Chapter 20 Neuropsychology

Question 1

Localization of Functions

Answer 1

The idea that specific psychological functions can be affected by damage to specific brain areas

Question 2

Stroke

Answer 2

AKA a cerebrovascular accident (CVA). When one of the blood vessels to the brain is blocked and causes permanent damage to the brain

Question 3

Lesion

Answer 3

An area of damaged tissue in the brain

Question 4

Modules

Answer 4

Regions of the brain that perform their own unique kind of analysis of the information they receive

Question 5

Neuropsychological Assessment

Answer 5

Testing a patient’s intelligence, memory, reading, motor coordination, and other cognitive and sensory functions in an effort to locate problems in the brain responsible for neuropsychological symptoms

Question 6

Traumatic brain injury (TBI)

Answer 6

An impact on the brain caused by a blow if a sudden, violent movement of the head

Ex: hit in head with baseball

Question 7

Cerebrospinal fluid

Answer 7

Clear liquid that surrounds and buffers the brain against vibrations

Question 8

Neurodegenerative diseases

Answer 8

Conditions in the brain that result in gradual loss of nerve cells and the cognitive or other functions in which those cells are normally involved

Ex: Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s

Question 9

Delirium

Answer 9

Periods of abnormally impaired or abnormally elevated levels of consciousness.

⬇️ poor attention, poor memory, disorientation

⬆️ hallucinations, episodes of mental agitation

Question 10

Perceptual disturbances

Answer 10

Impairments in the ability to organize, recognize, interpret, and make sense if incoming sensory information

Ex: what’s a vegetable? Can draw it and describe it but can’t identify it.

Question 11

Aphasias

Answer 11

AKA language disorders.
Disorders where there are disruptions in the ability to speak, read, write, and understand language

Ex: Broca’s aphasia- loss in fluent speech
Wernicke’s aphasia- loss of the ability to UNDERSTAND written or spoken language and to produce sensible speech

Question 12

Apraxia

Answer 12

AKA movement disorders.
Impairments in the ability to perform or coordinate previously normal motor skills

Ex: ideational apraxia- does in wrong sequence (brushing teeth)
ideomotor apraxia- movements in performing sequence is difficult

Question 13

Dementia

Answer 13

Significant and disruptive impairments in memory, perceptual ability, language, learned motor skills

Ex: Alzheimer’s