Cortical organisation and function Flashcards
State the differences between grey matter and white matter in the brain.
Grey matter- Made up of neuronal cell bodies and glial cells.
White matter- Myelinated neuronal axons arranged in tracts.
What are glial cells
Non-neuronal cells in the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system that do not produce electrical impulses
What are the three different types of white matter tracts.
Association Fibres
Commisural Fibres
Projection Fibres
What do white matter tracts do in the brain
Connect cortical areas
What do Association fibres do
Connect areas within the same hemisphere
What do commisural fibres do
Connect homolous structures within the left and right hemisphere
What do projection fibres do
Connect the cortex with lower brain structures
Which association fibre connects the frontal and occipital lobes.
Superior longitudinal fasciculus
Which association fibre connects the frontal and temporal lobes.
Arcuate fasciculus
Which association fibre connects the anterior frontal and temporal lobes.
Uncinate Fasciculus
What are the 2 examples of commisural fibres in the brain.
Corpus Callosum
Anterior Commissure
What direction of movement is Afferent and Efferent.
Afferent- towards
Efferent- away
What are the projection fibres that radiate deeper into the cortex called.
Corona radiata
What are 2 examples of the primary cortices
-Primary Somatosensory cortex
-Primary motor cortex
What are the 3 motor areas of the frontal lobe.
-Primary motor cortex
-Supplementary area
-Premotor area
What is the primary motor area involved in
Controls fine movement and sends descending signals to execute movement.
What is the supplementary area involved in
Involved in planning complex movements, (internally cued). e.g speech
What is the premotor area involved in
Involved in planning movements (externally cued). e.g seeing an object you want to pick up and planning to do it.
What cortex group is directly posterior to the central sulcus
Primary somatosensory cortex
What is the full name of the 2 somatosensory cortex groups that lie in the parietal lobe.
-Primary somatosensory cortex
-Somatosensory association
What are the two main cortex groups in the occipital lobe.
-Primary visual
-Visual association
What are the two main cortex groups in the temporal lobe.
-Primary auditory
-Auditory association
What can Frontal lobe lesions lead to (2).
-Changes in personality
-inappropriate behaviour
What can Parietal lobe lesions lead to
CONTRALATERAL NEGLECT
What can temporal lobe lesions lead to (2).
-ANTEROGRADE AMNESIA: Inability to form new memories.
-AGNOSIA: Inability to recognise
Is the Broca’s area of motor or sensory function.
Motor
Is the Wernicke’s area of motor or sensory function
Sensory
What does a lesion in the Broca’s area lead to
EXPRESSIVE APHASIA: Problems with speech production, comprehension is fine.
What does a lesion in the Wernickes area lead to.
RECEPTIVE APHASIA: Problems with speech comprehension, production is fine.
What does a lesion in the primary visual cortex lead to.
Blindness
What does a lesion in the visual association area lead to.
Problems interpreting vision, e.g PROSOPRAGNOSIA. inability to recognize familiar faces or remember new ones.
What 2 imaging tests can you do to assess cortical function in the brain.
-Positron Emission Tomography
-Functional Magnetic Imaging
What is MS (multiple sclerosis).
Autoimmune disorder, resulting in demyelination of neurons from the central nervous system.
Describe MS symptoms.
Blurred vision, fatigue, difficulty walking, numbness or tingling muscle stiffness and spasms.
What does a lesion to the arcuate fasciculus cause?
Conduction aphasia- inability to repeat speech (this tract links the Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area)
