Neuroscience Terminology

noun the outer layer of an organ or structure, especially the cerebrum or kidney

• The cerebral cortex is responsible for processing information in the brain.
• I heard that the cortex is like the brain's control center.
• Dude, my cortex is on fire after that intense study session.
• Her artistic cortex was in full swing as she painted a masterpiece.

noun the science of communication and control in animals, humans, and machines

• Cybernetics is the study of communication and control in living organisms and machines.
• I find cybernetics fascinating because it explores how systems can communicate and regulate themselves.
• Cybernetics is like the brain of a machine, controlling its functions and responses.
• In a way, cybernetics is like the conductor of an orchestra, coordinating all the different parts to create a harmonious whole.

noun a process of separating or disconnecting from someone or something

• Disassociation is a psychological defense mechanism in which certain thoughts, emotions, or memories are separated from the individual's conscious awareness.
• Sometimes disassociation can occur when a person feels overwhelmed and disconnected from reality.
• I totally disassociated during that boring lecture.
• The disassociation between the two political parties is becoming more evident as tensions rise.

noun a condition characterized by the compulsive use of drugs despite negative consequences

• Drug addiction is a serious medical condition that requires professional treatment.
• My cousin has been struggling with drug addiction for years.
• She's hooked on drugs and can't seem to kick the habit.
• His addiction to drugs was like a weight dragging him down, preventing him from reaching his full potential.

adjective describing someone who is easily excited or agitated

• The excitable child could barely contain his enthusiasm during the science experiment.
• She's always been excitable, especially when it comes to parties.
• My excitable friend was jumping up and down when she heard the news.
• His excitable nature made him a great candidate for the job in sales.

verb to fail to remember something; to unintentionally not remember something

• It is important not to forget to include all necessary documents with your application.
• Hey, don't forget to pick up milk on your way home.
• I can't believe you forgot to text me back!
• Time may fade memories, but some things we never truly forget.

noun the element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think, and to feel; the faculty of consciousness and thought

verb to be distressed, disturbed, or bothered by something

adjective done with careful consideration or attention

• It is important to keep a clear and focused mind when making important decisions.
• Hey, can you make up your mind already about where you want to eat?
• I can't believe she just blew my mind with that new song.
• His mind was like a steel trap, remembering every detail of the crime scene.

noun tension or unease

• The surgeon's steady hands calmed the patient's nerves before the operation.
• I always get nerves before a big presentation at work.
• My nerves were shot after that scary movie.
• His nerves of steel helped him remain calm during the crisis.

noun a complex network of nerves and cells that transmit signals between different parts of the body

• The nervous system is a complex network of nerves and cells that transmit signals between different parts of the body.
• I heard that stress can really mess with your nervous system.
• My nervous system was totally freaking out during the roller coaster ride.
• Her words sent shockwaves through my nervous system.

noun a medical doctor specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the nervous system

• The neurologist conducted a series of tests to diagnose the patient's condition.
• I heard the neurologist is really good at what he does.
• The neurologist is like a brain detective, trying to figure out what's wrong.
• The neurologist is like a detective unraveling the mysteries of the brain.

noun a specialized cell transmitting nerve impulses; a nerve cell.

• The neuron is the basic building block of the nervous system.
• I learned in class that a neuron is a nerve cell.
• Dude, did you know neurons are like the brain's little messengers?
• The neuron is like a tiny electrical wire transmitting signals in the brain.

noun the human soul, mind, or spirit

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• The study of the human psyche is a complex and fascinating field of research.
• I think your psyche is really affected by the stress at work.
• Her psyche was totally messed up after the breakup.
• The haunted house was designed to play tricks on visitors' psyches.

noun a quick and automatic response to a stimulus that does not involve conscious thought

• A reflex action is an involuntary and nearly instantaneous movement in response to a stimulus.
• When you accidentally touch something hot, the reflex action makes you pull your hand away quickly.
• My reflex action when someone scares me is to scream and jump.
• His reflex action to any criticism is to become defensive and argumentative.

noun the quality of being particularly noticeable or important; prominence

adjective salient

• The salience of the issue was evident in the high level of public interest.
• The importance of the topic was clear from how much people were talking about it.
• The issue was so in-your-face, everyone was buzzing about it.
• The salience of the problem loomed like a dark cloud over the community.

noun a saltatory movement or dance

adjective relating to or characterized by jumping or dancing

• The saltatory movement of the kangaroo is a fascinating example of adaptation in the animal kingdom.
• I love watching kangaroos hop around in a saltatory manner - they're so cute!
• Check out that kangaroo's saltatory moves, it's like it's dancing!
• Her thoughts jumped from one idea to the next in a saltatory fashion, making it hard to follow her train of thought.

noun a junction between two nerve cells, consisting of a minute gap across which impulses pass by diffusion of a neurotransmitter

• The synapse is the junction between two nerve cells where communication occurs.
• When two nerve cells connect, it's called a synapse.
• The synapse is like the meeting point for nerve cells to chat.
• In a way, the synapse is like a bridge connecting one nerve cell to another.

noun the action of opening one's mouth wide and inhaling deeply due to tiredness or boredom

adjective characterized by yawning

• The professor caught several students yawning during his lecture.
• I couldn't stop yawning during the boring meeting.
• I was yawning my head off during that movie.
• The yawning gap between the two political parties seems impossible to bridge.

noun a short branched extension of a nerve cell, along which impulses received from other cells at synapses are transmitted to the cell body.

