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39 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
activation imaging approach |
attempts to directly link functional brain activity with cognitive behavioral data |
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amygdala |
the region of the brain, located in the medial-temporal lobe, believed to play a key role in emotion |
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antioxidants |
compounds hat protect cells from the harmful effects of free radicals |
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axon |
a structure of the neuron that contains neurofibers |
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cerebellum |
the part of the brain that is associated with motor functioning and balance equilibrium |
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cerebral cortex |
the outermost part of the brain consisting of two hemispheres (left and right) |
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CRUNCH model |
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 |
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compensatory changes |
changes that allow older adults to adapt to the inevitable behavioral decline resulting from changes in specific areas of the brain |
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corpus callosum |
a thick bundle of neurons that connects the left and right hemispheres of the cerebral cortex |
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default network of the brain |
the regions of the brain that are most active at rest |
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dendrites |
a structural feature of a neuron that acts like antennas to receive signals from other nearby neurons |
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diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) |
the measurement of the diffusion of water molecules in tissue in order to study connections of neural pathways in the brain |
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dopamine |
a neurotransmitter associated with higher-level cognitive functioning |
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dopaminergic system |
neuronal systems that use dopamine as their major neurotransmitter |
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executive functions |
include the ability to make and carry out plans, switch between tasks, and maintain attention and focus |
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free radicals |
substances that can damage cells, including brain cells, and play a role in cancer and other diseases as we grow older |
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functional neuroimaging |
provides an indication of brain activity but not high anatomical detail |
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HAROLD model |
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) |
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hippocampus |
located in the medial-temporal lobe, this part of the brain plays a major role in memory, among other functions |
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limbic system |
a set of brain structures involved with emotion, motivation, and long-term memory, among other functions |
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neuro correlational approach |
an approach that attempts to relate measures of cognitive performance to measures of brain structure or functioning |
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neural stem cells |
cells that persist in the adult brain and can generate new neurons throughout the life span |
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neuroanatomy |
the study of the structure of the brain |
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neurofibers |
structures in the neuron that carry information inside the neuron from the dendrites to the terminal branches |
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neuroimaging |
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 |
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neurons |
a brain cell |
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neuropsychological approach |
compares brain functioning of healthy older adults with adults displaying various pathological disorders in the brain |
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neuroscience |
the study of the brain |
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neurotransmitters |
chemicals that carry information signals between neurons across the synapse |
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Parieto-Frontal Integration Theory (P-FIT) |
a theory that proposes that intelligence comes from a distributed and integrated network of neurons in the parietal and frontal areas of the brain |
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plasticity |
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 |
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positivity effect |
when an individual remembers more positive information relative to negative information |
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prefrontal cortex |
part of the frontal lobe that is involved in executive functioning |
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Scaffolding Theory of Cognitive Again (STAC) |
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 |
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structural neuroimaging |
a set of techniques that provides highly detailed images of anatomical features of the brain |
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synapse |
the gap between neurons across which neurotransmitters travel |
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terminal branches |
the endpoints in a neuron that help transmit signals across the synapse |
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White matter |
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 |
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white matter hyperintensities (WMH) |
abnormalities in the brain often found in older adults; correlated with cognitive decline |