Higher Cortical Function Flashcards
How are neurones arranged in the cortex
Laminar
Columnar
What are the cell types in cortical neurones
Pyramidal:
60%
Sole output and major input
Excitatory - glutamine
Interneurones:
40%
Modulate cortical activity
Inhibitory - GABA
What are the four sources of afferent fibres
What are the names of afferent fibres
Ipsilateral cortex - association fibres
Contralateral cortex - commissural fibres
Thalamus - thalamocortical fibres
Basal forebrain, brainstem, hypothalamus - cholinergic and aminergic fibres
What cells do efferent fibres consist of
What are the types of efferent fibres
Pyramidal cells only
Association fibres - to different area in same Cortex
Commissural fibres - to corresponding area in contralateral cortex
Projection fibres - basal ganglia, Thalamus, brainstem, spinal cord
What association areas are present in frontal lobe
Where are they located
Primary motor cortex - pre central gyrus
Broca’s area - inferior lateral frontal lobe on dominant side
Prefrontal cortex
What is the function of Broca’s area
Language generation:
Articulate words in order
What is the function of prefrontal cortex
Executive function:
Behaviour modulation
Cognition
Personality
What association areas are in parietal lobe
What structure runs through white matter of parietal lobe
Primary sensory cortex - post central gyrus
Superior optic radiation
What functions are carried out by parietal lobe
And on which hemisphere
Body image - non-dominant
Attention - non-dominant
Calculation - dominant
What association areas are in temporal lobe
What structure runs through white matter of temporal lobe
Wernicke area - superior temporal gyrus dominant hemisphere
Primary auditory cortex - superior temporal gyrus
Primary olfactory cortex
Inferior optic radiation
What functions are carried out by temporal lobe
On which hemisphere
Memory Emotional processing - non dominant Auditory processing Language comprehension - dominant Olfactory professing
What association areas are present in occipital lobe
Primary visual cortex
What does lateralisation mean
Tendency for certain brain functions to be carried out by one hemisphere
Which is the most common dominant hemisphere
Left - 95% people
What functions are carried out in dominant hemisphere
Language
Maths
Logic
(Sequential processing)
What functions are carried out in non-dominant hemisphere
Emotion
Body image (monitor relationship bw body + outside world)
Attention (awareness of external environment)
(Whole picture processing)
What is corpus callosum
Thick bundle of white matter connecting 2 hemispheres
Consists of commissural fibres bw corresponding areas in R+L hemispheres
Where is the language function carried out
Dominant hemisphere
Broca’s area
Wernicke area
Arcuate fasciculus
What does the Broca’s area do
Generation of language
By articulation of words in order
What does Wernicke area do
Comprehension of language
By processing and decoding of visual and auditory input into words
What does arcuate fasciculus do
Long association fibre that connects Wernicke area to Broca’s area
List the steps involved in repeating a heard word
- Primary auditory cortex: receives auditory stimuli as pattern of vibrations, process pattern into language
- Wernicke area: understand language by decoding of meaning (semantics) and arrangement (syntax) of words
- Broca’s area: generate language by developing grammatical relationships and sending instructions to PMC
List the steps involved in speaking a written word
- Primary visual cortex: receive visual input, identify and distinguish letters to process into visual stimuli to language
- Wernicke: understand language by memory search from orthographic cues to extract meaning (semantic retrieval)
- Broca’s: activate motor cortex to generate speech
What is aphasia
What is a common cause of aphasia
Inability to use language
Stroke due to occlusion of middle cerebral artery
