Exam 1 Ch.2

Front 1

activation imaging approach

Back 1

attempts to directly link functional brain activity with cognitive behavioral data

Front 2

amygdala

Back 2

the region of the brain, located in the medial-temporal lobe, believed to play a key role in emotion

Front 3

antioxidants

Back 3

compounds hat protect cells from the harmful effects of free radicals

Front 4

axon

Back 4

a structure of the neuron that contains neurofibers

Front 5

cerebellum

Back 5

the part of the brain that is associated with motor functioning and balance equilibrium

Front 6

cerebral cortex

Back 6

the outermost part of the brain consisting of two hemispheres (left and right)

Front 7

CRUNCH model

Back 7

a model that describes how the aging brain adapts to neurological decline by recruiting additional neural circuits (in comparison to younger adults) to perform tasks adequately

Front 8

compensatory changes

Back 8

changes that allow older adults to adapt to the inevitable behavioral decline resulting from changes in specific areas of the brain

Front 9

corpus callosum

Back 9

a thick bundle of neurons that connects the left and right hemispheres of the cerebral cortex

Front 10

default network of the brain

Back 10

the regions of the brain that are most active at rest

Front 11

dendrites

Back 11

a structural feature of a neuron that acts like antennas to receive signals from other nearby neurons

Front 12

diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)

Back 12

the measurement of the diffusion of water molecules in tissue in order to study connections of neural pathways in the brain

Front 13

dopamine

Back 13

a neurotransmitter associated with higher-level cognitive functioning

Front 14

dopaminergic system

Back 14

neuronal systems that use dopamine as their major neurotransmitter

Front 15

executive functions

Back 15

include the ability to make and carry out plans, switch between tasks, and maintain attention and focus

Front 16

free radicals

Back 16

substances that can damage cells, including brain cells, and play a role in cancer and other diseases as we grow older

Front 17

functional neuroimaging

Back 17

provides an indication of brain activity but not high anatomical detail

Front 18

HAROLD model

Back 18

a model that explains the empirical findings of reduced lateralization in prefrontal lobe activity in older adults (that is, the reduced ability of older adults to separate cognitive processing in different parts of the prefrontal cortex)

Front 19

hippocampus

Back 19

located in the medial-temporal lobe, this part of the brain plays a major role in memory, among other functions

Front 20

limbic system

Back 20

a set of brain structures involved with emotion, motivation, and long-term memory, among other functions

Front 21

neuro correlational approach

Back 21

an approach that attempts to relate measures of cognitive performance to measures of brain structure or functioning

Front 22

neural stem cells

Back 22

cells that persist in the adult brain and can generate new neurons throughout the life span

Front 23

neuroanatomy

Back 23

the study of the structure of the brain

Front 24

neurofibers

Back 24

structures in the neuron that carry information inside the neuron from the dendrites to the terminal branches

Front 25

neuroimaging

Back 25

a set of techniques in which pictures of the brain are taken in various ways to provide understanding of both normal and abnormal cognitive aging

Front 26

neurons

Back 26

a brain cell

Front 27

neuropsychological approach

Back 27

compares brain functioning of healthy older adults with adults displaying various pathological disorders in the brain

Front 28

neuroscience

Back 28

the study of the brain

Front 29

neurotransmitters

Back 29

chemicals that carry information signals between neurons across the synapse

Front 30

Parieto-Frontal Integration Theory (P-FIT)

Back 30

a theory that proposes that intelligence comes from a distributed and integrated network of neurons in the parietal and frontal areas of the brain

Front 31

plasticity

Back 31

involves the interaction between the brain and the environment and is mostly used to describe the effects of experience on the structure and functions of the neural system

Front 32

positivity effect

Back 32

when an individual remembers more positive information relative to negative information

Front 33

prefrontal cortex

Back 33

part of the frontal lobe that is involved in executive functioning

Front 34

Scaffolding Theory of Cognitive Again (STAC)

Back 34

a model based on the idea that age-related changes in one's ability to function reflect a life-long process of compensating for cognitive decline by recruiting additional brain areas

Front 35

structural neuroimaging

Back 35

a set of techniques that provides highly detailed images of anatomical features of the brain

Front 36

synapse

Back 36

the gap between neurons across which neurotransmitters travel

Front 37

terminal branches

Back 37

the endpoints in a neuron that help transmit signals across the synapse

Front 38

White matter

Back 38

neurons that are covered by myelin that serve to transmit information from one part of the cerebral cortex to another or from the cerebral cortex to other parts of the brain

Front 39

white matter hyperintensities (WMH)

Back 39

abnormalities in the brain often found in older adults; correlated with cognitive decline