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Neuro > Cognition Part 1 > Flashcards

Cognition Part 1 Flashcards

1
Q

Cognition:

Attention Memory Executive Functions

Part I: Attention and

Memory

A
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2
Q

What is attention?

A

Attention: Characteristics

Definition

  • Ability to utilize and direct one’s focus in order to receive and process information from one’s environment
  • Classifications and definitions highly varied in literature

Classifications of Consciousness

  • Alertness: Generalized readiness
  • Selective or Directed Attention: Specific stimuli over irrelevant stimuli
  • Awareness: Highest processing level
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3
Q

What is sustained attention?

A

Attention: Theoretical Concepts

Sustained Attention (Continuum)

  • Concentration, Vigilance, Selective Attention, Non-Distractibility
  • Definition
    • Ability to direct attention toward a specific stimulus for an extended period of time
  • Examples
    • Sustained (boring material)
    • Non-Distractibility (boring material in Starbucks, don’t let people around you distract you, ignoring outside stimuli)
    • Vigilance (courtside at a game, in heightened state of attention bc of a lot of action, anticipate action)
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4
Q

What is shifting attention?

A

Shifting Attention (aka divided attention)

  • Definition
    • Ability to focus on one event then disengage and focus on new event and subsequently re-engage in previous event
  • Example
    • Locking door, answer phone, start one thing and completely forget what you were doing, Cooking.
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5
Q

What are the neural substrates for attention?

A

Attention: Neural Substrates

Foundation Systems

  • Brainstem
    • ARAS (Ascending Reticular Activating System) and basic alertness
  • Thalamus and Limbic Connections
    • Sensory processing and big role in attention
  • Neurotransmitters
    • Dopamine and norepinephrine
  • Right Hemisphere
    • Widespread connections to many brain areas
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6
Q

What are alerting functions?

A
  • Alerting Functions
    • Definition: Ability to focus in anticipation of events (at stoplight)
    • Neural Substrates: Thalamus, Frontal and Parietal regions; Norepinephrine
    • Dysfunction: Decreased ability to maintain alertness or slowed responses; Missing critical cues from environment
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7
Q

What are orienting functions?

A
  • Orienting Functions
    • Definition: Ability to choose one source of information to process among an array of stimuli (attend to conversation in restaurant)
    • Neural Substrates: Superior Parietal Lobe, Temporal/Parietal Lobe junction, Frontal Eye Fields; Cholinergic System
    • Dysfunction: Inability to selectively attend during competing stimuli or distractions
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8
Q

What is executive control of attention?

A
  • Executive Control of Attention
    • Definition: Ability to process multiple stimuli or highly complex stimuli at the same time (busy clinic)
    • Neural Substrates: Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC))decision making, values), Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (LPFC); Dopamine
    • Dysfunction: Inability to process multi-step or complex tasks or can only handle one step at a time
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9
Q

What are the hierachical processing levels?

A

Cortical Processing of Attention

Hierarchical Processing Levels

  • Primary Somatosensory, Visual and Auditory Cortex
  • Primary Motor Cortex
  • Secondary Association Cortex (Unimodal Association Areas)
    • Somatosensory, Visual and Auditory Association Cortex
    • Motor Association Cortex: Supplementary and Premotor Cortex
  • Tertiary Association Cortex (Heteromodal Association Areas)
    • Posterior Multi-modal Association Cortex (MAC) in Parietal, Occipital and Temporal Lobes
    • Anterior Multi-modal Association Cortex (AMAC) in Frontal Lobe
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10
Q

Explain the hemisphere dominance and why we only have left neglect.

A

Right Hemisphere Dominant for Attention

  • Right Hemisphere attends to LEFT and RIGHT sides of hemispaces or environment
  • Left Hemisphere attends to RIGHT side of hemispaces or environment

Dysfunction [SEE DRAWING]

  • Right Hemisphere Lesion
    • Common LEFT neglect syndromes (Examples)
  • Left Hemisphere Lesion
    • Rare RIGHT neglect syndromes due to Right Hemisphere attends to BOTH sides
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11
Q

Explain the role of the frontal and parietal association cortex’s.

