- A-Beta (Aβ) fibers
- nociceptive neurons that manage touch and vibration sensations
- A-Delta (Aδ) fibers
- nociceptive neurons that transmit pressure, mechanical deformation, and extreme temperature sensations
- acetylcholine
- neurotransmitter responsible for cognitive functions, work on skeletal muscles, and ganglia
- adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)
- part of the HPA axis, is released and travels to the adrenal glands where it then triggers the release of cortisol
- afferent pathway
- part of the peripheral nervous system that brings sensory information to the brain
- amygdala
- pair of small almond-shaped regions located anterior to the hippocampus and responsible for the formation and encoding of memories, especially those that are highly emotionally charged, such as trauma
- astrocytes
- located in the central nervous system and involved with building new synaptic connections and ensuring an appropriate chemical environment for the neuron
- autonomic nervous system
- regulated by the hypothalamus, manages involuntary homeostatic control over the body’s internal processes, like temperature, inclusive of the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system
- axon
- long, narrow part of the neuron where impulses are conducted from the axon hillock to the axon terminus
- axon terminus
- end of the axon that contains neurotransmitters
- basal ganglia
- group of subcortical nuclei most often associated with managing motor control, involved with the formation of procedural memories
- C fibers
- nociceptive neurons that transmit burning pain, itch, and dull ache
- cauda equina
- collection of nerves at the terminus of the spinal cord
- central nervous system (CNS)
- comprises the brain and spinal cord
- cerebellum
- in the basal part of the brain between the cerebrum and the brain stem; responsible for balance, walking, standing, and measuring distance and timing
- circadian cycle
- 24-hour homeostatic cycle regulated by the hypothalamus determined by light and dark patterns and internal regulatory functions
- cortisol
- released in the wake of adrenocorticotropic hormone, and part of the HPA axis, is responsible for mobilizing glucose for energy, increasing protein metabolism, immune effects, and systemic anti-inflammatory effects
- declarative memories
- inclusive of episodic and semantic memories of personal events, facts, and experiences
- dendrites
- extensions of a neuron from the soma that receive information from other neurons
- diencephalon
- central area of the brain located above the brainstem, including the epithalamus, thalamus, subthalamus, and hypothalamus, responsible for forming recognition-based memories
- discontinuation syndrome
- time-limited syndrome caused by sudden cessation or tapering too quickly of an antidepressant
- dopamine
- monoamine neurotransmitter responsible for the management of mood states, attention and focus, motor control and regulation, sexual gratification, reward and motivation, and lactation
- efferent pathway
- response from the brain to the periphery
- electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
- use of electrical currents under anesthesia to produce a seizure
- endorphins
- neuropeptides that function as neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, or neurohormones in the CNS
- enkephalins
- neuropeptides that function as neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, or neurohormones in the CNS
- esketamine
- innovative treatment derived from ketamine for treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder with suicidality
- excitatory effects
- promotion of an action potential between neurons by neurotransmitters
- extrapyramidal side effects (EPS)
- drug-induced movement disorders
- forebrain
- made up of the cerebrum and diencephalon, responsible for higher-level cognitive function, emotions, and management of sensory information
- gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
- major inhibitory neurotransmitter responsible for sensory transmission and learning and memory, decreasing all sensory impulses, including pain and cognition
- glial cells
- (also, microglia) provide structure, repair, and scaffolding for migration of the nerve cells
- glutamate
- major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain
- growth hormone
- (also, somatotropin) manages protein synthesis and growth during child development
- hindbrain
- made up of the pons, medulla, and cerebellum, responsible for the management of respiration, blood pressure, heart rate, muscle coordination, posture, and body position
- hippocampus
- part of the limbic system and responsible for encoding memories, learning, and perception of space
- histamine
- monoamine neurotransmitter that is responsible for management of awake states, homeostasis, appetite, and smooth muscle contractions
- homeostatic process
- sleep debt model, modulated by the amount of time that a person is awake or asleep
- hormones
- group of molecules that function to send signals to other cellular organisms in the human body
- hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis
- hormonal negative feedback loop that is released in the context of environmental stressors, purpose is to mobilize energy, immune function, and systemic anti-inflammatory responses
- inhibitory effects
- inhibition of an action potential by neurotransmitters
