Higher Cortical Functions Flashcards
What provides inputs to the cerebral cortex?
Thalamus
Cortical areas
What provides outputs from the cerebral cortex?
Pyramidal cells
What are the roles of the frontal lobe?
Motor Expression of speech Behavioural regulation Cognition Eye movements Continence
What are the signs of a frontal lobe lesion?
Personality changes
Inability to solve problems
What are the roles of the parietal lobe?
Sensory Comprehension of speech Body image Awareness of external enciromnent Calculation + writing
What are signs of a parietal lobe lesion?
Contralateral attention deficits
What are the roles of the temporal lobe?
Hearing
Olfaction
Memory
Emotion
What are signs of a temporal lobe lesion?
Recognition deficits
What is the role of the left hemisphere?
Sequential processing
- language
- maths
What is the role of the right hemisphere?
‘Whole picture’ processing
- body image
- visuospatial awareness
- emotion
What is the corpus callosum?
Bundle of white matter connecting the hemispheres
What hemisphere are the language pathways normally in?
Dominant - left
What are the main areas of the language pathways?
Broca’s area
Wernicke’s area
Where is Broca’s area?
Inferior lateral frontal lobe
What is the role of Broca’s area?
Production of speech
Where is Wernicke’s area?
Superior temporal lobe
What is the role of Wernicke’s area?
Interpretation of speech
What connects Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas?
Arcuate fasciculus
What is the pathway for repeating a heard word?
Primary sensory input from the ear -> Wernicke’s
Instructs Broca’s how to form the word
Broca’s translates into movement
What is the pathway for speaking a written word?
Wernicke’s interprets written word from visual cortex
Broca’s translates it into speech
What is the pathway for speaking a thought?
Inputs from cerebral cortex to Wernicke’s
Broca’s translates it into speech
What is Broca’s aphasia?
Expressive aphasia
Understands what is said
But unable to fluently respond
Speaks in short sentences
What is Wernicke’s aphasia?
Fluent aphaisa
Speak fluently
But do not understand what is says
Speak in nonsense
