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- Glossary
Papilla
The optic nerve leaves the eye at the papilla, the optic disc. Since there are no photoreceptors at this point on the retina, the optic disc creates a blind spot.
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- Glossary
Parahippocampal cortex
The parahippocampal cortex is located next to the hippocampus and is part of the temporal lobe. It processes spatial-visual memory content and appears to be involved in the consolidation of memory content. It receives inputs from numerous polymodal cortical areas, and its outputs go to the hippocampus, amygdala, and striatum.
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- Glossary
Paralimbic cortex
Collective term for all areas of the brain that are closely connected to the limbic system. Anatomically, the orbitofrontal cortex, cingulate gyrus, and insula belong to the paralimbic system, which plays a crucial role in mediating intense emotions. This is particularly true for feelings of fear. Neurologists often find abnormalities in the paralimbic system in the brains of psychopaths.
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- Glossary
Parallel fiber
Parallel fibers are the axons (long fiber-like extensions) of the granule cells in the granular layer of the cerebellar hemispheres. They are so named because they run along the cerebellar gyri. They form synapses with the Purkinje cells.
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- Glossary
Parasocial interaction
A one-sided emotional relationship with a person or fictional character with whom there is no interaction in the real world. Movie and sports stars, characters in novels, AIs or even deceased individuals can be the subject of parasocial relationships. The phenomenon itself is very old. However, with the advent of mass media in the second half of the 20th century, it gained enormous significance.
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- Glossary
Parasympathetic nervous system
The parasympathetic nervous system is part of the vegetative or autonomic nervous system. The latter term refers to the fact that this part of the nervous system is not subject to voluntary control. It controls the activities of most of the internal organs as well as the heartbeat. In contrast to its counterpart, the sympathetic nervous system, the parasympathetic nervous system is most active when the body is at rest. Among other things, it controls digestion and urination. Acetylcholine serves as the messenger substance for signal transmission within the parasympathetic nervous system.
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Parietal lobe
The parietal lobe is one of the four large lobes of the cerebral cortex. It is located behind the frontal lobe and above the occipital lobe. Somatosensory processes take place in its anterior region, while sensory information is integrated in its posterior region, enabling the handling of objects and spatial orientation. In addition, the parietal lobe is involved in attention, the recognition of body parts and objects, as well as linguistic and mathematical abilities.
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- Glossary
Parvocellular
"Parvus" means "small." In the lateral geniculate nucleus, the switching station for visual stimuli in the thalamus, the outer four layers are called parvocellular because, unlike the magnocellular cell layers, they have small cell bodies. The parvocellular system transmits information for the perception of color and fine details.
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- Glossary
Perceptual field
The totality of all impressions that reach an individual at a given moment. This includes both stimuli from the environment and internal states that a living being perceives either consciously or unconsciously and combines into an overall picture.
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- Glossary
Phantom limb
A phantom limb is still felt by the patient even though it has been amputated. The sensations are usually tingling or negative in nature, often in the form of pain.
