Neuroscience Basics: Basal Ganglia and Temporal Lobes

A group of brain structures involved in planning and coordinating movement, especially in the initiation of spontaneous movements.

A neurological disorder characterized by tremors, rigidity, slowness of movement, and difficulty initiating or stopping movements.

A brain region within the basal ganglia that plays a crucial role in processing and experiencing reward.

A study by Olds and Milner (1954) that demonstrated the role of the nucleus accumbens in reward by electrically stimulating the septum in rats, causing them to exhibit rewarding behavior.

A treatment for Parkinson's disease that involves surgically implanting electrodes into specific brain regions to modulate neural activity and reduce motor symptoms.

The somatosensory cortex is organized in a hierarchical manner, with the legs, torso, and feet represented higher up, and the hands, face, and neck areas represented further down. This organization reflects the importance of these body parts for sensory input and motor control.

Similar to the motor cortex, the somatosensory cortex dedicates a larger proportion of itself to the hands and face than to the body and legs. This difference reflects our increased sensitivity to touch in these areas.

The somatosensory cortex is located in the parietal lobe, directly next to the primary motor cortex. This close proximity allows for efficient communication between the two.

The parietal lobe, including the somatosensory cortex, plays a crucial role in our ability to understand and navigate our surroundings by providing information about our body's position in space.

The somatosensory cortex helps with spatial navigation by allowing us to feel and perceive our own body, making it possible to plan and execute movements in our environment.

Hemispatial neglect is a condition where individuals ignore the left side of space or objects, as if that part of the world no longer exists. This is primarily caused by damage to the right parietal lobe, but also by damage to other areas.

Clinicians test for hemispatial neglect by asking patients to copy images of symmetrical objects. Patients with the condition tend to only draw the right half of the object, indicating their neglect for the left side.

The parietal lobe is a key part of our brains that helps to integrate sensory information, especially about touch and position, and guides our interaction with the world around us.

Individual nerve cells that make up the brain and nervous system.

Neurons communicate using a combination of electrical and chemical processes.

The most fundamental unit of the nervous system.

Sensory neurons transmit information from sensory receptors in the body to the brain for further processing.

Motor neurons transmit information from the brain to muscles and organs, telling them how to function.

Interneurons transmit information between other neurons. They make up most of the neurons in the brain.

The cell body of a neuron, where most of the neuron's important processing takes place.

Branch-like structures that receive signals from other neurons.

Communication within a single neuron, involving the movement of electrical signals from dendrites to the axon hillock.

An ion is a molecule or chemical with a net electrical charge.

A positively charged ion.

A negatively charged ion.

The passive movement of a substance from an area of high concentration to low concentration.

The force that attracts oppositely charged ions and repels similarly charged ions.

The process by which electrical information travels from the axon hillock along the axon to the terminal buttons.

The space between two neurons where chemical communication occurs.

The temporal lobes are located below the frontal lobes and in front of the occipital lobe. They play a crucial role in various functions, including auditory processing, object recognition, facial perception, and memory formation.

The primary auditory cortex, located in the temporal lobes, processes sound information. This means it decodes sound signals from the ears and interprets them.

Damage to the right temporal lobe, particularly the fusiform face area (FFA), can lead to prosopagnosia, a condition where individuals lose the ability to recognize familiar faces. This region is specifically involved in facial recognition.

Visual agnosia, another disorder associated with temporal lobe damage, affects individuals' ability to visually recognize objects. This means that despite seeing an object, they struggle to identify what it is.

Wernicke's area is a region in the temporal lobe that plays a vital role in language comprehension, particularly understanding spoken language.

Wernicke's aphasia is a language disorder characterized by fluent speech but with little to no meaning. Individuals with this condition may use filler words or speak nonsensically, struggling to convey their thoughts in a clear and understandable way.

The temporal lobes receive sound information from the ears via the auditory nerve, which is then processed by the primary auditory cortex. This process helps us understand words and identify the location of sounds in our environment.

The auditory cortex analyzes sound information to help us determine the location of sounds in 3D space. This ability is crucial for recognizing objects in the environment and detecting potential dangers.

A neurotransmitter binds to a specific receptor, like a key fitting a lock, only if the neurotransmitter and receptor perfectly match.

Neurotransmitters bind to post-synaptic receptors, causing either an excitatory (EPSP) or inhibitory (IPSP) potential in the post-synaptic neuron.

The process of clearing excess neurotransmitters from the synapse to ensure proper and efficient signaling.

The pre-synaptic neuron reabsorbs the released neurotransmitter for later use.

Enzymes in the synapse break down neurotransmitters into inactive components.

The process of neurotransmitter release from the pre-synaptic neuron into the synapse.

A cycle of communication between neurons, starting with graded potentials, triggering an action potential, and then releasing neurotransmitters to influence the next neuron.

The point where an action potential is generated in a neuron, located at the base of the axon.