Brain Function Flashcards
Describe the Cerebral Cortex Layers/
1,2,3= Intracortical association functions
4= Termination of most incoming specific sensory signals
5,6= Orgin of most output signals and fibers to thalamus form 6
What is the relationship of the thalamus to cerebral cortex?
Thalamus is a relay station
When thalamus is disconnected corresponding cortical areas are basically lost.
What are the cortical connections?
N. Dorsal medialis
N. Ventralis lateralis
N. Ventralis posterolateralis
N. Lateralis posterior
Pulvinar
Med. Geniculate body indeterminate
Lat. Geniculate body
Describe the differences between primary and secondary motor areas.
Primary motor= direct connections with specific muscles
Secondary motor = provide patterns of motor activity
Describe the differences between primary sensory areas and secondary sensory areas.
Primary sensory= detect specific sensations
Secondary sensory= analyze meanings of specific sensory signals
Describe association areas of the brain.
Receive and analyze signals simultaneously from multiple motor/sensory cortical.
What are some association areas?
Parietal-occipitotemporal association area
Prefrontal association area
Broca’s Area
Wernicke’s Area
Limbic Association Area
Describe the Parieto-occipitotemporal association area.
Sub-areas include
Area for analysis of spatial coordinates
Wenicke’s Area
Angular Gyrus Area
Area for naming objects
Describe the functions of the prefrontal association area.
Receives preanalyzed sensory info= spatial coordinates
Planning effective movements
Output passes through caudate portion of basal ganglia
Carries out “though” process in mind
Describe the Broca’s association area.
Provides circuitry for word formation
Work w/Wernick’es area
Almost always dominate on left side
Describe the Limbic association area.
Behavior, emotions and motivation
Describe Wernicke’s area
Language comprehension
Somatic, visual, and auditory association area meet in posterior superior temporal lobe
Left side in most right handed people
Wernicke’s area plays the great single role in what?
Intelligence
Describe the facial recognition area.
Occipital portion net to visual cortex
Temporal portion associated with Limbic system
Damage results in prosospagnosia
Can’t recognize faces
Lobotomy Chararcteristics are what?
Loss of complex problem solving
Can’t combine linear tasks for complex goals
Can’t multitask
Less aggressiveness
Socially inappropriate
Loss of purpose while performing usual motor pattern functions
Can’t hold long trains of thought
