Cortical function Flashcards
Lesions reducing level of consciousness
- Brainstem ascending reticular activating system (ARAS)
- Bilateral thalami
- Bilateral cerebral hemispheres
What is a Jacksonian march?
Seizure that spreads along primary motor cortex.
Speeds of progression of pain:
- Fast: ischemic
- Medium: seizure
- Slow: migraine
Usual cause of Broca’s aphasia:
MCA stroke, tumor.
Left vs right brain organization:
Left: symbolic decoding, order parts of a whole (Chinese)
Right: larger context and meaning (Music)
Prefrontal cortex function:
Personality Executive function Sequencing, organizing Abstraction Problem solving
Lesion of orbitofrontal cortex leads to:
Socially inappropriate behavior.
Frontotemporal dementia (Pick’s disease):
Prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex.
Medial frontal cortex function:
Resiliency and adaptability, micturition inhibitory center.
Lesions lead to akinetic mutism, abulia, incontinence.
Lesion of primary somatosensory cortex:
Contralateral sensory loss
Lesion of dominant association cortex:
Loss of stereognosis, graphesthesia.
Lesion of nondominant (usually right) association cortex:
Neglect, apraxia (inability to perform a task despite good comprehension and ability to perform the component units of the task).
Gerstmann Syndrome:
Agraphia, acalculia, finger agnosia, R/L confusion
Upper vs lower cortex:
Upper: external world
Lower: internal status
Anton’s cortical blindness:
Partial or total loss of vision with the patient having little to no awareness of the loss of vision.
