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- Glossary
Stigma
The term refers to a characteristic that is viewed negatively by society or a group and leads to the discrediting of individuals who possess this characteristic. Stigmas can refer, for example, to members of certain ethnic groups or marginalized social groups. Even a diagnosis of a mental disorder or an illness such as AIDS can be accompanied by stigmatization, depending on the social environment.
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- Glossary
Stress hormone system
During the stress response, the sympathetic nervous system and a number of hormone glands – the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal cortex – work together to prepare the body for increased demands. The sympathetic nervous system uses the hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline as messenger substances. Their activity increases breathing and heart rate while improving blood flow to the muscles. During the stress response, the adrenal cortex releases the hormone cortisol. It acts via negative feedback on the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, thereby slowing down further cortisol release. When the stressor subsides and the sympathetic tone decreases, the parasympathetic nervous system can regain the upper hand and bring the organism into a state of rest.
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- Glossary
Striatum
The striatum is a central structure of the basal ganglia. It consists of the caudate nucleus and putamen; the nucleus accumbens is also functionally part of it as its ventral portion. As the most important input structure of the basal ganglia, the striatum plays an essential role in controlling movement sequences as well as in cognition, motivational processes, and the reward system.
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- Glossary
Subiculum
The transition zone between the cornu ammonis and the entorhinal cortex is called the subiculum.
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- Glossary
Substantia nigra
A nucleus complex in the ventral mesencephalon that plays a central role in initiating and modulating movement. It appears dark due to neuromelanin. Its dopaminergic neurons project via the nigrostriatal pathways to the putamen and caudate nucleus. Failure of these neurons leads to the typical symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
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- Glossary
Substance P
Substance P is a neuropeptide that acts as a neurotransmitter and belongs to the tachykinin family. High concentrations are found in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, where it is involved in pain modulation.
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- Glossary
Subthalamic nucleus
Although the subthalamic nucleus is a nucleus of the subthalamus in the diencephalon, it is functionally closely integrated into the motor control of the basal ganglia. It plays a role in impulse control, movement control, and inhibition of unwanted movements. Damage to this nucleus can lead to temporary, uncontrolled, jerky movements of the extremities – known as ballism. Doctors have already achieved successful treatment outcomes in both obsessive-compulsive disorder and Parkinson's disease by artificially stimulating this region with a neuroimplant.
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- Glossary
Subthalamus
The subthalamus is an area of the diencephalon located ventrally below the thalamus. It includes the subthalamic nucleus, which functionally belongs to the basal ganglia network. The subthalamus plays an important role in the regulation and inhibition of movement sequences and in impulse control.
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- Glossary
Calcarine sulcus
Cerebral sulcus that divides the median, inwardly located portion of the occipital lobe.
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- Glossary
Superior temporal sulcus
The superior temporal sulcus is the uppermost groove of the temporal lobe and lies below the Sylvian fissure. It separates the superior temporal gyrus from the middle temporal gyrus. Functionally, this area is involved in auditory processes, language processing, and the perception of socially relevant information.
