Hughlings Jackson - ANSfounder of modern neuroscience; nervous system is organized in
a hierarchy with simpler processes carried out by lower levels and more sophisticated
processing carried out by higher levels
histological - ANSmicroscopic methods that provide means for observing the structure,
organization, and connections of individual cells and tissues
microtome - ANSa device used to make very thin slices of tissue for histology
Golgi stain - ANSallows for detailed structural analysis of a small number of single cells (single
neurons)
Nissl stain - ANSallows for identifying clusters of cell bodies within a sample of tissue
, myelin stain - ANSallows for tracking pathways that carry information from one part of the brain
to another by staining the insulating material that covers many nerve fibers; traces neural
pathways
horseradish peroxidase - ANSa stain used to trace axon pathways from their terminals to points
of origin
computerized tomography (CT) - ANScomputers are used to enhance X-ray images to image
previously unseen anatomical structures, such as the brain
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) - ANSimaging that observes the localization of brain
activity by detecting radiation released by radioactive atoms that are decaying or breaking up
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - ANSimaging that uses powerful magnets to align hydrogen
atoms within a magnetic field to provide very high resolution structural images
functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) - ANSimaging that allows us to correlate brain
activity with the presentation of a stimulus, emotional state, or task performance by tracking the
variations of blood flow to a particular area of the brain
Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) - ANSimaging that maps connectivity in the brain by tracking the
movement of water in the fiber pathways of the nervous system BUT does not tell us about the
direction of flow
Electroencephalogram (EEG) - ANSrecording of the brain's electrical activity
event-related potential (ERP) - ANSform of EEG that allows for the correlation of timing of
activity of cortical neurons with stimuli presented to the participant
Magnetoencephalography (MEG) - ANSform of EEG that allows researchers to record the
brain's magnetic activity
repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) - ANStechnique for stimulating the cortex at
regular intervals by applying magnetic pulses delivered through a single coil of wire encased in
plastic that is placed on the scalp
optogenetics - ANSthe genetic insertion of molecules into specific neurons in the brain resulting
in the ability of neural function to be modified by light
ablation - ANSsurgical removal of tissue
concordance rate - ANSstatistical probability that two cases will agree, usually involving twin
studies
neuroscience - ANSthe scientific study of the brain and nervous system in health and disease
biological psychology - ANSstudy of the biological foundations of behavior, emotions, and
mental processes
molecular neuroscientist - ANSattempts to understand the chemicals that build the system and
make neural functioning possible
cellular neuroscientist - ANSoutlines the structure, physiological properties, and functions of
single cells found within the nervous system
synaptic neuroscience - ANSexamines the strength and flexibility of neural connections
cognitive neuroscience - ANSstudy of the biological correlates of information processing,
learning and memory, decision making, and reasoning
social neuroscience - ANSexplores the interactions between the nervous system and our
human social environment and behavior
mind-body dualism - ANSRene Descarte's idea that the body is mechanistic while the mind is
separate and nonphysical; can't be studied through the natural sciences
monism - ANSphilosophical idea that the mind is the product of activity in the brain and,
therefore, can be scientifically studied
John Hughlings Jackson - ANSfounder of modern neuroscience; nervous system is organized in
a hierarchy with simpler processes carried out by lower levels and more sophisticated
processing carried out by higher levels
histological - ANSmicroscopic methods that provide means for observing the structure,
organization, and connections of individual cells and tissues
microtome - ANSa device used to make very thin slices of tissue for histology
Golgi stain - ANSallows for detailed structural analysis of a small number of single cells (single
neurons)
Nissl stain - ANSallows for identifying clusters of cell bodies within a sample of tissue
, myelin stain - ANSallows for tracking pathways that carry information from one part of the brain
to another by staining the insulating material that covers many nerve fibers; traces neural
pathways
horseradish peroxidase - ANSa stain used to trace axon pathways from their terminals to points
of origin
computerized tomography (CT) - ANScomputers are used to enhance X-ray images to image
previously unseen anatomical structures, such as the brain
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) - ANSimaging that observes the localization of brain
activity by detecting radiation released by radioactive atoms that are decaying or breaking up
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - ANSimaging that uses powerful magnets to align hydrogen
atoms within a magnetic field to provide very high resolution structural images
functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) - ANSimaging that allows us to correlate brain
activity with the presentation of a stimulus, emotional state, or task performance by tracking the
variations of blood flow to a particular area of the brain
Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) - ANSimaging that maps connectivity in the brain by tracking the
movement of water in the fiber pathways of the nervous system BUT does not tell us about the
direction of flow
Electroencephalogram (EEG) - ANSrecording of the brain's electrical activity
event-related potential (ERP) - ANSform of EEG that allows for the correlation of timing of
activity of cortical neurons with stimuli presented to the participant
Magnetoencephalography (MEG) - ANSform of EEG that allows researchers to record the
brain's magnetic activity
repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) - ANStechnique for stimulating the cortex at
regular intervals by applying magnetic pulses delivered through a single coil of wire encased in
plastic that is placed on the scalp
optogenetics - ANSthe genetic insertion of molecules into specific neurons in the brain resulting
in the ability of neural function to be modified by light
ablation - ANSsurgical removal of tissue
concordance rate - ANSstatistical probability that two cases will agree, usually involving twin
studies
