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Glossary 483LTP (long-term potentiation)between two nerve cells.The long-lasting strengthening of a connectionMedial preoptic area (MPOA) Region of the brain that is situated immediatelybelow the anterior commissure, above the optic chiasma, and anterior to thehypothalamus, and that regulates certain autonomic activities often with thehypothalamus.Mediators Processes that act as an intermediary agent; used to describe variablesthat mediate the effect of one factor on another.Mesencephalic reticular activating system Situated at the core of the brainstem, the reticular activating system is believed to be the center of arousal andmotivation in animals, involved in circadian rhythm, and affected by psychotropicdrugs and anesthetics.Methylation The enzymatic introduction of a methyl group (CH3) in a chemicalcompound; involved in the regulation of gene expression, regulation ofprotein function, epigenetic inheritance, embryonic development, and RNAmetabolism.Methylphenidate A mild stimulant of the central nervous system that is administeredorally to treat narcolepsy and hyperactivity disorders.Microcephaly A condition in which the circumference of the head is abnormallysmall, usually associated with mental retardation.Microgenesis A theory of mind and brain based on a process approach toanatomy in relation to patterns of symptom formation in patients with disturbancesof language, action, and perception. A model of the organization of cognition inthe normal brain that is inferred from the symptoms of brain damage, their changeover time, and their relation to pathology in specific brain areas.Midbrain Region including the inferior and superior colliculi, the cerebral peduncles,internal capsule, cerebral aqueduct, and substantia nigra; controls manysensory and motor functions.Moderator In statistics, a variable that changes the direction or strength of theassociation between two other variables.Monoamines Amines, specifically neurotransmitters and neuromodulators, thatare functionally important in neural transmission, that have one organic substituent