E. Cognitive Functions Flashcards
What is the dominant hemisphere for speech production in right-handers?
The left hemisphere is dominant for speech production in 95% of right-handers.
What functions is the left hemisphere responsible for?
The left hemisphere is responsible for speech comprehension and language-related functions.
Which side of the body does the left hemisphere control?
The left hemisphere controls the right side of the body (contralateral control).
What cognitive abilities are associated with the left hemisphere?
The left hemisphere is associated with logical reasoning, analytical tasks, and problem-solving.
What is the primary function of the right hemisphere?
The right hemisphere understands sentences but does not produce speech.
Which side of the body does the right hemisphere control?
The right hemisphere controls the left side of the body.
What types of processing does the right hemisphere specialize in?
The right hemisphere specializes in spatial and visual processing, emotional and intuitive thinking, and interpreting nonverbal cues.
What shared roles do both hemispheres have?
Both hemispheres control functions for trunk and facial muscles and process taste and smell information.
What is the role of the corpus callosum?
The corpus callosum allows communication between hemispheres; damage results in observable lateralization.
What anatomical difference indicates language dominance?
The planum temporale, larger in the left hemisphere for about 65% of people, indicates a structural basis for language dominance.
How do the hemispheres process visual and auditory information?
Each hemisphere processes the opposite visual field, while both ears send auditory information to both hemispheres.
What are preserved abilities after split-brain surgery?
Individuals maintain intellectual abilities and routine tasks.
What is independent hand function in split-brain patients?
Patients can use hands for different tasks simultaneously.
What difficulty do split-brain patients face with coordination?
They struggle with new tasks requiring hands to work together.
What is hemispheric specialization in split-brain patients?
The left hemisphere can verbally describe stimuli, while the right can guide actions but not speech.
What are compensatory strategies in split-brain patients?
Adaptation over time to manage communication loss between hemispheres.
What is inter-hemispheric conflict post-surgery?
Conflicts in actions can arise post-surgery, but adaptability reduces these over time.
What is Broca’s Aphasia?
Damage to Broca’s area leads to slow, meaningful speech with good comprehension but difficulty with complex grammar.
What is Wernicke’s Aphasia?
Damage to Wernicke’s area results in fluent but nonsensical speech and poor comprehension, especially of complex sentences.
What is the relationship between consciousness and brain activity?
Consciousness links to brain activity; dualism (mind vs. brain) is largely replaced by monism (they are one).
What is the threshold of consciousness?
A stimulus must reach a certain intensity and duration for awareness; conscious stimuli influence behavior and memory.
How does attention influence decision-making?
Attention prioritizes stimuli for conscious recognition, influenced by goals (top-down) or novel stimuli (bottom-up).
What marks the distinction between conscious and unconscious states?
Distinct brain activity marks conscious from unconscious states, with interconnected regions in conscious individuals enhancing awareness.
What are perceptual decisions?
Perceptual decisions interpret sensory data, guided by the prefrontal cortex for quick judgments.
What are value-based decisions?
Value-based decisions are influenced by past experiences and emotions, evaluated by brain regions such as the orbitofrontal cortex and ventromedial prefrontal cortex.
What happens in the brain when seeing a loved one?
Activation of reward-related brain areas occurs when seeing a loved one; love integrates motivations, emotions, and memories.
What is the role of oxytocin?
Oxytocin, known as the ‘love hormone,’ enhances maternal behavior and promotes pair bonding.
How does oxytocin influence social behaviors?
Administered as a nasal spray, it influences social behaviors and emotional recognition, showing varying effects on trust and fidelity.
