1b Cortical Organisation and Function Flashcards

1
Q

What is the cerebral cortex?

A

The thin layer that covers the entire surface of the brain - together with deep nuclei contains the grey matter

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2
Q

What are the layers in the microscopic organisation?

A

Molecular layer
External granular layer
External pyramidal layer
Internal granular layer
Internal pyramidal layer
Multiform layer

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3
Q

What is the cytoarchitecture?

A

Cell size, spacing or packing density and layers

Was used to divide brain into 52 regions by Korbinian Brodmann in 1909

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4
Q

What are the functions of the frontal lobe?

A

Cognitive function
Attention
Motor functions
MEmory
Language

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5
Q

What are the functions of the parietal lobe?

A

Sensation
Sensory aspect of language
Spatial orientation and self perception

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6
Q

What is the function of the occipital lobe?

A

Processing visual information

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7
Q

What is the function of the temporal lobe?

A

Processing auditory information, emotions and memory

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8
Q

What does the limbic lobe include?

A

amygdala, hippocampus, mamillary body, and cingulate gyrus

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9
Q

What is the limbic lobe concerned with?

A

learning, memory, emotion, motivation and reward

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10
Q

What is the grey matter composed of ?

A

neuronal cell bodies and glial cells

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11
Q

What is the insular cortex?

A

Lied deep withon the lateral fissure
Concerned with visceral sensation, autonomic control, interoception, auditory processing, visual-vestibular integration

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12
Q

What is the internal structure of the white matter?

A

Myelinated neuronal axons arranged in tract

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13
Q

What connects cortical areas?

A

White matter tracts

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14
Q

What are association fibres?

A

connect areas within the same hemisphere

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15
Q

What are commissural fibres?

A

Connect homologous structure in left and right hemispheres

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16
Q

What are projection fibres?

A

connect cortex with lower brain structures (e.g. thalamus, brain stem and spinal cord)

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17
Q

What is the name of the fibres which connect the frontal and occipital lobes?

A

Superior Longitudinal Fasciculus

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18
Q

What is the name of the association fibres which connect the frontal and temporal lobes?

A

Arcuate Fascicules

Uncinate fascicules (connects anterior frontal and temporal)

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19
Q

What si the name of the association fibre which connects the temporal and occipital lobe?

A

Inferior Longitudinal Fasciculus

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20
Q

What are the two main sets of commissural fibres?

A

Corpus callosum and anterior commissure

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21
Q

what is the difference between afferent and efferent projection fibres?

A

Afferent is towards the cortex while efferent is away from the cortex

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22
Q

What is the corona radiata?

A

what the projection fibres radiate together as

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23
Q

Where do the projection fibres converge?

A

Through an internal capsule between the thalamus and basal ganglia

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24
Q

What effects will lesions in the primary cortices have compared to the secondary / association cortices?

A

Function predictable / less
Organised topographically / not
Symmetry between left and right / weak symmetry

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25
Q

What is the role of the primary motor cortex?

A

controls fine, discrete, precise voluntary movements.
Provides descending signals to execute movements.

26
Q

What is the role of the supplementary motor cortex?

A

Involved in planning complex movements (e.g. internally cued)

27
Q

What is the role of the premotor area?

A

Involved in planning externally cued movements

28
Q

What is the role of the primary somatosensory cortex?

A

processes somatic sensations arising from receptors in the body (e.g. fine touch, vibration, two-point discrimination, proprioception, pain and temperature.

29
Q

Which lobe of the brain is the somatosensory cortex in?

A

Parietal lobe

30
Q

What is the role of the somatosensory association lobe?

A

Interpret significance of sensory information

Awareness of self and awareness of personal space

31
Q

What is the role of the primary visual cortex?

A

Processes visual stimuli

32
Q

What is the role of the visual association cortex?

A

Gives meaning and interpretation of visual input

33
Q

What is the role of the primary auditory cortex?

A

processes auditory stimuli

34
Q

What is the role of the auditory association cortex?

A

Gives meaning and interpretation of auditory input

35
Q

What is Broca’s area?

A

Production of language

36
Q

What is Wernicke’s area?

A

Involved in the understanding of language

37
Q

What is the role of the pre-frontal cortex?

A

Attention
Adjusting social behaviour
Planning
Personality expression
Decision Making

38
Q

What changes occur due to frontal lobe lesions?

A

Changes in personality and inappropriate behaviour

39
Q

What is meant by contralateral neglect?

A

When there is a lesion to the cortex on one side of the brain in the parietal lobe leading to complete disregard of what the other side of the body is doing, and lack of self awareness

40
Q

What do temporal lobe lesions lead to ?

A

Agnosia - the inability to recognise
Anterograde amnesia- the inability to form new memories

41
Q

What does a lesion to Broca’s Area lead to?

A

Inability to produce speech, however comprehension is intact - expressive aphasia

42
Q

What does a lesion to Wernicke’s Area lead to?

A

Receptive aphasia - able to produce speech however comprehension of speech is significantly impaired

43
Q

Which commisural fibres connect Broca’s and Wernicke’s Areas?

A

Arcuate fasciculus

44
Q

What is prosopagnosia?

A

Inability to recognise familiar faces or learn new faces

45
Q

What does a lesion in the primary visual cortex lead to?

A

blindness in the corresponding part of the visual field

46
Q

What happens after a lesion to the visual association cortex?

A

Deficits in interpretation of visual information e.g prosopagnosia

47
Q

How can PET scans be used to assess brain function?

A

blood flow directly to a brain region

48
Q

How can Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
be used to measure cortical function?

A

amount of blood oxygen in a brain region

49
Q

What does Electroencephalography (EEG) do?

A

Measures electrical signals produced by the brain

50
Q

What does Magnetoencephalography – (MEG) do?

A

Measures magnetic signals produced by the brain

51
Q

What are Somatosensory evoked potentials?

A

series of waves that reflect sequential activation of neural structures along the somatosensory pathways

52
Q

How does transcranial magnetic stimulation work?

A

Assesses the functional integrity of neural circuits

Uses electromagnetic induction to stimulate neurons

53
Q

What is the purpose of brain stimulation?

A

Investigate neural interactions controlling movement following spinal cord injury

Investigate whether a specific brain area is responsible for a function?

54
Q

What is Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)?

A

Uses low direct current over the scalp to increase or decrease neuronal firing rates

55
Q

What is Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)?

A

Imaging used to assess the structure of the brain Based on diffusionof water molecules

56
Q

What is DTI with tractography?

A

3D reconstruction to assess neural tracts

57
Q

Lesions to which brain area are common following a stroke?

A

Wernicke’s

58
Q

What are three ways that cortical function is assessed?

A

Imaging
Encephalography
Brain stimulation

59
Q

What does fMRI detect changes in?

A

Changes in blood oxygenation and flow which occur in response to neural activity

60
Q

What it the routine investigation for people with spinal cord injury to confirm where along the pathway lesion is?

A

EEG

61
Q

Where is the activity recorded to and from in an EEG?

A

Recorded along the path of an impulse from the peripheral nerve up to the brain

62
Q

A 62 year old woman comes into hospital for a check-up. She says: Yes…ah..Monday…er…me…er…hospital…and…doctor. Where might she have a lesion?

A

Broca’s = Expressive Aphasia = Left Frontal Lobe lesion