GLOSSARY

Acetylcholine—A neurotransmitter involved with memory formation, mostly excitatory, that has been implicated in problems with muscles, Alzheimer’s disease, and learning problems

Amygdala—Part of the limbic or emotional system of the brain that is found on the front, inside aspect of the temporal lobes; involved with tagging emotional valences to experiences or events

Anterior cingulate gyrus—The brain’s gear shifter, which runs lengthwise through the frontal lobes; helps with cognitive flexibility

Antioxidants—Help prevent damage from free radical formation

Axon—Usually a long process that projects from the cell body to connect with other cells

Basal ganglia—Large structures deep in the brain involved with motor movements, anxiety, and pleasure

Central nervous system—Composed of the spinal cord and parts of the brain, brain stem, thalamus, basal ganglia, cerebellum, and cerebral cortex

Deep limbic system—Deep structures in the brain that influence emotional responsiveness

Dendrites—Structures that branch out from the cell body and serve as the main receivers of signals from other nerve cells; they function as the “antennae” of the neuron

Dopamine—A neurotransmitter involved with attention, motor movements, and motivation that has been implicated in problems with Parkinson’s disease, attention deficit disorder, addictions, depression, and schizophrenia

fMRI—A brain scan that uses powerful magnets to look at brain blood flow and activity patterns

Free radicals—Oxygen combined with other molecules to generate highly toxic substances that must be neutralized by antioxidants or they cause damage to cells

Gamma-aminobutyric acid—An inhibitory neurotransmitter involved with calming brain function that has been implicated in problems with seizures, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and pain

Glutamate—Excitatory (stimulating) neurotransmitter

Hippocampus—Part of the inside of the temporal lobes that facilitates memory function

Magnetic resonance imaging—A brain scan that uses powerful magnets to look at the physical structure of organs

Myelin—The whitish protein covering of neurons

Myelination—The act of laying myelin onto neurons

Nerve growth factors—One of several growth factors in the brain that promote the regeneration of nerve cells after injury

Neurogenesis—The growth of new neurons

Neuron—Nerve cell

Neurotransmitter—A chemical that is released from one neuron at the presynaptic nerve terminal (the end of an axon) across the synapse where it may be accepted by the next neuron (on the dendrites) at specialized sites called receptors. There are many different neurotransmitters, such as acetylcholine, serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.

Norepinephrine—A neurotransmitter involved with mood, concentration, and motivation and thought to be associated with problems of attention, depression, and anxiety

Occipital lobes—Visual cortex in the back of the brain

Oxytocin—A hormone involved with bonding

Parietal lobes—Top, back part of the brain involved with sensory processing, visual processing, seeing movement, and direction sense

Positron emission tomography—A brain scan that uses isotopes to look at glucose metabolism and activity patterns in the brain

Prefrontal cortex—Front third of the brain, responsible for executive functions such as forethought and judgment

Serotonin—A neurotransmitter involved with mood, flexibility, and shifting attention that is often involved with problems of depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, sleep disturbances, and pain

Single photon emission computed tomography—A brain scan that uses isotopes to look at blood flow and activity patterns in the brain

Synapses—Junctions formed between nerve cells where the presynaptic terminal of an axon comes into “contact” with the dendrite’s postsynaptic membrane of another neuron. There are two types of synapses, electrical and chemical.

Synaptic plasticity—The ability of synapses to change to more efficiently signal other neurons

Temporal lobes—Large structures involved in memory, auditory processing, mood stability, and temper control that are located underneath the temples and behind the eyes