Brain and body connections

Question 1

What does contralateral mean in terms of the brain

Answer 1

It means that what you touch on one side of your body is processed by the other side of your brain

Question 2

Why is the association cortex referred to as “silent areas”

Answer 2

“silent areas”

• areas that do not produce movement or sensation when probed
• involved with complex perception and thought

Question 3

Asymmetry in the association cortex

Answer 3

• large asymmetry between hemispheres
• left hemisphere: preferentially language
  
  • broca’s area: speech production
  • Wernicke’s area: speech comprehension
• right hemisphere: typically spatial
  - damage to right parietal lobe: left side of the world
  ignored ( contralateral
  neglect )
  - damage to right occipital and temporal lobe: face
  blindness ( prospaghosia )

Question 4

What is the Corpus Callosum?

Answer 4

• A Large collection/ band of nerve fibers that connect the two hemispheres
• The two hemispheres use this to communicate

Question 5

What happens what the corpus callosum is cut?

Answer 5

There is no communication between hemispheres when this happens

We know this through testing both hemispheres of the brain, comparing patients and learning through people’s injuries

Question 6

What is Neuroplasticity?

Answer 6

This is the brain’s ability to adopt new functions from new experiences

Question 7

What is Neurogenesis?

Answer 7

This is the brain’s ability to develop new neurons

Question 8

What is Aborization?

Answer 8

This is the brain’s ability to grow dendrites

Question 9

What is Synaptogenesis?

Answer 9

This is the brain’s ability to form new synapses