L10

Question 1

what is cognitive control

Answer 1

The set of psychological processes that contribute to
planning, controlling and regulating the flow of information processing

These processes bias the selection of action and thoughts to enable goal-directed behaviour

eg we have a large number of actions that we could perform but the brain selects the one with the best outcome

Question 2

what happens when cognitive control is missing from an individual

Answer 2

utilisation behaviour

This behaviour is controlled/driven by the environment

Question 3

when did gage have damage to and what was speared

Answer 3

the lesion damaged the ventromedial
region of both frontal lobes while sparing
the dorsolateral.”

Question 4

what structures is the frontal cortex divided into (lateral view of brain)

posterior to anterior

Answer 4

motor cortex

premotor cortex

dorsolateral and ventrolateral prefrontal cortexes

orbitofrontal cortex (vmPFC)

Question 5

what structures is the frontal cortex divided into (midsagittal view of brain)

posterior to anterior

Answer 5

motor cortex

supplementary motor area

ACC

medial prefrontal cortex

Question 6

what are habits

Answer 6

Learned subconscious behaviours

Question 7

does cognitive control have control over habits or gold directed actions

Answer 7

gold directed actions (both long and short term)

Question 8

what are the key components of cognitive control

Answer 8

working memory

inhibitory control

set shifting (switching from doing one task to another)

abstract thought

Question 9

is the prefrontal cortex necessary for working memory or associative memory

Answer 9

working memory

Question 10

what is the difference between working memory and associative memory

Answer 10

working = food is either on the left or the right every time and the monkey has to remember therefore there are no external ques to indicate the location of food

associative is when the food is always under a specific shape

Question 11

what are delay cells

Answer 11

in a delayed response task some prefrontal cortex cells respond during the cue period and other during the delay period

the cells that fire in the delay period are the delay cells are they are thought to be the holding cells of memory

Question 12

what is the n-back test

Answer 12

it is a test of working memory

a 0-back would respond to the target

1-back = respond when the same letter appears 1 back (2 of the same letters in a row)

2-back respond when the same letter occurs 2 back

Question 13

in the n-back test what is a lure

Answer 13

A lure is something that you could respond to but is incorrect

eg if you are doing a 3-back test and you see a b and then another b 2 back. it is a trick because they want you to respond to 3 back

Question 14

what happens to brain activity during a lure

Answer 14

you get an increase in brain activity which is associated with a greater working memory span

this could be the brain telling you not to respond

Question 15

what is the tower of london test

Answer 15

you have 3 balls and 3 poles. the first pole you can fit one ball on and the 3rd you can fit all three balls on

The goal is to reach a target configuration with a specified number of moves. One ball
at a time, max 2 on middle post, max 1 on left post. Complexity increases

Question 16

what area of the brain is activated in the tower of london task

Answer 16

dorsolateral prefrontal cortex

Question 17

during working memory tests when is the lateral prefrontal cortex activated

Answer 17

Single neuron responses in lateral PFC during what and where delays

eg you have a fixation point, an object is shown at that point and this then taken away (what)

then the objects is shown again at a different point and then taken away (where)

Question 18

what does the PFC allow for in terms of the temporal cortex

Answer 18

Prefrontal cortex allows for manipulation of representations in temporal cortex

this suggests that the prefrontal cortex helps maintain signals from the temporal cortex

Question 19

what is the Wisconsin card test

Answer 19

card with different shapes that are different colours with different numbers of shapes on them

After 10 correct the clinician changes the rules

The people with frontal lobe damage can do the first bit fine but struggle when the rules change

Question 20

what does the wisconsin card test show in individuals with frontal lobe damage

Answer 20

they lack the ability to switch

this is called preservation

Question 21

what is preservation of behaviour

Answer 21

This is when you have a behaviour that was reinforced is hard to deter from

Question 22

when does dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activation increase

Answer 22

with increased complexity of the task

Question 23

define self-control

Answer 23

Where previously reinforced, highly reinforcing, or well learned (habitual) responses have to be supressed

Question 24

what does self control allow for

Answer 24

Self-control encompasses behaviours that enable us to forgo immediate temptations in favour of more beneficial delayed rewards.

Question 25

what is self control associated with

Answer 25

Self-control has been associated with superior academic, professional, and personal outcomes.

less self control as a child (1-3) makes you more likely to become a criminal

Question 26

when does the most brain development occur (PFC)

Answer 26

between the ages of 5 and 20

Question 27

describe Synaptic development in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of the human brain

Answer 27

There is a steady increase in spine up to 3-5 years old and then you get a reduction peaking at puberty which is where there seems to be some pruning

consolidation of the ones that are useful for you

Question 28

describe behavioural performance in an emotional go/no-go task

(press the button on a calm face and not a happy face)

Answer 28

teenagers make more false alarms

Question 29

what is the trail making task

Answer 29

like a connect the dots
eg (1-2-3-4-ect)

you make this harder by adding in other variables eg (1-a-2-b-3-c-ect)

Question 30

what does the trail making task show in terms of activation of the prefrontal cortex

Answer 30

the more it lights up the better you are at this