12 - Introduction to Cognition and Emotion

Question 1

Examples of cognition

Answer 1

Memory, speed of information processing, language, planning, problem solving attention

Question 2

Broad functions of temporal lobe

Answer 2

Audition, language, music, memory, emotion

Question 3

Broad functions of the parietal lobe

Answer 3

Somatic and visuospatial representations

Question 4

Broad functions of the frontal lobe

Answer 4

Planning, execution and regulation of behaviour

Question 5

Where is language often lateralised?

Answer 5

Left hemisphere (more often in right-handed people)

Question 6

Three basic levels of the CNS (Luria)

Answer 6

1) Primary - High modal specificity. Basic processing of sense-information
2) Secondary - Perception/’gnosis’ of sensory information
3) Tertiary - Integrate information across sense modalities. Predominant in upper cortical levels. High-order cognitive processing. Only present in humans.

Question 7

Luria’s principles of functional systems (pluripotentiality)
1
2
3

Answer 7

1. Each area of the brain operates in conjunction with
   other areas
2. No area is singly responsible for voluntary human
   behaviour
3. Each area may play a specific role in many
   behaviours

Question 8

Defining emotion

1 - 7

Answer 8

 Emotion is an inferred behavioural state
 Conscious, subjective feeling that is internal
 Infer affect from others based on behaviour: eg. crying
 Psychophysiological state
 Incorporates conscious feelings
 Physiological arousal eg. change in heart rate
 Cognitive component

Question 9

Core emotions

Answer 9

Emotions that are universal across cultures (anger, fear, sadness, disgust, happiness, surprise?),

Combinations of core emotions form complex emotions (EG guilt)

Question 10

Limbic system

Answer 10

Theoretical system involved in emotion

Question 11

Components of limbic system

Answer 11

Cingulate cortex, thalamus, amygdala, mamillary body

Question 12

Amygdala
1
2
3

Answer 12

1) Subcortical structure involved in emotional learning.
2) If bilaterally remove amygdalas leads to kluver-Bucy syndrome, which is loss of fear, tameness.
3) Dysfunction related to depression and anxiety

Question 13

Orbitofrontal cortex

Answer 13

Involved in identification and expression of emotion.

Reduced OFC volume found in patients with disorders of affect (EG: depression)

Question 14

What can lesions of the orbitofrontal cortex lead to?

Answer 14

Reduced facial expression and affect.

Possible laterality effect - right lesions are worse than left

Question 15

Structure that links serotonin abnormalities with depression

Answer 15

Hippocampus (reduction in volume in depression)