Attention and Perception

Question 1

what does attention need the functioning of?

Answer 1

fronto-parietal association cortex

Question 2

what is selective attention?

Answer 2

focusing attention on one domain above others

ex:listening when you name is called

Question 3

what is sustained attention?

Answer 3

concentration
non-distractability
vigilance

Question 4

what lobe is for sustained attention?

Answer 4

frontal lobes

Question 5

if we have damage to the parietal cortex what will we have trouble with?

Answer 5

perception

Question 6

attention is lateralized to what side of the brain?

Answer 6

right side

Question 7

what is brain lateralization?

Answer 7

cognitive functions are split up between different regions in each hemisphere

Question 8

what hemisphere of the brain is for spaatial ability, context and perception?

Answer 8

right hemisphere

Question 9

what hemisphere is specialized so speech, language, and comprehension?

Answer 9

left hemisphere

Question 10

generally, are people aware they have hemispatial neglect? what is this called?

Answer 10

no. It is called somatosagnosia

Question 11

for. typical person without damage to their parietal lobes, what competition is occurring?

Answer 11

competition between stimulus inputs from each side of space (vision, sensation, audition)

ex. watching a stage and a grasshopper comes in on the left side, you would notice the grasshopper. When the orchestra comes its loud but you still know Buddys down there playing the violin

Question 12

what can sometimes happen after a right MCA stroke?

Answer 12

attention to the left is somewhat intact in quiet environments however it becomes extinguished by competing stimulus on the right

Question 13

why why does this happen?

Answer 13

lack of attention to the left
hyperattention to the right

Question 14

what is this called?

Answer 14

extinction (someone can attend to the left if nothing else is going on but hyper attentiveness to the right takes over when stimuli happen)

Question 15

what is an example of a selective attention test?

Answer 15

counting the basketball passes while a person in a bear suit walks through

Question 16

imagine you are reading a textbook while sitting front row at a hockey game. What would your selective attention be?

Answer 16

looking at the book rather than stimuli in the environment

Question 17

imagine you are reading a textbook while sitting front row at a hockey game. What would your concentration be?

Answer 17

continue reading, even if not interested

Question 18

imagine you are reading a textbook while sitting front row at a hockey game. What would your nondistractibility be?

Answer 18

able to redirect attention to reading the textbook (or task at hand)

Question 19

imagine you are reading a textbook while sitting front row at a hockey game. What would your vigilance be?

Answer 19

state of being constantly attentive and responsive to signs of opportunity, activity, or danger

Question 20

what are some of the hallmark signs of a frontal lobe head injury?

Answer 20

inability to sustain attention

Question 21

what are the 3 broad regions of the frontal cortex?

Answer 21

1. lateral pre-frontal cortex
2. orbito-frontal cortex
3. anterior cingulate cortex

Question 22

the 3 broad areas of the frontal cortex make sure that we are able to do what?

Answer 22

1. restraint (inhibit inappropriate behaviour)
2. initiative (motivation to pursue positive or productive activities)
3. order (capacity to correctly perform sequencing tasks and other cognitive operations)

Question 23

is damage to the frontal cortex obvious at first?

Answer 23

no, it may appear unremarkable at first

Question 24

what can really contribute to a decreased quality of life for people with frontal cortex damage?

Answer 24

profound inability to carry out simple activities

Question 25

what is the best way to evaluate someone who has a frontal lobe lesion?

Answer 25

get a history from their family or other contacts likely more revealing than a patient exam

Question 26

for someone who has frontal cortex damage, what might we see come back?

Answer 26

primitive reflexes