Behavioral Neuroscience Glossary

A rapid, all-or-none electrical signal that propagates along a neuron's axon, enabling long-distance neural communication.

A sensory neuron that carries information from receptors in the body toward the central nervous system.

A medial temporal lobe structure critical for emotional processing, fear conditioning, and emotional memory.

The long, slender projection of a neuron that conducts action potentials away from the cell body to other neurons or effectors.

A group of subcortical nuclei involved in motor control, procedural learning, habit formation, and reward processing.

A language disorder caused by damage to Broca's area, characterized by nonfluent, effortful speech with relatively preserved comprehension.

A stress hormone released by the adrenal glands as part of the HPA axis response to stress.

A branching extension of a neuron that receives synaptic inputs from other neurons.

A neurotransmitter involved in reward, motivation, motor control, and executive function.

A motor neuron that carries signals from the central nervous system to muscles or glands.

Neuronal damage or death caused by excessive stimulation from neurotransmitters such as glutamate.

The main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, reducing neuronal excitability.

The main excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, essential for synaptic plasticity and learning.

A medial temporal lobe structure essential for forming new declarative memories and spatial navigation.

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, a neuroendocrine feedback system that regulates the body's stress response.

A persistent strengthening of synaptic connections that is considered a cellular mechanism of learning and memory.

A fatty insulating sheath around axons that increases the speed of action potential conduction.

The process of generating new neurons from neural stem cells, occurring notably in the hippocampus and olfactory bulb in adults.

The brain's capacity to change its structure and function in response to experience, learning, or injury.

A chemical messenger released at synapses to transmit signals between neurons.

A technique using light-sensitive proteins to control the activity of specific neurons with light.

The anterior part of the frontal lobes involved in executive functions, decision-making, planning, and social behavior.

A monoamine neurotransmitter involved in mood regulation, sleep, appetite, and cognition.

The junction between two neurons where neurotransmitter-mediated communication occurs.

A language disorder caused by damage to Wernicke's area, characterized by fluent but meaningless speech with impaired comprehension.