-
Attention deficit disorder
-
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
-
A degenerative disease of the brain, associated with the development of abnormal tissues and brain protein deposits in the cerebral cortex and characterized by confusion, disorientation, memory failure, speech disturbances, and the progressive loss of mental capacity
-
A feeling of apprehension, uncertainty, and fear without apparent stimulus, associated with psychological changes [tachycardia, sweating, tremor, etc.].
-
Is the cognitive process of selectively concentrating on one aspect of the environment while ignoring other things.
-
The process of a nerve cell along which impulses travel away from the cell body. It branches at its termination, forming synapses at the other nerve cells [a.k.a. neuron] of effector organs. Many axons are covered by a myelin sheath formed by the cell membrane of a glial or Schwann Cell.
-
Evaluating one's own cognitive functioning, and possessing realization, perception, or knowledge.
Example: am I able to drive, cook, clean operate machinery etc.
-
The general state of good, sharp, brain & mind, especially as the result of mental and physical exercise, social interaction and proper nutrition.
-
A structured set of brain exercises, usually computer based, designed to train specific brain areas and functions in targeted ways and measured by brain fitness assessments.
-
Is the lifelong ability of the brain to reorganize neural pathways based on new experiences.
-
The brains resilience, its ability to cope with increasing damage while still functioning adequately.
Due to the brain’s plasticity we can use Brain Training programs to build additional neural pathways, which in turn increases the brains level of resilience.
-
[a.k.a. Chemo-fog] : the condition whereby a patients cognitive abilities have been reduced as a side-effect of chemotherapy.
-
Ongoing, long-term stress. Continued physiological arousal where stressors block the formation of new neurons and negatively impact the immune system’s defenses.
-
The mental faculty of knowing, which includes perceiving, recognizing, conceiving, judging, reasoning, and imagining.
-
Also known as Executive Function – a loosely defined collection of brain processes whose rile it is to guide our thoughts and behavior in accordance with internally generated goals or plans.
-
[or Brain Reserve] : Theory that addresses the fact that individuals vary considerably in the severity of cognitive ageing and clinical dementia. Mental stimulation, education and occupational level are believed to be active components of building a cognitive reserve that can help resist the attacks of mental disease.
-
Training [or Brain Training]: variety of brain exercises designed to help strengthen specific cognitive abilities. The principle underlying cognitive training is to help improve “core” abilities such as attention, memory, problem solving, and to build Cognitive Reserve
-
The fiber bundles that are wiring together in the cortex of the brain.
-
One of the threadlike extensions of the cytoplasm of a neuron; dendrites branch into treelike processes and compose most of the receptive surface of a neuron.
-
Is the progressive decline in Cognitive Function due to damage or disease in the brain. Although dementia is far more common in the geriatric population, it may occur in any stage of adulthood. In dementia, affected areas in cognition may be memory, attention, language, and problem solving. Especially in the later stages of the condition, affected persons may be disoriented in time [not knowing what day of the week, day of the month, month, or even what year it is], in place [not knowing where they are], and in person [not knowing who they are].
-
A mental state of altered mood characterized by feelings of sadness, despair, and discouragement.
-
DTI tracks the motion of water molecules in the brain which allows us
to see where nerve fibers lead and give scientists the ability to map
the fiber bundles that are wiring together in the cortex of the brain,
called connectomes
-
The ability to concentrate simultaneously on two or more channels of stimulation.
Example: Driving a car and having a conversation at the same time. Reading a book whilst listening to music. Cooking whilst listening to the news.
-
Is considered to be a learning disability. It manifests primarily as a difficulty with written language, particularly with reading and spelling. Evidence suggests that dyslexia results from differences in how the brain processes written and/or spoken language. Although dyslexia is the result of a neurological difference, it is not and intellectual disability. Dyslexia occurs at all levels of intelligence.
-
important cognitive abilities which reside in our frontal lobes [behind your forehead], the most recent part of our brain in evolutionary terms. Some examples include:
Planning : The ability to think ahead step-by-step before the actual execution of a task
Shifting : Flexibility; the ability to change the course of one's actions
Inhibition : The ability to suppress irrelevant reactions
Anticipation : Prediction based on pattern recognition
Critical Evaluation : Logical analysis
Working Memory : A temporary storage space for information before deciding what is needed to perform a task.
Fuzzy Logic : Capacity to choose with incomplete information.
Divided Attention : Ability to pay attention to more than one thing at a time
Decision Making : Both quality and speed
-
The ability to manage accurately hand movements in response to a visual stimulus.
Example: Trying to shoot a ball into a basket, Feeding a thread into a needle. Moving the steering wheel according to what is happening on the road.
-
Functional magnetic resonance imaging [fMRI] is a non-invasive neuroimaging technique that enables researchers to see images of changing blood flow in the brain associated with neural activity. This allows images to be generated that reflect which structures are activated [and how] during the performance of different tasks.
