Exam 2: Neuroanatomy Part 2, deck 2

Question 1

Why Talk About This Topic?—Disorders of Consciousness

Answer 1

◦ Voluntary = an act of the will
◦ Conscious = aware of self and others
◦ Motor act = movements of the body

So, consciousness is at the core of what we do every time we speak.

Question 2

Core Consciousness

Answer 2

• Our sense of ourselves in the here and now
• Our sense of objects in the here and now
• Our sense of the relationship between these objects and ourselves.

Question 3

Reticular Activating
System

Answer 3

RAS projects to the cerebral cortex.

Question 4

Assessing Consciousness

Answer 4

Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)

15-point scale that attempts to measure a
person’s level of consciousness
◦ 13 or greater = possible minor brain injury
◦ 9–12 = moderate brain injury
◦ Less than 9 = severe brain injury
◦ Less than 8 = coma.

Question 5

Rancho Levels of Cognitive Functioning (RLCF)

Answer 5

8-level scale
- Tracks a person’s emergence from coma
- Level I = lowest level
- Level VIII = highest level

Question 6

Two Other Conditions Related to Discussion of Conscious

Answer 6

• Out-of-body experiences (OBEs): sense of leaving one’s own body; loss of feeling of embodiment
• Near-death experiences (NDEs): elaborate
  experiences with cognitive, affective,
  paranormal, and transcendental elements.

Question 7

SLP: Coma Stimulation

Answer 7

Systematic application of stimulation to a
person’s five senses
◦ Vision
◦ Hearing
◦ Smell
◦ Taste
◦ Touch

Purpose: to speed emergence from coma.

Question 8

What Are Executive
Functions?

Answer 8

Cognitive functions that order and manage all other cognitive functions (e.g., attention, memory) for the purpose of setting and attaining goals.

Question 9

What Is Attention?

Answer 9

A person’s ability to focus (i.e., focused
attention) on a stimulus in the environment.

Question 10

What Is Memory?

Answer 10

The storage of information
◦ Working memory: space for manipulation
◦ Short-term memory: time in seconds
◦ Long-term memory: time in days to years.

Question 11

Treating Memory:
The 4 Rules of Memory

Answer 11

• Rule #1: You cannot remember what you
  do not pay attention to.
• Rule #2: You cannot remember (in the
  long term) what you do not understand.
• Rule #3: You must practice memory when
  the outcome is not apparent (e.g.,
  practicing piano).
• Rule #4: Memory is an active process; you
  must actively manipulate it to store it.

Question 12

Treating Memory:
Internal Memory Strategies

Answer 12

• Repetition (neuroplasticity – repetition matters!)
• Visualization (visualize notes; turn info. into story)
• Association (mnemonics)
• Grouping (place like items together)
• Writing it down (physical writing improves memory)

Question 13

Treating Memory:
External Memory Strategies

Answer 13

• Calendars
• To-do lists
• Journals
• Electronic organization
• Electronic reminders