Higher Cognition

Question 1

6 components of cognition?

Answer 1

Language, social, decision making, executive functioning, memory, and visual perception

Question 2

At a neuronal level, cognition is produced by extensive synaptic interactions produced by the blank neurons of the neocortical association cortices?

Answer 2

Pyramidal cells

Question 3

3 systems in order of sequence leading to spoken language?

Answer 3

Language conceptual system
Language mediational system
Language implementation system
Spoken language

Question 4

4 structures in the brain involved in the final common pathway, which is the language implementation system?

Answer 4

Wernickes
Arcuate fasciculus
Broca’s area
Facial area of motor cortex

Question 5

What is language like in babies younger than 6 months?
What about 6-9 months?
1 year?

Answer 5

They recognize all sounds that might be language as distinct sounds
They recognize language sounds of their native language and drop everything else
This process is complete and the child’s babbling will turn to true spoken word

Question 6

What is the difference between learning a second language during the language acquisition phase or after in life?

Answer 6

The second language uses the same pathway if done in the language acquisition period.
If done after, it uses an area in Broca’s area.

Question 7

Two main components of social cognition?

Answer 7

Emotion comprehension (recognition)
Theory of mind

Question 8

How do we best define social cognition and what does this imply, 2 things?

Answer 8

The ability to infer the emotional state of another person from observable information

So…facial expressions and prosody (tone and meaning of speech)

Question 9

The neural circuits for recognizing emotions in others are also involved in what?

Answer 9

Producing those same emotions in us

Question 10

What is step 1 of facial expression comprehension in others?

What two places is this going on in the brain?

Answer 10

Perception of facial expressions requires that we identify a face as something special

Superior temporal sulcus and fusiform gyrus

Question 11

What is step 2 in comprehending facial expressions in others?
3 places involved in the brain?

Answer 11

Bring in the emotional component

Amygdala, Anterior cingulate cortex, and prefrontal cortex

Question 12

The facial details that cue us as to what emotion we are seeing in another person are concentrated where?
What structure controls the use of our eyes in dialing in on this location?

Answer 12

In a triangle containing the eyes, nose and mouth

Amygdala

Question 13

3 areas of the brain and their function for imitating other people’s motions?

Answer 13

1. Posterior sector of the superior temporal sulcus - provides the visual input
2. Posterior mirror neuron system - identifies the motor action
3. Anterior mirror neuron system - identifies the goal of the action

Question 14

What structure allows the circuit for imitating to interact with the limbic system?

Answer 14

Insula

Question 15

Step 1 of perception of prosody and what place in the brain does this?

Answer 15

Primary auditory cortex is required for basics of sound processing.

Question 16

Step 2 of prosody perception and place in the brain?

Answer 16

Primary auditory cortex sends the information to the right posterior superior temporal sulcus where we begin to piece together the meaning of the speech.

Question 17

Step 3 of perception of prosody and place in the brain?

Answer 17

The frontal cortex judges the emotional stimulus

Question 18

Definition of theory of mind?

Answer 18

Ability to understand the mental states of others and appreciate their difference

Question 19

What is the core pathway of theory of mind?

Answer 19

Amygdala and connections to the medial temporal lobes and orbitofrontal areas.

Question 20

What are two accessory pathways of theory of mind?

Answer 20

Language, which is believed to serve as the scaffolding for theory of mind.
Executive functioning

Question 21

What is the job of the stimulus encoding system and whats are the 3 parts?

Answer 21

Evaluates the evidence available in making the decision
Orbitofrontal cortex
Ventromedial prefrontal cortex
Striatum

Question 22

What is the job of the action selection system and what part of the brain?

Answer 22

Learns and encodes the subjective value of the results and is involved in error detection.
Anterior cingulate cortex

Question 23

What is the job of the expected reward system and what 4 parts of the brain?

Answer 23

Predicts the expected reward

Basal ganglia
Amygdala
Insular cortex
Intraparietal cortex

Question 24

Decisions in which the risks are explicitly known relies on which system?

Answer 24

Stimulus encoding system

Question 25

Decisions in which the risks are unknown rely most heavily on what two systems?

Answer 25

Expected reward system and action selection system

Question 26

Stimulus encoding system deal with what type of risks and predicts what?
Expected reward system deals with what risks and predicts what?
Action selection system deals with what risks and helps with what?

Answer 26

Known and predicts consequences
Unknown and predicts reward
Unknown and learns from mistakes and encodes results

Question 27

Posterior sector of the superior temporal sulcus provides?
Posterior mirror neurons provide?
Anterior mirror neurons provide?

Answer 27

Provides visual input
Identifies the motor action
Identifies the goal of the action