A

Frontal and Parietal Association Cortex

  • Frontal Cortex critical for attentional processing
  • Parietal Cortex serves as alerting or “heads up” role for Frontal Cortex Strong reciprocal connections between Frontal and Parietal Cortex especially for processing multi-modal stimuli
    • Superior Longitudinal Fasciculus/Arcuate Fasciculus
    • Prefrontal Cortex/Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex/ Anterior Cingulate Cortex and Inferior/Superior Parietal Cortex
    • PMAC and AMAC
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12
Q

Explain the role of the PPC and Frontal Premotor areas.

A
  • Posterior Parietal Cortex (PPC) and Frontal Cortex critical for sensorimotor transformations (frontal lobe has strong role over sensory and motor outputs, coordination)
    • Planning, decision-making, forward state estimation, and relative-coordinate representations
    • Intended goal of movement, trajectory of movement, higher cortical function, and coordinate multiple body parts
  • Frontal Premotor areas code for visual targets with eye- limb coordination or visually guided reaching
  • Visual functions of smooth pursuits and saccades are also represented in Parietal Cortex
  • PPC critical for motor planning and decision-making involving a temporal sequence (timing)
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13
Q

Explain coordination between lobes in relation to attention.

A

Cortical Processing of Attention

  • Topographical representations in frontal and parietal areas related to motor planning or goal- directed actions
  • Coordination among parietal areas, frontal eye fields (frontal lobe) directing visual attention and saccades, parietal functions related to spatial and visual spatial awareness
  • Coordination among systems leads to memory storage of goal-directed actions (no such thing as muscle memory- this is where its stored) Also the basal ganglia is where automatic, stererogenic actions)
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14
Q

Explain the significance of the prefrontal cortex.

A

Prefrontal Cortex –(sustained attention)

  • AMAC aka Frontal Heteromodal Association Cortex
  • Key: Coordination of information from PMAC (sensory info)
  • Key: Directed or Sustained Attention via Frontal Eye Fields (FEF)
    • Role in initiation of eye movements (Saccades) to target of interest
    • Initiation of motor control on contralateral side
    • Reduction in distractibility
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15
Q

What is the relationship with the ACC and Limbic structures?

A

Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) and Limbic Pathways

  • ACC
    • Key role in motivation needed for attending
    • Error detection
    • Assigning “value” to events
    • Assigned value to events for decision-making
    • Based on rewards and punishments
  • Limbic Structures
    • Key role in motivation needed for attending
    • Stimuli of interest driven by emotions
  • Example…
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16
Q

Describe the nerual substrates of visual attention.

A

Neural Substrates

  • Tectum
    • Superior Colliculi and Inferior Colliculi
  • Pre-Tectal Areas for Binocular Vision
  • Pulvinar in Thalamus
  • Above are critical for processing information between PMAC and FEF to direct Visual Attention (Saccades)
  • Cortical Processing of Attention
  • Attention and Vision are very closely connected functionally
  • Vision often directs focus of attention.
17
Q

What is memory?

A

Memory

Memory: Characteristics

  • Many varied theoretical configurations
  • Two major categories
    • Retrospective Memory
      • Recall after presented with stimuli
    • Prospective Memory
      • Recall in order to generate events in the future
18
Q

What are some examples of retrospective and prospective memory?

A
  • Retrospective Memory
    • Think of how do you remember – use of associations and strategies
    • What did you do two Tuesdays ago?
    • A month ago from yesterday?
  • Prospective Memory
    • Getting a paper written and meeting due date
    • Doctor appointments
    • Bill paying
19
Q

What are the neural substrates of memory?

A

Memory: Neural Substrates

  • Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC) (Working Memory)
  • Premotor Area
  • Temporal Lobes
  • Limbic System
    • Hippocampus
      • Processes and integrates information from multiple cortical areas
    • Amygdala
    • Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex (VMPFC)
  • Hemispheric Functions
    • Right Hemisphere (memories and spatial patterns)
    • Left Hemisphere (memories and language)
20
Q

What are the neural substrates of memory?

