E. Cognitive Functions

Question 1

What is the dominant hemisphere for speech production in right-handers?

Answer 1

The left hemisphere is dominant for speech production in 95% of right-handers.

Question 2

What functions is the left hemisphere responsible for?

Answer 2

The left hemisphere is responsible for speech comprehension and language-related functions.

Question 3

Which side of the body does the left hemisphere control?

Answer 3

The left hemisphere controls the right side of the body (contralateral control).

Question 4

What cognitive abilities are associated with the left hemisphere?

Answer 4

The left hemisphere is associated with logical reasoning, analytical tasks, and problem-solving.

Question 5

What is the primary function of the right hemisphere?

Answer 5

The right hemisphere understands sentences but does not produce speech.

Question 6

Which side of the body does the right hemisphere control?

Answer 6

The right hemisphere controls the left side of the body.

Question 7

What types of processing does the right hemisphere specialize in?

Answer 7

The right hemisphere specializes in spatial and visual processing, emotional and intuitive thinking, and interpreting nonverbal cues.

Question 8

What shared roles do both hemispheres have?

Answer 8

Both hemispheres control functions for trunk and facial muscles and process taste and smell information.

Question 9

What is the role of the corpus callosum?

Answer 9

The corpus callosum allows communication between hemispheres; damage results in observable lateralization.

Question 10

What anatomical difference indicates language dominance?

Answer 10

The planum temporale, larger in the left hemisphere for about 65% of people, indicates a structural basis for language dominance.

Question 11

How do the hemispheres process visual and auditory information?

Answer 11

Each hemisphere processes the opposite visual field, while both ears send auditory information to both hemispheres.

Question 12

What are preserved abilities after split-brain surgery?

Answer 12

Individuals maintain intellectual abilities and routine tasks.

Question 13

What is independent hand function in split-brain patients?

Answer 13

Patients can use hands for different tasks simultaneously.

Question 14

What difficulty do split-brain patients face with coordination?

Answer 14

They struggle with new tasks requiring hands to work together.

Question 15

What is hemispheric specialization in split-brain patients?

Answer 15

The left hemisphere can verbally describe stimuli, while the right can guide actions but not speech.

Question 16

What are compensatory strategies in split-brain patients?

Answer 16

Adaptation over time to manage communication loss between hemispheres.

Question 17

What is inter-hemispheric conflict post-surgery?

Answer 17

Conflicts in actions can arise post-surgery, but adaptability reduces these over time.

Question 18

What is Broca’s Aphasia?

Answer 18

Damage to Broca’s area leads to slow, meaningful speech with good comprehension but difficulty with complex grammar.

Question 19

What is Wernicke’s Aphasia?

Answer 19

Damage to Wernicke’s area results in fluent but nonsensical speech and poor comprehension, especially of complex sentences.

Question 20

What is the relationship between consciousness and brain activity?

Answer 20

Consciousness links to brain activity; dualism (mind vs. brain) is largely replaced by monism (they are one).

Question 21

What is the threshold of consciousness?

Answer 21

A stimulus must reach a certain intensity and duration for awareness; conscious stimuli influence behavior and memory.

Question 22

How does attention influence decision-making?

Answer 22

Attention prioritizes stimuli for conscious recognition, influenced by goals (top-down) or novel stimuli (bottom-up).

Question 23

What marks the distinction between conscious and unconscious states?

Answer 23

Distinct brain activity marks conscious from unconscious states, with interconnected regions in conscious individuals enhancing awareness.

Question 24

What are perceptual decisions?

Answer 24

Perceptual decisions interpret sensory data, guided by the prefrontal cortex for quick judgments.

Question 25

What are value-based decisions?

Answer 25

Value-based decisions are influenced by past experiences and emotions, evaluated by brain regions such as the orbitofrontal cortex and ventromedial prefrontal cortex.

Question 26

What happens in the brain when seeing a loved one?

Answer 26

Activation of reward-related brain areas occurs when seeing a loved one; love integrates motivations, emotions, and memories.

Question 27

What is the role of oxytocin?

Answer 27

Oxytocin, known as the ‘love hormone,’ enhances maternal behavior and promotes pair bonding.

Question 28

How does oxytocin influence social behaviors?

Answer 28

Administered as a nasal spray, it influences social behaviors and emotional recognition, showing varying effects on trust and fidelity.