Brain Basics
What is glucose? (making up ___% of the brain energy consumption)
This substance, making up 70% of the brain’s energy consumption, is essential for proper cognitive function.
What is attention? How to assess it?
This cognitive domain is assessed using tasks such as months forwards and backwards or continuous performance tasks.
What is Computer-assisted Tomography (CAT scan)?
This imaging technique, first introduced in the 1990s, reconstructs 2D X-ray images into a 3D model of the brain.
What is a cerebrovascular accident (CVA)?
This term is another name for a stroke and refers to an event where a blood vessel supplying the brain is blocked or ruptures.
What is ECoG?
ECoG (Electrocorticography) is an invasive method where electrodes are placed directly on the surface of the brain to record electrical activity with higher spatial resolution and stronger signals. It is often used in epilepsy surgery to pinpoint seizure origins.
What is the cerebral cortex?
The frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal lobes make up this outermost structure of the brain.
What is the medial temporal lobe (hippocampus)? (Critical for what function)
This brain structure, along with the thalamus and basal forebrain, is critical for memory function.
What is the difference between fMRI and PET scan?
PEt scan measures blood flow and glucose metabolism in the brain using a radioactive tracer, whereas fMRI measures oxygen level in blood flow
What is an ischemic stroke?
This type of stroke, which accounts for 80% of all strokes, occurs when blood flow to the brain is reduced due to a clot or narrowing of an artery.
What is the pineal gland?
This structure, located at the center of the brain, secretes melatonin and can calcify over time, making it visible on X-ray scans.
What is the corpus callosum?
This large white matter tract allows communication between the left and right hemispheres of the brain.
What is the oral trail-making test?
This neuropsychological task assesses the ability to switch between cognitive categories, such as alternating between letters and numbers.
What is Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)?
This imaging method aligns hydrogen protons using a powerful magnetic field to create detailed scans of the brain.
What is a hemorrhagic stroke?
This type of stroke, caused by a ruptured artery, leads to bleeding in or around the brain.
What is T1- and T2-weighted MRI?
This type of MRI scan is used to differentiate between brain tissue densities, with T1-weighted images appearing standard and T2-weighted images appearing negative.
What are Brodmann’s Areas?
This cortical mapping system categorizes different brain regions based on neural composition and function.
What is neuropsychological testing?
This type of testing extends the bedside mental status examination and is validated to assess cognitive abilities across different populations.
What is a lumbar puncture (spinal tap)?
This procedure involves inserting a needle into the lower spine to collect cerebrospinal fluid for analysis.
What is atrial fibrillation?
This cardiovascular condition, which causes an irregular heart rhythm, increases the risk of stroke due to potential blood clots forming in the heart.
What is the choroid plexus?
This vascular structure secretes cerebrospinal fluid into the brain’s ventricles.
What are synaptic connections?
This feature of neurons allows for communication between brain cells, with each neuron forming around 1,000 of these.
What is diffuse attention deficit?
Conditions such as metabolic disorders, toxic exposure, or infections can lead to this more generalized form of attentional impairment.
What is EEG?
EEG (Electroencephalography) is a non-invasive technique that measures electrical activity in the brain through electrodes placed on the scalp. It has high temporal resolution but low spatial resolution, making it useful for detecting seizures, sleep patterns, and general brain activity.
What is a cerebral angiogram?
This imaging technique uses contrast dye to visualize blood flow in the brain and can detect narrowed or blocked arteries.
What is dMRI (DTI)?
dMRI (Diffusion MRI) is an advanced imaging technique that measures the diffusion of water molecules in brain tissue to map white matter pathways. A specialized form of dMRI, Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), provides detailed visualization of neural tracts, helping researchers and clinicians study brain connectivity, detect white matter damage, and assess conditions like traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke, and neurodegenerative diseases.