Search
-
- Glossary
Cerebellar cortex
The cortex of the cerebellum, which, like that of the cerebrum, is composed of gray matter, or nerve cells. It consists of three layers and is highly folded, creating what are known as foliae, or leaves.
-
- Glossary
Ciliary muscle
Through its activity via the zonular fibers, the ciliary muscle changes the curvature of the lens, thereby enabling accommodation (adjustment).
-
- Glossary
Zona incerta
Zona incerta – the name was coined by Auguste Forel and means that nothing certain can be said about this core of the diencephalon. That was in 1877, and since then it has been discovered that the zona incerta is very well connected throughout the brain. But its function remains unknown.
-
- Glossary
Zonules
The zonules are arranged in a radial pattern around the lens of the eye and connect it to the ciliary muscle.
-
- Glossary
Obsessive-compulsive disorders
This term summarizes neuropsychiatric disorders that manifest themselves in the form of obsessive thoughts on the one hand and compulsive actions on the other. For example, those affected have the urge to devote themselves to constantly recurring, mostly anxious thoughts, to wash themselves excessively often or to control their fellow human beings disproportionately. While neuroscientists used to try to explain OCD in purely psychological terms, it is now believed that some biological factors also contribute to its development, such as a disturbed metabolism of various neurotransmitters in the brain.
-
- Glossary
Twin studies
Pairs of twins are valuable subjects for human geneticists and psychologists who want to find out to what extent certain characteristics are genetically determined and what role environmental conditions play. Of particular interest here is how much more similar identical twins are compared to fraternal twins. The degree of genetic similarity differs between identical (100%) and fraternal twins (50%). However, they live in a similar environment, so the degree of greater similarity between identical twins compared to fraternal twins can be used to estimate the genetic contribution to traits such as intelligence. In this case, depending on the study, it was estimated to be between 50 and 80 percent, depending on whether the environmental differences in the population (health care, access to education) are large or small.
-
- Topic
Diseases
-
- Glossary
Secondary somatosensory cortex
The posterior parietal lobe receives input from numerous other cortex areas - this is where visual, auditory and proprioceptive signals are integrated into a whole, enabling orientation and movement in space. The S2 cortex, located posterior and ventral to S1, is also involved in the conscious processing of pain.
-
- Glossary
Anterior cingulate cortex
Like the entire cingulate cortex, the anterior region of the limbic system regulates drive-controlled behavior. In the perception of pain, it is particularly associated with the affective pain component - including social pain as experienced through exclusion.
-
- Glossary
Periaqueductal gray
A core area in the brain stem that is involved in defensive behavior and fear and flight reflexes via close connections to the limbic system. It also plays an important role in pain suppression by regulating signals from the spinal cord to the brain. It is considered an endogenous pain control system and is an important target for medication.
