Glossary

Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.

20 results found in Neuroscience.

Attention (Attentional processing, Selective attention)
The cognitive process of selectively focusing on relevant stimuli while filtering out competing information. Cognitive neuroscience typically decomposes attention into three networks: alerting (mainta…
Attention Network Test (ANT, ANT-I, ANT-Child)
A computer-administered cognitive task developed by Fan, Posner, and colleagues that measures three functionally distinct attention networks — alerting (sustained readiness), orienting (shifting atten…
Beta Rhythm (Beta Wave, Beta Oscillation)
A pattern of electrical brain activity oscillating at approximately 13-30 Hz, commonly recorded over the sensorimotor cortex. Like mu rhythms, beta rhythms are modulated by movement and motor imagery …
Brain-Computer Interface (BCI, Brain-Machine Interface, BMI, Neural Interface)
A technology that enables direct communication between the brain and an external device by detecting and interpreting neural signals. BCIs can use invasive methods (implanted electrodes) or non-invasi…
C-tactile Afferents (CT afferents, C-tactile fibres, CT fibres)
Unmyelinated, slow-conducting nerve fibres found in hairy skin that respond selectively to gentle, slow stroking touch at velocities of approximately 1-10 cm/s. C-tactile afferents are strongly associ…
Cortical Plasticity (Brain Plasticity, Neural Plasticity, Cortical Reorganization)
The brain's ability to reorganize its neural connections and functional organization in response to injury, learning, or environmental changes. In the context of disability and rehabilitation, cortica…
Cross-Modal Transfer (Cross-Modal Perception, Sensory Substitution)
Cross-modal transfer refers to the ability to recognize or process information received through one sensory modality (such as touch or hearing) based on experience gained through a different modality …
Episodic Memory (Autobiographical Memory, Personal Experience Memory)
The memory of specific personal experiences and events, including details about what happened, where and when it occurred, and the emotions associated with it. Episodic memory allows people to mentall…
Event-Related Potential (ERP)
An event-related potential (ERP) is a measured brain response that is the direct result of a specific sensory, cognitive, or motor event. ERPs are extracted from electroencephalography (EEG) recording…
Imagined Voluntary Movement-Related Potentials (IVMRPs, Motor Imagery Potentials)
Electrical brain signals generated when a person imagines performing a voluntary movement without actually executing it. These potentials, detectable via EEG electrodes placed over motor cortex areas,…
Mirror Neuron System (Mirror Neurons)
The mirror neuron system is a network of brain regions that activate both when a person performs an action and when they observe another person performing the same action. It is implicated in motor si…
Motor Cortex (Primary Motor Cortex, M1)
The region of the cerebral cortex responsible for planning, controlling, and executing voluntary movements. Located in the frontal lobe along the precentral gyrus, the motor cortex is organised somato…
Mu Rhythm (Mu Wave, Mu Oscillation)
A pattern of electrical brain activity oscillating at approximately 8-12 Hz, recorded over the sensorimotor cortex. Mu rhythms are suppressed (desynchronised) when a person performs or imagines perfor…
Multisensory Integration
The neural and perceptual process by which the brain combines information from different sensory modalities — sight, hearing, touch, proprioception — into a unified percept. Integration relies on temp…
Neural Plasticity (Neuroplasticity, Brain Plasticity)
The brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. In the context of accessibility, neural plasticity explains how people who are blind or visually impaired de…
Neural Prosthetics (Neuroprosthetics, Neural Prostheses)
Devices that interface directly with the nervous system to restore or supplement lost sensory, motor, or cognitive functions. Neural prosthetics can be input devices (reading neural signals to control…
Neurotrophic Electrode (Neurotrophic Brain Electrode, Cone Electrode)
A type of implantable brain electrode designed for long-term, stable recording of neural signals. Unlike conventional electrodes that sit on the brain surface or are inserted as rigid probes, a neurot…
P300 (P3, P300 Component, P3b)
The P300 is an event-related potential (ERP) component — a positive voltage deflection in EEG brain signals that peaks approximately 300 milliseconds after a person perceives a rare or task-relevant s…
Sensorimotor Rhythm (SMR, Sensorimotor Cortical Rhythm)
Oscillatory electrical brain activity recorded over the sensorimotor cortex, the brain region responsible for planning and executing voluntary movements. Sensorimotor rhythms include mu rhythms (8-12 …
Slow Cortical Potential (SCP, Slow Cortical Potentials)
Gradual voltage shifts in the electrical activity of the brain, occurring over periods of several hundred milliseconds to several seconds. Slow cortical potentials reflect changes in the overall excit…