Chapter5 Flashcards
What does the brain rely on for moment-to-moment perceptions?
Complex network of associations
What type of memory does the brain use to store simple representations?
Short-term memory
What is the purpose of the brain building representations?
References for perceptions
What is semantic memory?
Declarative knowledge
What does semantic memory include?
General facts and data
What are scientists studying related to semantic memory?
Cortical areas organization
What do functional brain imaging studies reveal?
Regions process different information
What is shown by recordings of electrical activity in brain cells?
Specific cells fire for specific images
How did he struggle with sight?
Identifying the sink
What did he easily identify with eyes closed?
Objects by touch
What could he name by sound?
Rooster’s sound
What damage affected D.B.O.’s ability to name objects?
Temporal lobes
What type of stimuli could D.B.O. still name?
Tangible objects
What process is blocked due to D.B.O.’s strokes?
Semantic processing
What is agnosia?
Condition with several forms
What is the fusiform face area (FFA) critical for?
Recognizing faces
What results from bilateral damage to the FFA?
Prosopagnosia
What does the parahippocampal place area respond to?
Specific locations
What areas are activated by viewing certain inanimate objects?
Certain brain areas
What cognitive process is used to build up complex skills in the brain?
Integrating information
Which brain regions encode words?
Posterior parietal cortex, temporal lobe, PFC
What is the semantic system?
Areas responding to words
How does the semantic system respond to sounds?
More to words than sounds
What might explain humans’ unique language ability?
Differences in semantic system
What do separate areas of the semantic system encode?
Concrete/abstract concepts
What activates same brain areas?
Related words
Word example activating same areas?
“Month” and “week”
What technique measures brain activity?
fMRI
Which hemisphere shows more activation to words?
Left hemisphere
Who was the physician that studied Patient Tan?
Pierre Paul Broca
What could Patient Tan comprehend?
Others’ speech
What area of the brain had a lesion after autopsy?
Frontal lobe
What area of the brain is vital for speech production?
Broca’s area
What is Broca’s aphasia also called?
Non-fluent aphasia
Is comprehension intact in Broca’s aphasia?
Mostly intact
What type of aphasia is associated with damage to the left frontal lobe?
Non-fluent aphasia
What is a characteristic of speech in non-fluent aphasia?
Slow and halting
Do non-fluent aphasics comprehend spoken language?
Yes
Who wrote about a patient S.A. with lost ability to understand speech?
Carl Wernicke
What is Wernicke’s aphasia?
Fluent aphasia
Where was S.A. damaged?
Left temporal lobe
What was S.A.’s ability to produce speech?
Could speak fluently
What was S.A.’s difficulty?
Comprehending speech
What happens to patients with superior temporal lobe damage?
Cannot comprehend heard speech
Can patients with this disorder hear sounds?
Yes, they can hear sounds
What do patients understand despite impairment?
Written language
Which lobes are involved in recognizing speech sounds?
Both left and right temporal lobes
Which hemisphere is crucial for complex speech?
Left hemisphere
What regions are critical for accessing words and speech sounds?
Frontal lobe, temporal lobe
Which additional brain functions are involved in reading and writing?
Vision and movement
What centers are involved in reading and writing?
Speech comprehension and production centers
What is required from visual areas in reading?
Analyze shapes of letters and words
What do motor areas control in writing?
Control the hand
What is the significance of the FOXP2 gene?
Language processing
What does the FOXP2 gene do?
Switches genes on and off
What are the effects of mutations in FOXP2?
Speech difficulties
What accompanies the disability mentioned?
Difficulty with spoken and written language
What have studies of birds provided insights into?
Human speech
How do baby birds learn their songs?
Imitating a vocal model
What do birds depend on for song-learning?
Auditory feedback
What can FOXP2 mutations disrupt in young birds?
Song development
What part of the brain is affected by FOXP2 mutations?
Dorsal striatum
What do specialized neurons in the dorsal striatum express?
