Cognition and vascularization

Question 1

which frontal cortex region does not connect directly to primary motor and sensory regions?

Answer 1

prefrontal region

Question 2

what function and brain areas are the frontal lobe regions broadly associated with?

Answer 2

dorsal-lateral: cold executive functions (ex math); connected to premotor and sensory association cortex
ventral-medial: hot executive function (ex social); connected to temporal lobe and limbic structures

Question 3

miller and cohen mode of cognitive control: what brain aeas do what?

Answer 3

anterior cingulate cortex: monitors behavior and detects error\
lateral prefrontal cortex: top-down control signals

Question 4

describe working memory

Answer 4

holding a representation in mind; interface between perception, long-term memory, action

Question 5

what neurons are involved when holding a representation in mind? (delay test)

Answer 5

dorsolateral prefrontal neurons

Question 6

explain the 3 parts of the standard model of working memory

Answer 6

central executive dorsolateral prefrontal cortex: monitors working memory
-> visuospatial sketch pad: imagining something in your head (involved visual cortex, visual neurons that were activated when memory was created)
-> phonological loop: for remembering words, numbers

Question 7

what brain area was affected in phineas cage story; what is it involved in?

Answer 7

ventromedial prefrontal cortex: connects visceral response and emotions for decision-making

Question 8

2 regions of ventromedial prefrontal cortex we learned ab?

Answer 8

orbitofrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex (they’re also part of limbic lobe!?)

Question 9

what subcortical structures is the medial prefrontal cortex interconnected with and what are they involved with?

Answer 9

amygdala, limbic lobe, pituitary gland, brainstem and spinal cord visceral and somatic nuclei
involved in emotions, feelings, motivation and associated physiological states

Question 10

describe the insula and difference between its anterior and posterior region. which side is especially active?

Answer 10

subcortical sensory cortex that integrates interoceptive information (like pain) and directs attention
anterior: subjective feelings associated to stimuli
posterior: actual intensity of stimuli
right hemisphere is especially active

Question 11

describe the hypothesized role of the 3 brain regions involved in “quiet thinking” (reading 7)

Answer 11

Default mode network: medial frontal lobe, medial and lateral parietal lobe, medial temporal lobe
Salience network: switch from default mode to executive mode
central executive network: planning, execution, goal-directed behavior

Question 12

describe the hypothalamus

Answer 12

key point in pathways concerned with autonomic, endocrine, somatic and motivational functions for homeostasis

Question 13

what structure does the hypothalamus have reciprocal connections with?

Answer 13

forebrain limbic structures, visceral and somatic nuclei in brainstem and spinal cord

Question 14

hypothalamus role in body temperature control

Answer 14

The hypothalamus determines the deviation of an internal body state (has temperature sensors) from a set point and initiate autonomic-endocrine-behavioral responses

Question 15

what brainstem structures does the hypothalamus project to? what are they involved in (3 things)?

Answer 15

nucleus of solitary tract, parabrachial nucleus, ventral reticular formation of the medulla, periaqueductal gray
involved in autonomic responses, fixed action patterns, homeostatic control

Question 16

difference between hypothalamus role and the structures it controls? (example seen in class)

Answer 16

frightened cat: hypothalamus controls what responses ares expressed; PAG coordinates the response: piloerection, hissing, arching of the back

Question 17

describe the amygdala

Answer 17

temporal lobe structure inside the uncus that connects autonomic response, emotions, and conscious feelings

Question 18

what happened to rats with amygdala lesions when they heard a sound previously associated with pain?

Answer 18

they did not respond to the sound when there was no pain involved, unlike rats with intact amygdala who responded to the sound because they expected pain to follow.

Question 19

similarities between effect of amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex lesions? what can we conclude from that ab VMPC?

Answer 19

fail to show expected response (physiological and emotional)
fail to remember emotional charged pictures/stories better
-> shows that VMPC is essential for linking emotions and learning to abstract social concepts

Question 20

what is moral reasoning primarly based on?

Answer 20

feelings

Question 21

what brain areas are activated when solving the trolley and the footbridge problem respectively?

Answer 21

trolley: lateral prefrontal cortex
footbridge: ventromedial prefrontal cortex

Question 22

describe the different types of memory

Answer 22

explicit: Conscious memory of facts
(semantic memory) and events (episodic memory)
implicit: skills, habits, conditioned responses

Question 23

what structures are involved in each type of memory?

Answer 23

explicit: hippocampus (most essential), medial temporal lobe, cerebral cortex
implicit: basal ganglia, cerebellum, amygdala

Question 24

what could patient who got hippocampus removed (H.M.) do and not do?

Answer 24

he could not form new memories but he could learn new tasks

Question 25

what regions make up the hippocampus and what cells do they each contain?

Answer 25

dentate gyrus: granule cells
CA3, CA1: pyramidal neurons

Question 26

where does the input to the hippocampus come from?

Answer 26

entorhinal cortex

Question 27

what are the inputs and outputs of entorhinal cortex (forms a loop)?

Answer 27

input from unimodal and polymodal cortex association areas and from CA1
output to unimodal and polymodal cortex association areas, to dentate gyrus and to C1

Question 28

whats the name of the pathways connecting the different hippocampus areas

Answer 28

dentate gyrus -> mossy fibers pathway -> CA3 -> schaffer collateral pathway -> CA1

Question 29

what are called the neurons only found is CA1 and CA3 that fire only when the animal is at a specific location?

Answer 29

(hippocampal) place cells

Question 30

knocking out what receptors inhibits mouse spatial learning?

Answer 30

NMDA receptors in CA1 pyramidal cells

Question 31

explain long-term potentation

Answer 31

when you are learning there is an increase in action potential in a neuron -> its excitatory synapses get stronger through formation of more postsynaptic channels (?)

Question 32

3 paths to enter the brain’s arterial supply

Answer 32

anterior: internal carotid arteries
posterior: vertebral arteries, basilar artery

Question 33

what part of the brain does the middle cerebral artery vascularize?

Answer 33

mostly lateral part of the hemispheres! Medial parts are mostly vascularized by anterior and posterior cerebral artery

Question 34

name the meningial layers from brain to skull

Answer 34

pia mater, subarachnoid space made of trabeculae filled with CSF, arachnoid, dura mater

Question 35

what is the sinus at the top of the brain called and what surrounds it?

Answer 35

superior sagittal sinus contained between the external and internal periosteal leaflets

Question 36

what is the other brain sinus called and where does it merge with the superior sagittal sinus? what vein does the blood exit the head through?

Answer 36

straight sinus; at the confluence of the sinuses; leave through internal jugular vein

Question 37

what tissue produces cerebrospinal fluid?

Answer 37

choroid plexus in the ventricles

Question 38

name the tubes through which CSF flow between ventricles

Answer 38

foramen of monroe: between lateral and 3rd ventricle
aquaduct of sylvius: between 3rd and 4th
foramen of lushka and of magendie: exit 4th ventricle to subarachnoid space

Question 39

name the 3 cisterns in which CSF accumulate

Answer 39

cisterna magna (most caudal under the cerebellum), interpeduncular cistern, superior cistern (above cerebellum)

Question 40

what does CSF flows through to get to the superior sagittal sinus?

Answer 40

arachnoid villi (clusters are called arachnoid granulations)