Retina

A thin, light-sensitive multilayered pink membrane, the thickness of an onion skin and the size of a postage stamp, lining the inner posterior chamber of the eyeball.  The retina itself is lined with a black pigment (melanin) like the inside of a camera is black so as lessen the amount of reflection.  This mesh-like tissue …

Reticulospinal tract

Together with tectospinal tract, vestibulospinal, and ventral corticospinal tract forms the ventromedial group of the descending cortical pathway‚a¶ Arises from the reticular formation.  See Corticopspinal tract (CST), Mesencephalic reticular activating system, Tectospinal tract, Vestibulospinal tract

Resting-state fMRI

Amethod of functional MRI that is used to measure brain functional organization.  This technique is often employed to measure neural interactions present when aparticipant is not performing an explicit task.  Resting-state encompasses manyphysiological and brain states, including naturally sleeping infants, fetusesin unconstrained states, unconscious individuals, and participants instructedto rest quietly but remain awake.  The latter …

Response inhibition tasks

Tasks where the directed response to a number of cues is not to respond, and often used in tests of frontal lobe function.  See Executive function, Frontal cortex, Go/no go test, Inhibitory control, Motor inhibition, Object reversal test, Prefrontal cortex

Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)

A respiratory disorder in preterm infants due to an immature surfactant system. The deficiency in surfactant results in a collapse of he gas-exchange units of the lungs and an increase of lung compliance. There are two sorts of RD Idiopathic respiratory distress (IRDS) or hyaline membrane disease when the lungs become lined with a glassy-like …

Resilience

The ability to adjust effectively in the face of adverse life circumstances.  According to findings from the Kauai study, started in 1954 and directed by Emmy E. Werner, the environment of children classified as resilient contains the following properties: four or less children in the family, birth spacing of more than two years between siblings, strong …