Higher Function

Question 1

What are the six layers of the cerebral cortex?

Answer 1

• Layer I (Molecular)
• Layer II (External Granule)
• Layer III (External Pyramidal)
• Layer IV (Internal Granule)
• Layer V (Internal Pyramidal)
• Layer VI (Multiform)

Question 2

What are the three major types of cell types in the cerebral cortex?

Answer 2

Pyramidal, Stellate, and Fusiform

Question 3

This cell type in the cerebral cortex is a source of corticospinal projections and are the major efferent cell.

Answer 3

Pyramidal cells

Question 4

This cell type in the cerebral cortex has short axons, which function as interneurons. Excitatory neurons release glutamate and inhibitory neurons release GABA.

Answer 4

Granule cells

Question 5

This cell type in the cerebral cortex is the least numerous of the three and gives rise to output fibers from the cortex.

Answer 5

Fusiform cells

Question 6

Most ouput leaves the cerebral cortex via what layers?

Answer 6

Layer V and VI

Question 7

Most incoming sensory signals terminate in what layer?

Answer 7

Layer IV

Question 8

Most intracortical association functions of the cerebral cortex are associated with what layers?

Answer 8

Layers I, II, and III

Question 9

These areas of the brain integrate or associate info from diverse sources. They make up a large percent of the human cortex.

Answer 9

Association Areas

Question 10

These association areas of the brain are involved with prolonged thought processes-elaboration of thought. In addition they are involved with executive functions of behavior, working memory and the processing of emotion.

Answer 10

Prefrontal association areas

Question 11

This association area of the brain is involved with behavior, emotions, and motivation.

Answer 11

Limbic association area

Question 12

This association area deals with the analysis of spatial coordinates of the body, it is an area for language comprehension, an area for naming objects, and an area for recognition of faces/complex form.

Answer 12

Parieto-occipitotemporal association area

Question 13

This condition is characterized by impaired recognition of familiar faces

Answer 13

Prosopagnosia

Question 14

This condition occurs when the connections between the fusiform gyrus and the amygdala become damaged/lesioned. The subject thinks close relatives are imposters due to lack of emotion evoked by visually seeing them.

Answer 14

Capgras syndrome

Question 15

What are some functions of the prefrontal association area?

Answer 15

• Judgement
• Planning for the future
• Holding and organizing events from memory for prospective action
• Working memory

Question 16

If the dominant brain hemisphere sustains damage early in life, the non-dominant hemisphere can develop those capabilities of speech and language comprehension. What is this describing?

Answer 16

Plasticity

Question 17

This brain hemisphere is specialized for language based intellectual functions, interpretative functions of symbolism, understanding spoken, written words, analytical functions, and speech.

Answer 17

Usually left (dominant)

Question 18

This brain hemisphere is specialized for music, non verbal visual experiences, and spatial relations.

Answer 18

Usually right (non dominant)

Question 19

This structure allows for bidirectional communication between most of the two cortical hemispheres except for the anterior portions of the temporal lobe. It allows one hemisphere to inhibit the other.

Answer 19

Corpus callosum

Question 20

This structure allows for bidirectional communication between the anterior portions of the temporal lobe. It also allows for amygdala-emotional response transfer.

Answer 20

Anterior commissure

Question 21

This term is used to describe your ability to reconstruct the whole from a degraded fragment.

Answer 21

Memory

Question 22

This part of the brain is made up of the archicortex and paleocortex. It includes the hippocampal formation (hippocampus, dentate gyrus, and subiculum).

Answer 22

Allocortex (10% of cerebral cortex)

Question 23

What three layers does the hippocampus contain?

Answer 23

I, V, VI

Question 24

What three layers does the dentate gyrus contain?

Answer 24

I, IV, VI

Question 25

The hippocampal formation receives primary input from the entorhinal cortex of the parahippocampal gyrus through what pathways?

Answer 25

Perforant and alveolar pathways

Question 26

The hippocampal formation plays an important role in what types of memory?

Answer 26

Declarative and episodic memory

Question 27

The hippocampal formation functions as what, where sensory information is increasingly analyzed and refined as it passes from neuronal level to level.

Answer 27

Cortical gutter

Question 28

These are presumably the principal cells in each of the layers that fire in complex bursts when an animal moves through a specific location in an environment.

Answer 28

Hippocampal place cells

Question 29

Changes in sensitivity of synaptic transmission between neurons as a result of previous mental activity cause new pathways or facilitated pathways to develop what?

Answer 29

Memory traces

Question 30

What are positive memories associated with?

Answer 30

Facilitation

Question 31

What are negative memories associated with?

Answer 31

Habituation (suppression)

Question 32

How long does short term memory last?

Answer 32

Seconds to minutes

Question 33

How long does long term memory last?

Answer 33

Years to a lifetime