Chapter 6 - Parietal Lobes

Question 1

What are the principle divisions of the parietal lobe?

Answer 1

anterior and posterior

Question 2

Function of the parietal lobes

Answer 2

• primary somatosensory cortex is in charge of somatosensory perception

Question 3

What type of deficits would you see if the primary and or/secondary somatosensory cortex were damaged?

Answer 3

• changes in normal sensations in the body, loss of sensation/confined to a certain type of sensation
• difficult in perception of position of limbs

Question 4

Asterognosis, what is the test for this?

Answer 4

• damage to the R anterior primary somatosensory cortex
• inability to recognize objs by touch

Question 5

What is the test for asterognosis?

Answer 5

• Goddard form board - have to put shapes into their corresponding spots on a board
• blindold pt to feel for shapes

Question 6

Asomatognosia

Answer 6

• loss of knowledge of sensory awareness of ones own body

Question 7

Anosognosia

Answer 7

• due to R side lesion
• lose knowledge of positioning of limbs
• effect mainly seen on L side of body

Question 8

Autotopagnosia

Answer 8

• due to L side lesion
• difficulty naming parts of body, deficit in localization
• effect mainly seen on R side of body

Question 9

Finger agnosia

Answer 9

• cannot name their fingers by touch

Question 10

Visual obj agnosia

Answer 10

• impairment of visual obj recognition
• due to R side lesions
• pt usually requires spatial cues

Question 11

What are the tests for visual obj agnosia?

Answer 11

• Mooney closure faces task - show pts images of incomplete faces, and they must perform “closure”, the ability to perceive something even though its not fully represented
• Unconventional obj test - pt must ID objs by pictures that are taken from odd angles

Question 12

Visuospatial agnosia

Answer 12

• impairment of spatial location and orientation
• trouble distinguishing the relative orientation of objs and the space btwn objs

Question 13

What are the tests for visuospatial agnosia?

Answer 13

• Weinstein map - pt must direct themselves around 9 dots placed on the ground with a map that they are not allowed to orient
• road map test
• pool reflection test

Question 14

Spatial neglect

Answer 14

• failure to respond, report or attend to events occurring to the field contralateral to the damage
• usually due to R side lesions, so L side is affected
• EX: putting lipstick on the R side of the lips only, or only drawing the R side of a flower

Question 15

Symbolic syntheses

Answer 15

• Acalculia - loss of ability to perform arithmetical calculations
• difficulty representing numerical info spatially
• R post hemisphere damage

Question 16

Apraxia

Answer 16

• loss of intentional movement, cannot organize motor tasks
• can affect any type of purposeful movement
• usually due to R post hemi lesions

Question 17

Ideamotor apraxia

Answer 17

• difficulty executing simple gestures like waving

Question 18

Ideational apraxia

Answer 18

• movements are out of order or repeated
• EX: cannot make a cup of coffee

Question 19

Dressing apraxia

Answer 19

• difficulty getting dressed due to spatial deficits

Question 20

Constructional apraxia

Answer 20

• difficulty recreating 3D constructions
• Tested using the Benton test of 3D constructional apraxis

Question 21

Gerstmann syndrome

Answer 21

• result of extensive damage to the parietal lobes
• Agraphia
• Acalculia
• R and L confusion
• finger agnosia

Question 22

Ian Walterman from video

Answer 22

• lost proprioception due to virus attacking his sensory neurons- body’s awareness of positioning in space
• visual system had to compensate for motor behaviors
• had to retrain his body to walk, do gestures, and maintain balance
• had to pay attention to what he was doing, otherwise he could fall