Eppp - Neuropsychology

Front 1

Agnosia

Back 1

The loss of ability to recognize or comprehend various types of stimulation, usually nonlanguage. If the inability to comprehend is in the verbal area, the agnosia is typically called aphasia.

Front 2

Antidepressants

Back 2

Medications used to elevate mood; includes tricyclics, SSRI's, and MAO inhibitors. Antidepressants, which increase brain levels of norepinephrine and/or serotonin, are also used to treat panic disorders and agoraphobia.

Front 3

Aphasia

Back 3

Deficit in or inability to use or understand spoken, symbolic, or written language.

Front 4

Apraxia

Back 4

An inability to execute purposeful movements usually due to damage to the frontal or parietal lobes.

Front 5

Autonomic Nervous System

Back 5

Division of the peripheral nervous system involved in the control of visceral functions (e.g., heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, digestion, and sweating).

Front 6

Broca's Area

Back 6

Region of the frontal part of the left hemisphere responsible for speech production. Damage to this area leads to slow, laborious, and nonfluent speech, known as expressive aphasia or Broca's aphasia.

Front 7

Catecholamines

Back 7

The neurotransmitters norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine. The catecholamine hypothesis holds that depression is due to deficient brain levels of norepinephrine.

Front 8

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Back 8

Consists of the spinal cord and the brain.

Front 9

Cerebral Cortex

Back 9

Covers the entire brain, divided into two hemispheres that are bilaterally symmetrical. Plays a critical role in mediating most higher cognitive processes. Each hemisphere is divided into four lobes: frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal.

Front 10

Conduction Aphasia

Back 10

Due to damage to the nerve fibers (arcuate fasciculus) which connect Broca's area to Wernicke's area. The most typical result of conduction aphasia is difficulty repeating what one has heard.

Front 11

Dopamine

Back 11

A neurotransmitter found in the brain. Insufficient brain dopamine in the basal ganglia is believed to underlie Parkinson's disease, whereas excessive levels are associated with Schizophrenia.

Front 12

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

Back 12

According to Selye, human psychophysiological response to stress involving three stages: Alarm reaction, resistance, and exhaustion.

Front 13

Hippocampus

Back 13

A brain center playing an important role in transferring information from short-term memory to long-term memory.

Front 14

Hypothalamus

Back 14

Involved in regulating the organism's homeostasis. Plays a role in many motivated behaviors such as drinking, feeding, sex, aggression, and maternal behavior.

Front 15

James-Lange Theory

Back 15

Theory that emotions reflect observations and experiences of visceral and muscular reactions to certain stimuli; i.e., "we are sad because we're crying."

Front 16

Kluver-Bucy Syndrome

Back 16

Caused by damage to or removal of portions of the temporal lobes and subcortical areas resulting in symptoms of loss of recognition of people, loss of fear and rage reactions, increased sexual activity, and memory deficits.

Front 17

Left Hemisphere

Back 17

Controls motor and sensory functions on the right side of the body. Specialized for verbal activities.

Front 18

Minor Tranquilizers (also Called Anxiolytics)

Back 18

Anti-anxiety medications which depress cellular activity by inhibiting synaptic transmissions, particularly in the arousal centers in the ascending reticular activating system and the thalamic projections to the cerebral cortex. Include the benzodiazepine

Front 19

Neurotransmitters

Back 19

Chemicals which are used by neurons to communicate with other neurons; either cause excitation or inhibition of a neuron's activity. The different neurotransmitters include norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, and acetylcholine.

Front 20

Norepinephrine

Back 20

Neurotransmitter believed to be involved in depression and mania. Along with epinephrine and dopamine, one of the catecholamines.

Front 21

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Back 21

Division of the autonomic nervous system involved in the conservation of energy and relaxation. Activation is associated with slowing of heart rate, low blood pressure, etc.

Front 22

Phenothiazines

Back 22

Antipsychotic drugs associated with relief of "positive" psychotic symptoms, such as delusions and hallucinations. Also referred to as neuroleptics.

Front 23

Prosopagnosia

Back 23

An inability to recognize familiar faces.

Front 24

REM Rebound

Back 24

Refers to increase in REM sleep that occurs upon cessation of use of certain drugs, such as barbiturates.

Front 25

Reticular Activating System (RAS)

Back 25

A system of undifferentiated neurons extending throughout the brain responsible for functions related to brain arousal, sleep, and filtering of stimuli.

Front 26

Right Hemisphere

Back 26

Controls motor and sensory functions on the left side of the body. Specialized for spatial activities.

Front 27

Serotonin

Back 27

Neurotransmitter that has been implicated in certain mental disorders including the Mood Disorders and Schizophrenia.

Front 28

Sympathetic Nervous System

Back 28

Division of the autonomic nervous system involved in emergency (flight or fight) reactions. Activation produces increased heart rate, pupil dilation, etc.

Front 29

Tardive Dyskinesia

Back 29

Involuntary rhythmic movements that occur as a side effect of the use of phenothiazines.

Front 30

Thalamus

Back 30

Serves as a central switching station for sensory information going to the cortex, and for communication between different cortical regions as well as between the cortex and the subcortical regions of the brain.

Front 31

Tricyclics

Back 31

Antidepressants that increase brain levels of norepinephrine and serotonin.

Front 32

Wernicke's Area

Back 32

A region in the left temporal lobe involved in understanding speech. Damage leads to receptive speech aphasias.