Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Recently encountered words

Magnanimity: virtue of being great of mind and heart  (used in an article about Phineas Gage (ask me or google him if you don't know who that is) to explain how his mother and friends responded when the doctor asked for Gage's skull)

comminuting: to break into several fragments, or reduce to a powder  (used to explain how the tamping iron affected part of the frontal bone in Gage's skull)

falx: a sickle-shaped anatomical structure

paresis: weakness (as occurs often as a result of damage to the precentral area of the frontal lobe-- the primary motor cortex)

witzelsucht: neurologic symptom of frontal lobe damage: an addiction to telling inappropriate jokes and, ironically, an insensitivity to humor

obtundation: less than full mental capacity, associated with reduced levels of alertness

corollary discharge: neural signal that indicates movement of the eyes, which allows the image of the world to remain still

Fun fact: Hoarding useless objects can occur as a result of damage to the prefrontal area of the brain. This behavior can persist even after interventions and knowledge of negative consequences.

Here's a good quote from my textbook:  "All neural roads lead to the frontal lobes." (Kolb & Whishaw, 6th ed.)

And now I'm off to get ready for the holiday!

Happy thanksgiving!

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