2. Visual Integration, attention and consciousness

Question 1

The way you process information from the environment is determined by ______________

Answer 1

receptors

Question 2

What are sensory receptors?

Answer 2

structures that respond physical or chemical conditions of the environment (stimuli)

Question 3

Name the two tasks of sensory receptors.

Answer 3

 transmit this information to nervous system

 transduction of environmental energy (stimulus) into action potentials

Question 4

What problem does evolution lead to?

Answer 4

sensory and motor abilities increase  problem of selecting both information and behaviours (response to info)

Question 5

What is the SOLUTION to the problem of selection?

Answer 5

ATTENTION

Question 6

What is attention?

Answer 6

the ability to generate and maintain a state of activation that allows the processing of information

Question 7

to define consciousness…

4 processes must be involved

Answer 7

1) Arousal: the “awakening” of the brain by specific modulatory systems
2) Perception: the detection and integration of sensory characteristics
3) Attention: the selection of a restricted sample of all the information available
4) Working memory: short-term storage of ongoing events

APAW

Question 8

what is consciousness

Answer 8

the state of knowledge of oneself

Question 9

attention can be …

Answer 9

A) Unconscious: when we are not aware of the process

B) Conscious: as when we search our memory for someone’s name.

Question 10

define agnosia

Answer 10

loss of object recognition abilities

without loss of sensorial abilities

Question 11

prosopagnosia

Answer 11

inability to recognise faces

Question 12

colour agnosia

Answer 12

inability to identify and name colour

Question 13

associative agnosia

Answer 13

inability to identify objects and their functions

Question 14

damage to V5

Answer 14

akinetopsia

Question 15

damage to V4

Answer 15

cerebral achromatopsia

Question 16

neurons are either

• simple
• complex
• hypercomplex

Answer 16

Simple: respond to edges at within visual field
Complex: more abstract types of visual information like motion in a specific direction
Hypercomplex: cells that are selective for a certain length of contour

Question 17

what are P-Cells and M-Cells

Answer 17

ganglion cells

Pcells receive info from FOVEA
Mcells rceive info from RETINA

Question 18

lgn

Answer 18

Lateral
GENICULATE
NUCLEUS

Question 19

LGN function?

Answer 19

receives axon terminals from ganglion cells of retina

Question 20

describe the layers of LGN.

Answer 20

there are 6

• Layer 2,3,5 come from the ipsilateral eye
• Layers 1,4,6 from the contralateral eye

Question 21

describe the Retinogeniculate pathway

Answer 21

optic nerve –> optic chiasma
LGN
–> optic radiation
–> primary visual cortex

Question 22

cataracts

Answer 22

cataract scatters and blocks the light as it passes through the lens, preventing a sharply defined image from reaching your retina blurred vision

Question 23

macular degeneration

Answer 23

affects middle-part of vision, usually age-related

Question 24

myopia

Answer 24

short-sightedness

Question 25

hyperopia

Answer 25

long-sightedness

Question 26

astigmatism

Answer 26

error in shape of cornea

Question 27

name the three most common vision problems in children

Answer 27

myopia
hyperopia
astigmatism

Question 28

describe phototransduction

Answer 28

Folding of outer membrane to form discs.
Rhodopsin is in disc membrane.
1) Light stimulates rhodopsin  activation of G-Protein, transducin
2) Phosphodiesterase (PDE) activated
3) Na+ channels close
IN THE LIGHT: decrease of Ca2+ and Na+  hyperpolarization at -70mV