High FOXP2 levels
What do FOXP2 mutations result in?
Speech deficits
How might FOXP2 influence language development?
Changes in nucleotide sequence
What brain structures are involved in language?
Middle and inferior temporal lobe
What area is investigated for sentence comprehension?
Anterior temporal lobe
Where is the sensory-motor circuit for speech located?
Left posterior temporal lobe
What does the sensory-motor circuit help with?
Communication between speech systems
What is supported by the speech circuit?
Verbal short-term memory
What is the prefrontal cortex (PFC)?
Complex brain processes
When does the PFC reach full maturity?
Adulthood
What does the processing in the PFC define?
Executive function
What does the PFC supervise?
Brain functions
What functions does the PFC support?
Executive functions
What types of information do posterior cortical areas encode?
Visual, sounds, words
What is Broca’s area responsible for?
Speech production
What is Wernicke’s area responsible for?
Understanding speech
What does PFC stand for?
Prefrontal Cortex
What is the equivalent of working memory in animals?
PFC neuron activity
What are the three core skills of executive function?
Inhibition, working memory, shifting
What is inhibition?
Suppressing inappropriate behavior
What demonstrates early signs of inhibition in toddlers?
Delaying eating a treat
What task shows complex inhibition skills in preschool children?
Lucia’s hand game
How do three-year-olds perform in inhibition tests?
Very hard
How do four-year-olds perform in inhibition tests?
Significantly better
What ability improves with age?
Inhibition skill
What task relies on working memory?
Hand game
What is working memory?
Hold a rule in mind
What is working memory dependent on?
PFC and parietal lobe
What does working memory allow you to do?
Maintain/manipulate info
What happens if there is a distraction or time lag?
Likely to forget
What is the duration of working memory?
Active rehearsal needed
What is a key component of executive function?
Shifting or mental flexibility
What task demonstrates shifting?
Card sorting task
What region is implicated in executive functioning?
PFC
What happens to activity level of executive function with maturation?
Decreases
What are the fundamental skills of executive function?
Inhibition, working memory, shifting
What do the fundamental skills provide a basis for?
Other skills
What is decision-making?
Weigh values, understand rules
When do you use logical reasoning in decision-making?
Comparing timetables
What is affected by emotional consequences in decision-making?
Desire to be accepted
Which part of the brain is involved in decision-making?
Prefrontal cortex (PFC)
What area of the PFC helps override emotional responses?
Lateral PFC
Which brain regions are connected to the lateral PFC?
Amygdala, nucleus accumbens
What part of the brain is active when declining a small immediate reward for a larger future reward?
Lateral PFC
At what age does the lateral PFC usually mature?
Late 20s
Why do teens struggle with emotional regulation and impulse control?
Lateral PFC not mature
What is the importance of the orbitofrontal cortex?
Affective decision-making
What behaviors is the orbitofrontal cortex implicated in?
Addiction, social behavior
What is a key trait of humans related to social interaction?
Highly social creatures
What does social neuroscience study?
Neural functions in behavior
What is ‘mentalizing’?
Understanding thoughts
Which areas of the brain are involved in mentalizing?
Medial and lateral PFC
What are key components of understanding mental states?
Empathy, theory of mind
What has recent research focused on?
Social and emotional abilities
How do we understand the mental states of others?
Observing actions
What does understanding others require?
Recognizing movements and expressions
What technique do scientists use to study brain activity?
fMRI
Which cortex regions help in self and others’ judgments?
Medial prefrontal cortex
What is the role of the TPJ?
Focus on others
Where is the TPJ located?
Border of temporal and parietal lobes
What is the TPJ activated by?
Conflicting actions
What role do mirror neurons play?
Social cognition
What did scientists discover in the 1990s?
Mirror neurons in macaques
When do mirror neurons fire?
Upon action performance and observation
What do mirror neurons underlie?
Understanding actions
What was questioned about mirror neurons?
Role in social cognition
What do some scientists argue about mirror neurons?
Little direct evidence