• The dendrites of a neuron receive signals from other neurons.
• The dendrites are like the arms of a neuron, reaching out to grab information.
• I like to think of dendrites as the 'grabby bits' of a neuron.
• Just like branches reaching out to connect with others, dendrites reach out to make connections in the brain.

noun a small gap separating neurons where nerve impulses pass from one neuron to another

adjective relating to or involving a synapse, the junction between two nerve cells

• The synaptic transmission between neurons is crucial for communication within the nervous system.
• The synaptic connection between nerve cells helps them talk to each other.
• Dude, those neurons are like best friends, always hanging out at the synaptic junction.
• The synaptic link between creativity and inspiration is where great ideas are born.

noun a word that refers to a person, place, thing, event, substance, or quality

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun

• In philosophy, a supervenient entity is defined as an entity whose existence is dependent on the existence of another entity.
• The concept of supervenient entities can be a bit confusing, but essentially they are entities that cannot exist without another entity.
• Yo, have you heard about those supervenient entities? They're like totally reliant on other entities to even exist.
• Just like how a shadow is a supervenient entity to an object, reflecting its presence but not existing independently.

noun a long, slender projection of a nerve cell that conducts electrical impulses away from the cell body

• The axon is a long, slender projection of a nerve cell that conducts electrical impulses away from the cell body.
• The axon is like the long tail of a nerve cell that sends messages to other cells.
• That nerve cell's axon is like its own personal hotline to other cells.
• Think of the axon as the messenger of the nerve cell, delivering important signals throughout the body.

adjective Confuddled is an adjective that means confused or bewildered.

adverb Confuddled can also be used as an adverb to describe the manner in which someone is confused.

• The complex instructions left me feeling confuddled.
• I'm so confuddled by all these different opinions.
• I was completely confuddled by the new slang terms the kids were using.
• Her mind was confuddled with conflicting emotions.

noun a neurological condition characterized by seeing static or snow-like visual disturbances

adjective describing the type of visual disturbance experienced

• Visual snow is a rare neurological condition characterized by the perception of flickering static or snow-like visual disturbances.
• I've been experiencing visual snow lately, it's like seeing tiny dots everywhere.
• Visual snow is when your vision looks all glitchy, like a broken TV screen.
• His mind was clouded with visual snow, making it hard for him to focus on anything else.

noun a very small human or humanoid creature, often used in alchemy and folklore

• The alchemist created a homunculus in his laboratory as part of his experiments.
• I heard that crazy scientist made a tiny homunculus in his basement.
• That little homunculus is so weird looking, like a tiny alien.
• The CEO treated his assistant like a homunculus, always ordering him around and never appreciating his hard work.

noun A peripheral nervous system refers to the part of the nervous system that is outside the central nervous system, including the nerves that connect the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body.

• The peripheral nervous system consists of all the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord.
• If you injure a nerve in your arm, it could affect your peripheral nervous system.
• I heard that car accidents can mess up your peripheral nervous system.
• In times of stress, it feels like my peripheral nervous system is on high alert.

noun a term that combines 'neuro' from neuroscience and 'cinematics' from cinematography, referring to the study of brain activity in response to film or video stimuli

• Neurocinematics is a field of study that combines neuroscience with cinematography to understand how the brain processes film and visual media.
• I read an interesting article about neurocinematics and how our brains react to movies.
• Have you heard about that cool new thing called neurocinematics? It's all about studying how our brains respond to movies.
• The director used neurocinematics techniques to create a truly immersive viewing experience for the audience.

noun a term used in psychology to describe the point at which a stimulus is detected with a certain level of accuracy

• The absolute threshold is the minimum amount of stimulus needed for a person to detect it 50% of the time.
• You won't be able to hear that sound unless it reaches the absolute threshold.
• If it doesn't pass the absolute threshold, you won't even notice it.
• Sometimes we need to push ourselves past our absolute threshold to achieve our goals.

noun a brief electrical impulse that travels down the axon of a neuron

• The action potential is a brief electrical signal that travels down the axon of a neuron.
• When the action potential fires, it's like a little electric spark in your brain.
• When that action potential goes off, it's like your brain is lit up like a Christmas tree.
• The action potential is like a messenger carrying important information through the neuron pathways.

noun the capacity to be affected or influenced by something

• The study aimed to measure the affectability of individuals towards different stimuli.
• Some people have a higher affectability than others when it comes to emotional situations.
• I can't believe how low his affectability is, he never seems to show any emotion.
• Her affectability towards criticism is like a shield, always protecting her from getting hurt.

noun the process of transmitting information from the peripheral nervous system to the central nervous system

• Afference refers to the transmission of sensory information from the peripheral nervous system to the central nervous system.
• When you touch something hot, afference signals travel from your hand to your brain to let you know it's hot.
• My body's afference system is on point - I can feel everything!
• Her afference towards his emotions was evident in the way she could sense his mood without him saying a word.

adverb in a manner relating to the transmission of sensory information towards the central nervous system

• The sensory neurons carry information afferently from the body to the brain.
• The nerve signals travel afferently to the brain to tell it what's going on.
• The messages are sent afferently to the brain to let it know what's up.
• Her emotions were being transmitted afferently, causing her to feel overwhelmed.