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- Glossary
Primary motor cortex
An area of the frontal lobe in the anterior wall of the central sulcus. It is considered to be the higher-level control unit responsible for voluntary and fine motor skills. This is where the cell bodies of the central motor neurons are located, whose axons primarily extend to the spinal cord (via the corticospinal tract). Only in the primary motor cortex do Betz giant cells occur, which are particularly large motor neurons whose axons extend directly to the motor neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord without prior synaptic switching.
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- Glossary
Primary somatosensory cortex
Area of the cerebrum where haptic stimuli are processed centrally. Anatomically, the somatosensory cortex is located on the first cerebral gyri behind the central sulcus. This is where afferents from sensory cells throughout the body converge. Neurons that evaluate information from neighboring areas of the body are also located next to each other in the somatosensory cortex. Neuroscientists refer to this as somatotopy.S1 is an important station in pain processing – this is where we become aware of the pain stimulus.
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- Glossary
Spinal paralysis
This is the term used by doctors to describe a combination of symptoms that occur when the nerve cord in the spinal cord is severed. The location of the injury on the spine is decisive for its consequences: the body can no longer control limbs and organs whose innervation branches off from the spinal cord below the damaged area. Possible consequences range from partial paralysis of the limbs to complete loss of control over the rectum and bladder. Also called paraplegia or paraparesis.
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- Glossary
Receptive field
The receptive field is the area of the environment in which a stimulus changes (increases or decreases) the activity of a specific nerve cell.
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- Glossary
Septum
The septal nuclei are located medially in the basal forebrain, near the anterior tip of the cingulate gyrus. They are connected to the olfactory cortex and linked to other limbic structures via the fornix. Functionally, they play a role in emotional processes and reward processing.
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- Glossary
Mirror neurons
Nerve cells in the brains of primates that fire just as strongly when their owners observe an action as when they perform it themselves. Italian researchers discovered these special neurons in the early 1990s while experimenting with macaques. Mirror neurons were later also detected in the human brain. Among other places, they occur in Broca's area, which is responsible for language processing. Mirror neurons could provide an explanation for why we are able to understand the feelings and intentions of others. The discussion on this topic is still ongoing.
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- Glossary
Spinocerebellum
The area of the cerebellum that includes the cerebellar vermis and its adjacent areas. Involved in muscle tone and walking movements.
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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
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.
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- Glossary
Temporal lobe
The temporal lobe is one of the four lobes of the cerebrum and is located laterally (on the side) at the bottom. It contains important areas such as the auditory cortex and parts of Wernicke's area, as well as areas for higher visual processing; deep within it lies the medial temporal lobe with structures such as the hippocampus.
