Frontal Cortex

Question 1

Frontal Cortex

important in?

Answer 1

Has many reciprocal connections with Amygdala, more so than any other cortical area

• Important in expressing, inhibiting and reading emotion…

Question 2

Anterior Insular Cortex

connected to

Answer 2

medial to anterior Temporal Lobes; also includes primary Gustatory Cortex

• This area also connected to hindbrain cranial nerves for control of facial muscles

Question 3

Damage to Anterior Insular Cortex

Answer 3

Damage=>Patients can show teeth voluntarily, but cannot spontaneously smile
= Emotional Facial Paresis

Damage => impairs recognition & production of Disgust; Co-opted in humans as a social reaction

Question 4

Contrast Anterior Insular Cortex to Primary Motor Cortex for facial area and/or its connections to facial nerves

damage?

Answer 4

Damage=> Patients can spontaneously smile (jokes, tickling), but cannot show teeth voluntarily (“smile for the camera”)

= Volitional Facial Paraesis

Question 5

Emotional Facial Paresis

Answer 5

Patients can show teeth voluntarily, but cannot spontaneously smile

Question 6

Volitional Facial Paresis

Answer 6

Patients can spontaneously smile (jokes, tickling), but cannot show teeth voluntarily (“smile for the camera”)

Question 7

Gambling Task

normlas?

prefrontal-lesioned?

amygdala lesioned?

Answer 7

Consider diff performance of Normals, Amygdala-Lesioned and Prefrontal-Lesioned subjects

• Task: Pick cards from 4 piles to learn about each pile’s payoff/penalty profile
• 2 have good payoffs but very bad occasional penalties. Other 2 have smaller payoffs & smaller penalties
• After some experience with this task…
• Normals feel anxiety before taking from bad piles & shift to better, even before can explain decision
• Prefrontal-Lesioned – Do not develop anticipatory anxiety or shift, tho show negative emotion at penalty
• Amygdala-Lesioned - No anticipatory anxiety, no shift, no feeling negative emotion at penalty

Question 8

Normals in Gambling Task

Answer 8

feel anxiety before taking from bad piles (anticipatory anxiety) & shift to better, even before they can explain decision

Question 9

Prefrontal-Lesioned in Gambling Task

Answer 9

Do not develop anticipatory anxiety or shift, tho show negative emotion at penalty

Question 10

Amygdala-Lesioned in Gamling Task

Answer 10

No anticipatory anxiety, no shift, no feeling negative emotion at penalty

Question 11

• Prefrontal Cortex Damage&raquo_space;

Answer 11

> > loss of inhibition, socially-inappropriate behavior, sudden aggression

Question 12

Phineas Gage and Prefrontal Cortex Damage

Answer 12

Phineas Gage, survived steel rod through cheek, in/out of Prefrontal Cortex
- Cognition ok but “personality” radically changed, irresponsible, volatile, indifferent to consequences

Question 13

Contemporary work implicates Prefrontal in Theory of Mind

Answer 13

= attribute knowledge, emotion to others

• Inappropriate Prefrontal-Amygdala interaction may be critical in Autism (involves ToM deficits)
• ? May result from premature level of Prefrontal, before sufficient connections with Amygdala?

Question 14

Interpretation of own responses and impact of stress

rat example

Answer 14

• e.g. Helplessness under duress can lead to overactive Parasympathetic Rebound,> ulcers
• 2 rats yoked together, both receive same shocks to tail if one does not run in wheel at signal
  - Rat who runs does NOT develop ulcers, but rat w/no active response DOES (tho same shock)
  
  • But if non-active rat has Prefrontal lesion, does not react emotionally & does not develop ulcers