A

Neural Substrates

  • Memory now known to be processed in wide areas and not just hippocampus
  • Basal ganglia and cerebellum
  • Much more integrated process

Hippocampus thought to “coordinate” and integrate all pathways

21
Q

What is declarative memory?

A

Declarative Memory

  • Definition
    • Mode of recall for processing acquisition, retention and retrieval of information on a conscious or intentional level
    • EPISODIC MEMORY
      • Definition
        • Recall of a personal experience of events
        • Mental “reliving” of events
      • Rich in detail, spatiotemporal components or contexts, emotional experiences, and highly personal
      • Examples
    • Neural Substrates
      • Hippocampus and Medial Temporal Lobes

Examples Episodic Memory

  • Marianne’s Dissertation Defense
  • OT orientation, first clinical fieldwork education day, and graduation
  • How did you recall event? What are the parts of the event? People, sights, sounds, smells, context, emotions, likes/dislikes?
  • Did you think of previous related experiences to help recall events
22
Q

What is semantic memory?

A

SEMANTIC MEMORY

  • Definition
    • Recall of facts or general knowledge of the world
  • Not specifically tied to a context or mental reliving of event
  • Recall for efficiency (language, writing, reasoning, math)
  • Examples
  • Neural Substrates
    • Hippocampus and Temporal Lobes

Examples Semantic Memory

Rules for grammar and spelling

Examples?

Multiplication tables

Examples?

Memorization of facts

Examples?

23
Q

How does the encoding of episodic memory work?

A

Encoding of Memory: EPISODIC

Definition

  • The ability to transition information from working memory or short-term memory into long-term memory via the processing of multiple brain networks shaped by previous events

Events are comprised of multiple components…

  • Time
  • Places
  • People
  • Context
  • Emotions

Above are integrated into a whole based on processing old memories with new information

24
Q

What is working memory?

A

Working Memory

Definition

  • A mode of recall responsible for the storage of STM for the purpose of cognitive processing

Necessary for higher level reasoning (strong cognitive skill)

  • Hold information (memory) while engaging in some cognitive processing task
  • Examples

Neural Substrates

  • Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC)
  • Spatiotemporal memories and predictions of actions
    • Anticipatory Saccades
  • Left Temporoparietal Cortex
  • Right Frontal Cortex
  • Premotor Area
25
Q

What is non-declarative memory?

A

Non-Declarative Memory

Definition

  • A mode of recall via non-conscious processing during task performance

PROCEDURAL MEMORY

  • Definition
    • Recall of cognitive, motor, and perceptual skill learning
  • Characterized by gradual incremental learning and formation of skills
  • Results in automatic or subcortical task performance skills
  • Examples
  • Neural Substrates (Ex. Motor Learning Theory)
    • Motor Skills: Basal ganglia, cerebellum, motor cortex
    • Perceptual/Cognitive Skills: Basal ganglia, occipital and visual cortex
    • Conceptual Processes: Temporoparietal and Frontal Association Areas
26
Q

What is the mechanism for LTM?

A

Mechanism for Long-Term Memory

AKA CONSOLIDATION (Kandel)

  • The biological process of change in neural structures

Long-Term Potentiation (LTP)

  • Definition
    • Mechanism describing memory storage in the hippocampus
  • Early LTP
    • Short-term plasticity of synapses (no lasting change)
  • Late LTP
    • With repeated stimulation, release of Dopamine that will alter synaptic strength
  • Will have new Synaptic Connections
27
Q

What it the pathway for LTP?

A

Pathway for Late LTP (Kandel) (Oversimplified)

  • Increased stimulation activates Protein Kinase (PKA)
  • Release of Potassium and Calcium
  • Release of Glutamate into the Synapse
  • PKA moves into Nucleus of Neuron
  • Activates Protein Transcription of Genes
  • Gives rise to New Synaptic Connections
  • Considered as biological representation for LTM
  • KEY: Genes are critical for behavioral change

Neuro (12 decks)

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