Parts of the Brain
This lobe at the front of the brain is involved in decision-making, personality, and planning.
Frontal Lobe
This neurodegenerative disease causes memory loss and is the most common cause of dementia.
Alzheimer's Disease
This stage of sleep is associated with vivid dreams and rapid eye movements.
REM Sleep
This neurotransmitter is linked to pleasure, reward, and is often affected by addictive drugs.
Dopamine
The basic unit of the nervous system that sends electrical signals.
Neuron
This is the largest part of the brain and controls thinking, voluntary movement, and problem-solving.
Cerebrum
This disorder affects attention, impulse control, and hyperactivity, often diagnosed in childhood.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
This type of rhythm is a roughly 24-hour cycle that regulates sleep, wakefulness, and other bodily functions.
Circadian Rhythm
Drugs like caffeine and nicotine fall into this category because they increase activity in the nervous system.
Stimulants
This type of sleep disorder involves repeated stops in breathing during sleep, often causing daytime fatigue.
Sleep Apnea
This structure connects the brain to the spinal cord and regulates breathing and heart rate.
Brainstem
This mental health disorder involves extreme mood swings between depressive lows and manic highs.
Bipolar Disorder
This chronic disorder makes it difficult for a person to fall asleep or stay asleep, often leading to daytime fatigue.
Insomnia
This hormone, released by the adrenal glands during stress, helps prepare the body for “fight or flight.”
Cortisol
A person with this disorder may suddenly fall asleep during the day and experience muscle weakness.
This brain structure helps form new memories and is important for learning.
Hippocampus
This brain disorder is characterized by sudden weakness or paralysis when blood flow to the brain is interrupted.
Stroke
This hormone, produced by the pineal gland, helps regulate sleep-wake cycles.
Drugs like alcohol and benzodiazepines slow down brain activity and are classified as this type.
Depressants
This scientist famously demonstrated classical conditioning with dogs and a bell.
Ivan Pavlov
This small almond-shaped structure plays a key role in fear and emotional processing.
Amygdala
This degenerative disease often causes tremors, stiffness, and slowed movement due to loss of dopamine-producing neurons.
Parkinson's Disease
This phenomenon occurs when a person wakes up during REM sleep and is aware but unable to move their body temporarily.
Sleep Paralysis
This process occurs when the brain reduces its response to a drug over time, often requiring larger doses to achieve the same effect.
Tolerance
This effect explains why a person’s performance can improve simply because they know they are being observed.
Hawthorne Effect