Language and cognition

Question 1

cognition

Answer 1

The acquisition, retention and use of information that allows successful behaviour in our complex and changing environment

Question 2

perceptual qualities

Answer 2

Modal qualities (e.g. pitch, volume, timbre, harmonics for audition

Question 3

Primary areas receive

Answer 3

unprocessed modality data, association areas (also called higher-order areas) along with sub-cortical components

Question 4

Multi-sensory integration

Answer 4

Combination of processed sensory perceptions (vision, temperature, sound) are used to determine what is happening, and where it’s happening

Question 5

Multi-sensory integration – for motor output pathway

Answer 5

1. Sensory information about the environs and body project to the primary cortical areas (visual, somatosensory, auditory)
2. Information is then passed to the sensory association areas in the parietal lobe and the temporal lobe for integration.
3. From there integrated information is shared with the supplementary motor cortex (which is processing information about intent in association with other frontal lobe areas) & thence to the pre- & motor cortex to allow incorporation of sensory input into planned integrated motor events

Question 6

Synaesthesia

Answer 6

The conflation of sensory experiences from one sensory domain with those from another, or the mixing of two modalities of the same sensory domain

Question 7

olour-graphemic synaesthesia

Answer 7

Black and white shapes are perceived in colour

Question 8

what happens when you read the written word

Answer 8

•Visual information is passed to Wernicke’s area via the angular gyrus, and so on to Broca’s area etc.

Question 9

conduction aphasia occurs when?

Answer 9

occurs when the link between the two areas (the arcuate faciculus) is damaged, and is typified by a reduced ability to repeat spoken words.

Question 9

conduction aphasia occurs when?

Answer 9

occurs when the link between the two areas (the arcuate faciculus) is damaged, and is typified by a reduced ability to repeat spoken words.

Question 10

What happens when you hear, understand and repeat spoken words

Answer 10

1. Afferent information arrives at the auditory cortex and Wernicke’s area (left temporal lobe).
2. Wernicke’s area comprehends the words and passes the information to Broca’s area for sentence construction and syntax.
3. Broca’s area stimulates the motor cortex to control the lips & tongue etc.

Question 10

What happens when you hear, understand and repeat spoken words

Answer 10

1. Afferent information arrives at the auditory cortex and Wernicke’s area (left temporal lobe).
2. Wernicke’s area comprehends the words and passes the information to Broca’s area for sentence construction and syntax.
3. Broca’s area stimulates the motor cortex to control the lips & tongue etc.

Question 11

aphasia

Answer 11

the partial or complete loss of language abilities following brain damage

Question 12

Wernicke’s Aphasia

Answer 12

Speech flows but is often nonsensical because the patient has reduced comprehension of speech (their own and sometimes others) consequently sentence meaning is very poor. they also cannot understand written information

Question 13

Broca’s Aphasia

Answer 13

Also known as motor or non-fluent aphasia Patients have difficulty speaking- often stuttering to find the right word. Patients are aware they are making little sense. They have largely no problem responding to the spoken or written word.

Question 14

What does the right side of the brain contribute to in terms of language

Answer 14

emotional context

Question 15

dysfunction of areas approximating to Broca’s and Wernicke’s result in

Answer 15

aprosodias, which causes robotic or monotonic speech patterns. they cant express or understand emotion in someones voice

Question 16

wada’s test

Answer 16

one side of the brain is anaesthetised via the appropriate internal carotid artery and the subject is tested for speech, if the dominant side is the one that remains awake then the speech is uneffected

Question 17

Positron emission tomography (PET)

Answer 17

Requires a cyclotron
Poor spatial resolution
Can localise a neurotransmitter system

Question 18

CT

Answer 18

Can differentiate white and grey matter and shows ventricles. Resolution of about 3mm

Question 19

MRI + Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

Answer 19

cheap and non toxic

imaging blood flow based on the amount of haemoglobin/ oxyhemoglobin detected within an area

• as neural activity increases so does the requirement for glucose and so blood flow, allows longer repeated studies