Brain Flashcards
Structure and function of Corpus Callosum
A set of nerve fibres which bridges the gap between the two hemispheres and allows them to communication.
Frontal Lobe
Functions include initiating movement of the body (motor functions), language, planning, attention, judgement, problem solving, aspects of personality and emotions.
Primary Motor Cortex
Responsible for movement of the skeletal muscles of the body. Functions contralaterlly. The amount of the cortex devoted to the different parts of the body is in proportion to the number of neutrons required to move different anatomical parts.
How is space in the Primary Motor Cortex allocated to different body parts.
The amount of the cortex devoted to the different parts of the body is in proportion to the number of neutrons required to move different body parts. Arms > Legs as movements are more complex.
Parietal Lobe main function
To enable a person to perceive their own body, and to perceive where things are located in their immediate environment. Right = person to perceive 3d shapes and designs Left = reading, writing and performing mental arithmetic.
- What does the Primary Somatosensory Cortex do?
Responsible for processing sensation such as touch, temperature and pain from the body. Functions contralaterally.
Which structure in the brain does the Somatosensory Cortex interact with?
The Thalamus
Describe the organisation of the Somatosensory Cortex.
The amount of the cortex devoted to the different parts of the body is in proportion to the level of sensuosity required by that body part.
Temporal Lobes responsible
Responsible for processing auditory information. Important for processing memory as it is directly connected with the hippocampus. Also involved in aspects of visual perception such as our ability to recognise faces and identify objects.
Primary Auditory Cortex
Performs complex auditory analysis. Necessary for understanding human speech or listening to music.
Occipital Lobe
Entirely concerned with vision. Information from the left side of retina is processed in left occipital lobe vice versa.
What are the association areas?
Everything outside the primary cortices.
Function of association areas
These are involved in the integration of the information between the motor and sensory areas and higher-order mental processes.
Broca’s Area
Left Frontal Lobe. Responsible for the movement of the mouth muscles for articulation of the sequence of words for fluent meaningful speech.
Wernicke’s Area
Left temporal lobe. Responsible for interpreting the meaning of human speech (language comprehension)
Central NS
- comprises the brain and spinal cord
- it enables the brain to communicate with the rest of the body by conveying messages from the brain to the peripheral nervous system, and from the peripheral nervous system to the brain.
Peripheral NS
communicates information from the body’s organs, glands and muscles to the CNS, including information from the outside world via sensory neurons and to communicate information from the CNS to the body’s organs, glands and muscles, via motor neurons.
Somatic NS
is responsible for the voluntary movement of skeletal muscles.
Autonomic NS
responsible for the communication of information between the CNS and the body’s non-skeletal muscles (visceral muscles), as well as the internal organs and glands that carry out the basic bodily functions necessary for survival, such as digestion and heartbeat.
Parasympathetic NS (ANS)
its primary function is to maintain homeostasis (regulating normal HR, digestion, breathing).
Sympathetic NS (ANS)
its main function is to prepare the body for vigorous activities, or to deal with stressful or threatening situations. It activates the flight or fight response.
Left Hemisphere Specialities:
Langauge
Math
Problem Solving
Movement of RHS of body
Right Hemisphere Specialities:
Spatial Abilities
Music/Art Appreciation
Humour and Creativity
Movement of LHS of body
Broca’s Aphasia
- difficulty expressing themselves in words or sentences but the ability to understand written and spoken language is largely unaffected (language difficulties).
- non-fluent, slow, deliberate and effortful (Fluency of speech)
Wernicke’s Aphasia
- difficulty understanding written and spoken language and producing written and spoken language that makes sense to other (language difficulties).
- very fluent but makes no sense (combinations of words are nonsensical)
Spatial Neglect -
is a disorder in which the person affected systematically ignores stimuli on one side of their body. (Right Parietal Lobe)
anosognosia -
a sufferer who is blissfully unaware that they have a deficit.
anosodiaphoria -
a sufferers who are aware they have a deficit but seem unconcerned about it.
