Introduction Flashcards

1
Q

What are the aims of neuropsychology?

A

To establish a relationship between psychological functions

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2
Q

What is the mind-body problem?

A

The body is physical. The mind is intangible. How can one influence the other?

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3
Q

What is phrenology?

A

The philosophy that cranial bumps reflect the size of brain regions, and so can be used to determine cognitive traits

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4
Q

What is Broca’s aphasia?

A

The word recall one

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5
Q

What is Wernicke’s aphasia?

A

The coherency one

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6
Q

Where is Broca’s area?

A

Left interior frontal lobe

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7
Q

Where is Wernicke’s area?

A

Superior temporal gyrus

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8
Q

What is prosopagnosia?

A

The inability to differentiate between faces

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9
Q

What are double dissociations?

A

Two different forms of neurological impairment, which rarely co-occur and appear to be mutually exclusive, though are related

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10
Q

What are the limitations of dissociation studies?

A

> Compensatory strategies
May be impaired in both, but more impaired in one
Methodological variation

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11
Q

What are the advantages of the lesion method of neurological study?

A

> Links specific brain regions to functions

> Advances theories of cognitive functioning

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12
Q

What are the limitations of the lesion method?

A

> Brain damage is not specific
Individual differences
Other brain regions may have a supporting role
Damaged region may be a major site, or just a connection
Compensation strategies

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13
Q

What are the advantages of single participant research designs?

A

> Comprehensive longitudinal insight

> Results are highly representative

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14
Q

What are the limitations of single person research designs?

A

> Invasive
May be confounded by medication
Little external validity
Not amenable to certain designs

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15
Q

What are the advantages of group studies?

A

> Increase external validity
Reduce sampling errors
Replication
Can use full range of research designs

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16
Q

What are the limitations of group studies?

A

> Heterogeneity of brain damage

> Individual differences can be masked by averaging

17
Q

What are the different neuropsychological methods of research?

A
> Cell recordings
> Electroencephalography (EEG)
> Magnetoencephalography (MEG)
> Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)
> Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
18
Q

What are the different behavioural methods of research?

A

> Reaction time
Accuracy
Eye tracking

19
Q

What are the problems with single-cell recordings in humans?

A

> Invasive
Difficult to isolate cells
Fluctuating baseline activity

20
Q

What are the advantages of EEG?

A

> Millisecond temporal resolution
Cheap, widely available
Measures ongoing activity
Noninvasive

21
Q

What are the limitations of EEG?

A

> Poor resolution
‘Inverse Problem’
Lots of trials needed to average the signal
Artefacts
Individual differences in strength of data
Time consuming

22
Q

What is EEG?

A

Recording electrical fluctuations across the scalp

23
Q

What are the shared advantages of EEG and MEG?

A

> Good temporal resolution

> Non-invasive

24
Q

What are the advantages MEG has over EEG?

A

> Signal not distorted by the skull
Quick
No direct contact of sensors

25
Q

What are the advantages of EEG over MEG?

A

> Cheap and widely available (MEG is extremely expensive)

26
Q

What is fMRI?

A

Inferring neural activity by measuring changing blood oxygen levels in the brain

27
Q

What is Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)?

A

Magnetically stimulating the surface of the brain to technologically disable some brain regions

28
Q

What are the advantages of TMS?

A

> Reversible
Timing is controllable
No neural reorganisation
Within subjects design is possible

29
Q

What are the limitations of TMS?

A

> Effects not fully understood
Restricted to surface regions
Not very precise

30
Q

What are the advantages of functional neuroimaging?

A

> Can localise function in healthy controls
Revealed activity in regions previously thought to be unrelated
Techniques can be used in a complimentary fashion

31
Q

What are the limitations of functional neuroimaging?

A

> Interpretation of data complex
No standard vocabulary
Poor reliability

32
Q

What are the possible confounding factors in neuropsychological research?

A
> Level of education
> Age
> Test type
> Assessor interactions
> Formality
>Compliance
> Malingering
> Reporting of facts
33
Q

What is malingering?

A

The exaggeration of symptoms for secondary benefits