-
The capacity to choose with incomplete information
-
[a.k.a. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome] : Chronic pain and paresthesia in the hand in the area of distribution of the median nerve by fibers of the flexor retinaculum and associated with repetitive motion, as in typing or playing a musical instrument.
-
(HRV): Describes the frequency of the cardiac cycle, and is one of the best predictors of stress and anxiety. Our hear rate is not "flat" or constant: HRV measures the pattern of change.
-
The ability to suppress irrelevant reactions
Example: when a pedestrian is about to cross a road and a traffic light suddenly turns red. On the other hand, pouring a glass water and the water overflows.
-
Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI, also known as incipient dementia, or isolated memory impairment) is a diagnosis
given to individuals who have cognitive impairments beyond that
expected for their age and education, but that do not interfere
significantly with their daily activities.It is considered to be the boundary or transitional stage between normal aging and dementia.
Although MCI can present with a variety of symptoms, when memory loss
is the predominant symptom it is termed "amnestic MCI" and is
frequently seen as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.
Studies suggest that these individuals tend to progress to probable
Alzheimer’s disease at a rate of approximately 10% to 15% per year.
-
Yoga and meditation practices designed to enable effective responses to stress, pain, and illness.
-
Lipoid substance found in various normal and pathological tissues, which differs from fat in being doubly refractive. Myelinated fibers occur predominantly in the cranial and spinal nerves and compose the white matter of the brain and spinal cord. It is the myelin sheath that gives the whitish color to the areas of white matter. Unmyelinated fibers are abundant in the autonomic nervous system
-
The retrieval of words (names, nouns and verbs).
Examples: When thinking of a name of a street, name of a product, the name or a performer or a singer we hear on the radio.
-
NGF is a secreted protein which induces the differentiation and survival of particular target neurons (nerve cells).
NGF is critical to the survival and maintenance of sympathetic and sensory neurons.
-
The process by which neurons are created all throughout our lives.
-
techniques that either directly or indirectly image the structure, function, or pharmacology of the brain. Recent techniques (such as fMRI) have enabled researchers to understand better the living human brain.
-
: any of the impulse-conducting cells that constitute the brain, spinal column, and nerves, consisting of a nucleated cell body with one or more dendrites and a single axon. Also called nerve cell, neurocyte.
-
the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new connections throughout life
-
a progressive nervous disorder occurring mostly after the age of 50, associated with the destruction of brain cells that produce dopamine, and characterized by muscular tremor, slowing of movement, partial facial paralysis, peculiarity of gait and posture, and weakness.
-
The ability to think ahead step-by-step before the execution of a task.
Example: A move in chess, what to do tomorrow, directions to get to the market.
-
How long it takes to detect, analyse and respond to a stimulus.
Example: When attempting to cross a road and we see an oncoming car
-
A mental disorder or group of disorders characterized by disturbances in form and content of though [e.g. delusions, hallucinations], in mood [e.g. inappropriate effect], in sense of self and relationship to the external world [e.g. loss of ego boundaries, withdrawal], and in behavior [e.g., bizarre or apparently purposeless behavior]; it must cause marked decrease in functioning and be present for at least six months.
-
Any of the cells that cover the nerve fibers in the peripheral nervous system and form the myelin sheath. Also called nuerilemma, neurilemma cell.
-
Flexibility; the ability to change the course of one's actions.
Example: While driving to be able to move our attention from what is going on on the road to the: radio, passengers, mobile phone, mirrors etc.
-
A temporary storage place for information before deciding what to store in the long-term memory.
Example: When getting instructions that we have to remember. A phone number to remember. Names of people we have been introduced to.
-
Evaluating how things are arranged their relations in space.
Example: Looking for the positioning of players on the football field. Reading a map.
-
A state of physiological or psychological strain caused by adverse stimuli, physical, mental, or emotional, internal or external, that tend to disturb the functioning of the organism and which the organism naturally desires to avoid.
-
abnormally rapid heart rate
-
The ability to accurately determine time passage.
Example: when you hear a whistle blow you know that you have 5 seconds till the doors of the train close. When the traffic light flashes yellow before turning red.
-
The ability to translate what is seen into a meaningful concept.
Example: While driving we see a;; the signs that we pass. While walking outside at night we see something approaching us, is it a plastic bag or a cat?
-
The speed and efficiency at which we actively find relevant information in our surroundings.
Examples: Spotting a certain person on a crowded restaurant. Finding a specific location on a map.
-
Temporarily retaining a small amount of visual information - shapes, colours, relative locations or movement directions - active and available in memory. Limited in capacity, VSTM representations of information may deteriorate over time.
For example, when selecting a new pair of glasses we put on one pair and look at ourselves. Attempting to keep that image fresh in our memory, we try on another pair, comparing what we see with the picture we hold in the mind's eye. The better our memory, the more details we can hold.
-
A temporary storage space for information that is needed to perform a task
Example: When working out what change we need to get from the waiter. When thinking up a move while playing chess.