Biological Influences

Question 1

Cerebral Cortex

Answer 1

• most recognisable part of the brain
• covers two cerebral hemisphere
• involved with information processing like
  
  • perception -language -learning -memory -thinking -problem solving -planning -control of body movement

Question 2

Cerebral Hemispheres

Answer 2

• left side processes info for right side of body and right for left
• left is logical
• right is creative side of brains

Question 3

Frontal Lobe

Answer 3

• frontal lobes are part of the cerebral cortex and are the largest of the brains functions
• frontal lobe controls behaviours and processes such as voluntary behaviour including decision making, planning, problem solving and thinking), voluntary motor control, cognition, intelligence, attention, language processing, comprehension and many others
• frontal lobes are the brains largest structures and consequently have been associated with a large number of disorders
• the largest areas of the brain consisting of 41% of the whole brain in total, as this is such a large area the frontal lobe contains many substructures

Question 4

Substructures of Frontal Lobe

Answer 4

• Premotor Cortex
• Primary Motor Cortex
• Prefrontal Cortex
• Broca’s Area

Question 5

Summary of Premotor Cortex

Answer 5

• premotor cortex consists of a narrow region between the prefrontal and motor cortices
• It is involved in planning and executing motor movements, imitation and empathy
• Cognitive disorders related to this area is autism

Question 6

Summary of Primary Motor Cortex

Answer 6

• Primary motor cortex controls coordination and initiation of motor movement
• primary motor cortes is important to the mirror neuron system, which may be dysfunctional in individuals with autism
• When this area of the brain is damaged it can cause speech impairments, distortions of body image and motor-learning deficits

Question 7

Summary of Prefrontal Cortex

Answer 7

• prefrontal cortex is a major part of the executive system which involved planning, reasoning and judgement
• are is also involved in personality and emotion by contributing to the assessment and control of appropriate social behaviours
• Many cognitive disorders such as ADHD, autism, bi-polar disorder, depression and schizophrenia have been associated with dysfunctions of the prefrontal cortex

Question 8

Brocca’s Area

Answer 8

• Broca’s area is mainly involved in the production of spoken language and in language processing and comprehension
• When Broca’s area is damaged it may affect language production (both speech and sign) and comprehension of complex syntax
• Language impairments in autism my be related to abnormalities in Broca’s area in many cases

Question 9

Temporal Lobe

Answer 9

• temporal lobe contains a large number of substructure (association areas)
• functions of these substructure include perception, face recognition, memory acquisition, understanding language an emotional reactions
• Associated cognitive disorders include schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease
• when area damaged one may have difficulty in understanding speech, inability to talk persistently, long term and short term memory loss, change in sexual behaviour and aggression

Question 10

Temporal Lobe Association Areas

Answer 10

• Primary Auditory Cortex

- Wernickes Area

Question 11

Summary of Primary Auditory Cortex

Answer 11

-is the part of the temporal lobe that processes auditory information in humans. It is a part of the auditory system, performing basic and higher functions in hearing

Question 12

Summary of Wernickes Area

Answer 12

• Wernickes area controls language comprehension

- When this are is damaged one suffers Wernickes aphasia which causes one to be unable to understand spoken language

Question 13

Occipital Lobe

Answer 13

• The occipital lobe is the primary visual area of the brain
• Damage to this area can cause visual hallucinations, blindness, inability to see colour, motion or orientation and synesthesia

Question 14

Parietal Lobe

Answer 14

• Parietal lobe plays an important role in integrating information from different senses to build a logical picture of the world
• It controls perception and integration of somatosensensory information (e.g. touch, pressure, temperature and pain), visuospatial processing, spatial attention, spatial mapping and number representation
• If this area is damages one may have an inability to locate and recognise objects, events and parts of the human body, disorientation and lack of coordination.

Question 15

Parietal Lobe Association Areas

Answer 15

-Somatosensory Cortex

Question 16

Summary of Somatosensory

Answer 16

• The somatosensory cortex receives tactile information from the body
• The information is carried by neutral pathways to the brain which project it to the somatosensory cortex
• The main function is sensory processing and integration -If this area is damaged one my have difficulties in perceiving touch and failure to recognise down body and objects by touch

Question 17

Midbrain Summary

Answer 17

• Small structure that joins the hindbrain to the forebrain
• Contains the reticular activating system (RAS) or reticular formation
• This system is important for maintaining general arousal and is involved in the sleep wake cycle

Question 18

Hindbrain Summary

Answer 18

• believed to be the earliest part of the brain to have evolved, found in the most primitive vertebrates.
• Consists of the medulla oblongata, the pons and the cerebellum

Question 19

Medulla Obongata Summary

Answer 19

-Part of the hindbrain where all the nerves from the spinal cord connect to the brain

Question 20

Pons Summary

Answer 20

-Part of the hindbrain involved in integrating the movements of 2 halves of the body and in regulating alertness, sleep and respiration and postural reflexes

Question 21

Cerebellum

Answer 21

-part of the brain involved in breathing, balance and coordination

Question 22

Phineas Gage

Answer 22

• Railway worker, accident on the worksite left him with a metal rod lodged in his head from his left cheek and out the top of the skull. Skewering his left frontal lobe.
• He survived and recovered but his personality had completely changed. He was polite, pleasant, capable and even tempered.
• After the accident he was reported to be impatient, difficult, moody and less capable