This neuroscience of music page is the product of my independent research project as a sophomore in high school.

Glossary of Neuroscience Terms

The following terms are mentioned in the content of this website or in the videos included for supplemental information. The terms are in alphabetical order.

Amygdala: Part of the brain’s limbic system, this primitive brain structure lies deep in the center of the brain and is involved in emotional reactions, such as anger, as well as emotionally charged memories. It also influences behavior such as feeding, sexual interest, and the immediate “fight or flight” stress reaction that helps ensure that the body’s needs are met.

Association Areas: [The] association cortex is the cerebral cortex outside the primary areas. It is essential for mental functions that are more complex than detecting basic dimensions of sensory stimulation, for which primary sensory areas appear to be necessary. In humans the association areas are by far the most developed part of the cerebral cortex, and the brain in general. These areas are necessary for perceptual activities, like recognizing objects, rather than simple contours, edges or sensory qualities like color or pitch.

Brain Lateralization: The human brain is a paired organ; it is composed of two halves (called cerebral hemispheres) that look pretty much alike. The term brain lateralization refers to the fact that the two halves of the human brain are not exactly alike. Each hemisphere has functional specializations: some function whose neural mechanisms are localized primarily in one half of the brain. The bottom line is that there is still a great deal about brain lateralization that we simply do not yet understand.

Brain Stem: A primitive part of the brain that connects the brain to the spinal cord. The brain stem controls functions basic to the survival in animal such as heart rate, breathing, digestive processes, and sleeping.

Cerebellum: A brain structure located at the top of the brain stem that coordinates the brain’s instructions for skilled, repetitive movements and helps maintain balance and posture. Recent research also suggests the cerebellum may play a role, along with the cerebrum, in some emotional and cognitive processes.

Cerebrum (also called Cerebral Cortex): The largest brain structure in humans, accounting for about two-thirds of the brain’s mass and positioned over and around most other brain structures. The cerebrum is divided into left and right hemispheres, as well as specific areas called lobes that are associated with specialized functions.

Central Nervous System: The brain and spinal cord constitute the central nervous system and are part of the broader nervous system, which also includes the peripheral nervous system.

Corpus Callosum: The collection of nerve fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres.

Dualism: The term ‘dualism’ has a variety of uses in the history of thought. In general, the idea is that, for some particular domain, there are two fundamental kinds or categories of things or principles. In the philosophy of mind, dualism is the theory that the mental and the physical—or mind and body or mind and brain—are, in some sense, radically different kinds of thing. Discussion about dualism tends to start from the assumption of the reality of the physical world, and then to consider arguments for why the mind cannot be treated as simply part of that world.

Fissure: A groove or indentation observed in the brain. Another word for sulcus.

Frontal Lobe: The front of the brain’s cerebrum, beneath the forehead. This area of the brain is associated with higher cognitive processes such as decision-making, reasoning, social cognition, and planning, as well as motor control.

Glia (or Glial Cells): The supporting cells of the central nervous system. Though probably not involved directly in the transmission of nerve signals, glial cells protect and nourish neurons.

Hemisphere: In brain science, refers to either half of the brain (left or right). The two hemispheres are separated by a deep groove, or fissure, down the center. Some major, specific brain functions are located in one or the other hemisphere.

Hippocampus: A primitive brain structure, located deep in the brain, that is involved in memory and learning.

Hormone: A chemical released by the body’s endocrine glands (including the adrenal glands), as well as by some tissues. Hormones act on receptors in other parts of the body to influence body functions or behavior.

Hypothalamus: A small structure located at the base of the brain, where signals from the brain and the body’s hormonal system interact.

Limbic System: A group of evolutionarily older brain structures that encircle the top of the brain stem. The limbic structures play complex roles in emotions, instincts, and behavioral drives.

Localization: The theory refers to the concept that different areas of the brain control different aspects of behavior.

Medulla Oblongata: This structure is the caudal-most part of the brain stem, between the pons and spinal cord. It is responsible for maintaining vital body functions, such as breathing and heartrate.

Motor Cortex: The part of the brain’s cerebrum, just to the front of the central sulcus in the frontal lobe, that is involved in movement and muscle coordination. Scientists have identified specific spots in the motor cortex that control movement in specific parts of the body, the so-called “motor map.”

Neurotransmitter: A chemical that acts as a messenger between neurons and is released into the synaptic cleft when a nerve impulse reaches the end of an axon. Several dozen neurotransmitters have been identified in the brain so far, each with specific, often complex roles in brain function and human behavior.

Occipital Lobe: A part of the brain’s cerebrum, located at the rear of the brain, above the cerebellum. The occipital lobe is primarily concerned with vision and encompasses the visual cortex.

Parietal Lobe: The area of the brain’s cerebrum located just behind the central sulcus. It is concerned primarily with the reception and processing of sensory information from the body and is also involved in map interpretation and spatial orientation (recognizing one’s position in space vis-a-vis other objects or places).

Peripheral Nervous System: The nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord. Furthermore, the peripheral nervous system includes both sensory and motor neurons, which are also found in the central nervous system. And both systems contain certain non-neuron cells that assist neurons in a number of ways.

Phrenology: The detailed study of the shape and size of the cranium as a supposed indication of character and mental abilities.

Pituitary Gland: An endocrine organ at the base of the brain that is closely linked with the hypothalamus. The pituitary gland is composed of two lobes and secretes a number of hormones that regulate the activity of the other endocrine organs in the body.

Plasticity: In neuroscience, plasticity refers to the brain’s capacity to change and adapt in response to developmental forces, learning processes, injury, or aging.

Pons: The pons is a portion of the brain stem, located above the medulla oblongata and below the midbrain. Although it is small, at approximately 2.5 centimeters long, it serves several important functions. It is a bridge between various parts of the nervous system, including the cerebellum and cerebrum, which are both parts of the brain. There are many important nerves that originate in the pons. As part of the brain stem, the pons also impacts several automatic functions necessary for life. A section of the lower pons stimulates and controls the intensity of breathing, and a section of the upper pons decreases the depth and frequency of breaths. The pons has also been associated with the control of sleep cycles.

Primary Motor Cortex: The primary motor cortex, or M1, is one of the principal brain areas involved in motor function. M1 is located in the frontal lobe of the brain, along a bump called the precentral gyrus. The role of the primary motor cortex is to generate neural impulses that control the execution of movement.

Reticular Formation: Reticular Formation is a network of neurons in the brainstem involved in consciousness, regulation of breathing, the transmission of sensory stimuli to higher brain centers, and the constantly shifting muscular activity that supports the body against gravity.

Somatosensory Cortex: The somatosensory cortex integrates sensory information from the body, producing a map similar to that of the primary motor cortex.

Temporal Lobes: The parts of the cerebrum that are located on either side of the head, roughly beneath the temples in humans. These areas are involved in hearing, language, memory storage, and emotion.

Thalamus: A brain structure located at the top of the brain stem, the thalamus acts as a two-way relay station, sorting, processing, and directing signals from the spinal cord and mid-brain structures to the cerebrum, and from the cerebrum down.

Trephination: The procedure is a surgical intervention where a hole is drilled, incised or scraped into the skull using simple surgical tools. Trephination has been used to treat health problems associated with intracranial diseases, epileptic seizures, migraines and mental disorders by relieving pressure. There is also evidence it was used as a primitive form of emergency surgery to remove shattered pieces of bone from fractured skulls after receiving a head wound, and cleaning out the pools of blood that would form underneath the skull.