How we find out about the brain Flashcards
Give example of how war has increased knowledge of brain
Veterans often develop PTSD after deployment, such as post-vietnam.
Outline brain study war
Kuhn: MRI of soldiers before and after deployment showed volumetric decreases in ACC adn vmPFC that persisted 6 months post deployment compared to controls.
However, no correlation to volumetric decreases and PTSD, self reported, lack of females tested and when first MRI done soldiers already knew if deployed etc.
How does removal of some part of brain teach us about the brain?
If significant deficits after removal we can theorise that part removed responsible for role.
Outline brain removal case study.
HM, Anese: childhood epilepsy after head injury that got worse and v responsive to anticonvulsants.
Bilateral ablasion of medial temporal lobe (hippo, dentate gyrus).
Seizure freq reduced and intellect intact along with non-declarative and
semantic memory.
Anterograde amnesia, white matter tracts pathologic.
Define aphasia
Difficulty with language or speech
Causes of aphasia
stroke, head injury, tumor, dementia
What kind of aphasia is associated with good comprehension but poor speech and site of brain damage?
Broca’s (also known as non-fluent)
Motor association cx of frontal lobe
What kind of aphasia is associated with poor comprehension and meaningless but fluent speech and site of brain damage?
Wernicke’s (fluent)
Posterior temporal lobe
What kind of aphasia is associated with good comprehension, speech but inability to repeat a phrase, site of brain damage?
Conduction
Arculate fasciculus
What type of aphasia is associated with poor comprehension and little speech, site of brain damage?
Global
Broca’s and Wernicke’s
What has aphasia taught us?
Broca’s and wernicke’s areas vital for: fluency and context (makes sense) respectively.
What is the role of the arculate fasciculus
Connects Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas.
Ivanova, 2021: showed left tracts most critical, damage to posterior led to lowest language scores.
How can animal work further understanding of brain?
Belief that genes largely conserved in evolution. E.g. some ion channels identical molecular makeup.
Can also be used to study behaviour, this is more challenging to apply to humans.
Outline animal study that has furthered knowledge about brain
Land: Dopamine deficient mice can develop CPA.
So dopamine not necessary for producing aversion in mice and poss humans.
State and outline case study on brain injury
Gage, Damasio: Iron pole to prefrontal region.
Observed: memory intact but complete personality change from amicable and reliable to opposite.