- interneurons
- those that connect neurons primarily within the CNS
- long-term potentiation
- process of synaptic strengthening through signal increases in the neuron
- medulla oblongata
- connection between the brainstem and the spinal cord
- melanocyte stimulating hormone
- secreted from the hypothalamus, responsible for releasing melatonin from the pineal gland
- melatonin
- responsible for initiating sleep during circadian cycles
- midbrain
- made up of the mesencephalon, responsible for the management of vision, hearing, motor control, sleep and wake states, and temperature regulation
- motor cortex
- made up of the primary, premotor, and supplementary motor areas, is responsible for voluntary control over movement
- motor neurons
- those that take information away from the CNS to effector organs or skeletal muscle at neuromuscular junctions
- myelin sheath
- made up of oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system or Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system, it forms an insulating layer that allows for an action potential to travel successfully
- nervous system
- made up of the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system
- neuromuscular junction
- where muscle fibers and nerves connect
- neuron
- fundamental cell of the nervous system, responsible for receiving and transmitting electrical signals
- neurotransmitter
- chemical messenger that carries messages from one neuron to another
- nociceptors
- nerve cell endings distributed throughout the body that initiate pain sensation through afferent pathways
- nodes of Ranvier
- gaps in the myelin sheath
- non-declarative memories
- those that individuals cannot explicitly recollect consciously norepinephrine, also known as noradrenaline, is one of the monoamines, responsible for flight or fight response, increase in blood pressure/heart rate/respirations, peripheral vasoconstriction, and focus and concentration
- oligodendrocytes
- type of glial cell that maintains the myelin sheath in the central nervous system
- oxytocin
- when released, is responsible for uterine contraction and the stimulation of milk from mammary glands after pregnancy
- pain modulation
- response to pain
- parasympathetic nervous system
- part of the autonomic nervous system that functions to conserve and store energy
- peripheral nervous system (PNS)
- contains all nerves outside the central nervous system
- pharmacodynamics
- what a drug does to the body
- pharmacokinetics
- what the human body does to a drug
- premotor cortex
- lies rostral to the primary motor cortex and responsible for managing coordinated motor responses
- primary motor cortex
- located along the precentral gyrus and responsible for generating efferent neuronal impulses down the spinal cord to manage movement
- prolactin
- stimulated by the release of prolactin releasing hormone from the hypothalamus, responsible for the stimulation of milk production during pregnancy
- pruning
- automatic brain function that eliminates unused synapses, allowing new growth
- saltatory conduction
- action potential conducted along the axon at the nodes of Ranvier
- Schwann cells
- type of glial cell in the peripheral nervous system that maintains the myelin sheath
- serotonin
- neurotransmitter and a monoamine, responsible for the promotion of mood and sleep regulation, mitigation of pain, aggression and sexual behavior, stimulation of gastric secretion, and other hormonal behaviors
- serotonin syndrome
- potentially life-threatening drug-drug interaction that is caused when high levels of serotonin are built up in the body
- side effects
- undesirable effects of a medical treatment or drug
- soma
- cell body of the neuron that contains a nucleus
- somatic nervous system
- part of the PNS that delivers conscious sensory (afferent) information to the CNS and a voluntary motor response (efferent)
- stress diathesis model
- theory that posits that there are genetic traits combined with certain environmental influences that create the potential for the expression of a mental health disorder
- substantia nigra
- prominent nucleus in the midbrain, contains a dopaminergic nucleus that manages motor control
- sympathetic nervous system
- part of the autonomic nervous system that manages the fight or flight response
- synapse
- small space between neurons where chemical transmission occurs
- synaptic growth
- process by which neurons in the brain connect
- telemental health
- provision of mental health services though telephone or videoconferencing
- thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)
- released when stimulated by thyrotropin releasing hormone from the hypothalamus, responsible for optimal thyroid functioning, which manages temperature regulation, mood states, and food metabolism
- transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
- noninvasive treatment that consists of an electromagnetic coil being placed against a client’s head (over the prefrontal cortex) and delivering a magnetic pulse to stimulate nerve cells in the brain
- vasopressin,
- also known as antidiuretic hormone, responsible for retaining water and maintaining blood pressure
- virtual reality (VR)
- computer generated two- or three-dimensional environment that contains scenes or objects that allow the user to immerse with a seemingly real surrounding