BrainFacts: Ch. 7, 8, and 9

Young brains

100

A newborn brain weight is approximately this heavy

370 ounces (13 ounces), slightly less than 1 pound

200

this is the fastest growing brain region. It also contains the most neurons

cerebellum

300

How much of a 2-year-old's brain is the total size of an adult brain? How many more synapses are in the 2-year-old's brain than the adult brain?

80% the size of the adult brain; 50% more synapses

400

This kind of diagnostic procedure shows the quality of white matter

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)

500

This kind of plasticity is where the organization and specialization of a person's brain regions are determined by life experiences that are not expected, like the brain regions that control the movement of the fingers of the left hand are more developed in a violinist.

experience-dependent plasticity

Old brains

100

Describe dementia

decline in cognition that interferes with day-to-day functioning

200

this intelligence describes our capability of solving problems and finding patterns. It has been shown to peak at age 30.

fluid intelligence

300

these dendritic spines are important for working memory and are very plastic, able to change very quickly

thin spines

400

these are the only two areas of the brain where neurogenesis stays in adulthood

olfactory bulbs and dentate gyrus

500

These glial cells defend against pathogens, clean up cellular waste, and maintain/remodel synapses. They have been shown to be more reactive with age, increasing inflammatory responses and may cause damage

microglia

Zzzzzzz

100

Give the two main states of sleep

Slow wave sleep (SWS), rapid eye movement sleep (REM sleep)

200

This sleep state has high amplitude, low frequency, because neurons are switching from a depolarized.excited state to a hyperpolarized/less excited state and back again in a synchronized way.

Slow wave sleep (SWS)

300

How do SWS and REM cycles alternate?

SWS and REM alternate in cycles of 75-80 minutes of SWS and 10-15 minutes of REM, with REM getting deeper and longer toward morning

400

this neurotransmitter is in high amounts when we are awake, low amounts when we are in SWS, and high amounts again when we are in REM sleep

acetylcholine

500

arousal systems are suppressed during SWS by this specific brain structure by using galanin and GABA; damage to it causes irreversible insomnia

VLPO (ventrolateral preoptic nucleus)

I need more Zzzzzz

100

This specific brain structure regulates our circadian system/rhythm.

suprachiasmatic nucleus (master clock), found in the hypothalamus

200

the levels of this molecule increase the longer you have been awake, which then causes you to feel more sleepy.

adenosine

300

This condition is when airway muscles of the throat relax and close the airway, which causes arousal before entering deeper stages of SWS due to difficulty breathing

Sleep apnea

400

this is when you are in a dreaming state while partially awake. People who suffer from narcolepsy often experience this.

Hypnagogic hallucination

500

this system controls the autonomic nervous system, and coordinates signals from sensory inputs and neurotransmitters, interprets these events, and passes the information to the rest of the body

Reticular Activating System (RAS)

ATTENTION!

100

this group of brain structures are active during rest and relaxation and helps us remember the events of the day

Default Mode Network

200

this condition is caused by damage to the right parietal cortex, where the patient ignores the left side of their visual field. It is common in stroke patients.

Hemineglect (spatial neglect, unilateral neglect) syndrome

300

this type of attention is when one chooses what to focus on

voluntary (endogenous) attention

400

this brain structure sorts out sensory input and relays it to the cortex

thalamus

500

involuntary (exogenous) attention is controlled by this group of brain structures

ventral frontoparietal network (located in the right brain hemisphere)