Abstract: Higher-level reasoning or understanding.

Amygdala: An almond-shaped cluster of neurons in the limbic system thought to be involved in processing emotions and memory. Anterior cingulate: Anterior section of the cingulate cortex. Asymmetry: favorin g one side or the other. Also called laterality. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Mental disorder that consists of behav iors such as impulsivity, hyperactivity, and difficulties with inhibition and se lf-regulation Automatized: To make a skill so automatic that one does not need to think about it while performing it. Caudate nucleus: Part of the Basal-Ganglia, the Caudate nucleus is thought to be involved in regulation of movement, learning, and memory. Corpus Callosum: A white matter structure that connects the right and left hemis pheres of the cerebral cortex. Thought to contain approximately 250 million axon s that allow right and left hemisphere communication. Dopamine (DA): Part of the catecholamine family of neurotransmitters (epinephrin e and norepinephrine), Dopamine is naturally produced in the brain and is though t to be involved in reward-based cognitive functions. Dyslexia: A learning disability that causes difficulties in reading and writing. Empathy: The ability to recognize and vicariously experience another person s emot ional state. Executive function: Higher-order cognitive processes that allow one to control o rganization of thought, and apply context specific rules in order to execute a t ask successfully. Formal operations: The skill to think systematically about all of the parts of a problem and to arrive at a reasonable solution. Frontal lobes: Area of the brain made up by the front portions of right and left hemispheres of the cerebral cortex. These areas are involved in memory, plannin g, organization, language and impulse control. These areas also have been linked to personality. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI): A technique in which neural activi ty is measured by changes in blood flow. Brighter areas on an fMRI images indica te higher amounts of blood flow and greater activity. Generalize: To apply a conclusion beyond a specific example. Glial cells: Cells of the nervous system that provide physical support and nutri tion for neurons. Higher cognitive functions: See executive functions. Hippocampus: Part of the limbic system involved in storing new knowledge. Impulsive: Behaviors that are not thought out. Inferential thinking: Reading between the lines, often involves meaning that is implied rather than explicit. Inhibition: The ability to regulate behavior or impulses. Inter-regional integration: Neural connections that are similar in location. Lan guage: A system/group of symbols used in verbal and visual communication. Learning disability: Difficulties in the development of language, reading, mathe matical reasoning or other academic undertakings compared to expectations of one 's ability. Believed to be neurological in nature. Left hemisphere: The left side of the cerebral cortex, thought to mediate langua ge and verbal communication. Limbic system: A multi-structural system involved in emotions, memory, and physi cal regulation. Structures such as the amygdala, cingulate gyrus, hippocampus, h ypothalamus, ammillary body, nucleus accumbens, orbitofrontal cortex, and thalam us are all structures of the limbic system. Memory: Ability to store and recall conceptual, social, emotional, and physical information. Metacognition: Thinking about one s own learning, thinking or percept ion. Myelinate: The white matter in the brain. It is made up of lipids (fat) that hel p impulses move more quickly along the nerve. Myelination: Process during development by which Myelin is formed over the neuro ns. Neuronal pathways: These are pathways through which nerve messages travel as the

y move among the various parts of the brain. Neurons: Cells that make up the nervous system, they process and transmit signal s electrically. Neurotransmitter: Nervous system chemicals that relay, amplify and modulate elec trical signals from one neuron to another neuron. Perspective-taking: The ability to understand another person s point of view or be liefs. Processing of novel stimuli: Analyzing new information that the brain has not seen before. Pruning: Process by which brain cells die off in order to make room for more eff icient connections between neurons. Reasoning: Mental process that deals with one s ability to perceive and respond to feelings, thoughts, and emotions. Right hemisphere: The right side of the cerebral cortex, thought to mediate spat ial, social and emotional understanding. Risk-prone: Susceptible to taking chances and making mistakes. Rote: Learning by memorization. Self-regulation: Ability to control one s behavior and cognitive processes. Social understanding: Ability to manage and function in social settings such as peer relationships. Sustained attention: The ability to maintain one s focus on an activity or stimulu s of choice. Synaptic pruning: When weaker neural connections are thinned and replaced by str onger connections. Temporal region: The side region of the cerebrum thought to be involved in audit ory processing. Theory of Mind tasks: Tasks that evaluate whether one has the ability to conside r another s personal beliefs, needs, desires and intentions. Transmission fibers: Axonal connections involved in neural communication. Visual -motor: Coordination of visual and motor processes, like tracing letters. Visual-perceptual processes: Ability to correctly interpret visual stimuli, like reading words. White matter fibers: Myelinated axons. White matter volume: Quantified amount of myelinated axons.