Lecture 10 - Higher Cortical Function (language And Memory) Flashcards
How is the cerebral cortex structured?
6 layers of cell bodies and dendrites (grey matter)
What type of neurones are the output neurones of the cerebral cortex (e.g UMN)?
Pyramidal neurones
What are the 3 type so output neurones from the cerebral cortex?
Projection fibres going down to brainstem and cord (UMN))
Commissural fibres going between hemispheres (corpus callosum)
Association fibres connecting nearby regions of cortex in the same hemisphere
Where do most inputs to the cerebral cortex come from?
Thalamus and cortical areas
What structure do inputs come from leading to the. Cerebral cortex which maintain cortical activation causing conscienceness?
Reticular formation
What is the importance of interneurones?
Connect inputs and outputs in a complex way giving rise to:
-behaviour
-emotion
-memory
What are the main functions of the frontal lobes?
Motor function (pre central gyrus)
Expression of speech (motor part of speech)
Behaviour regualtion
Cognition
Eye movements
Continence
Which cerebral hemisphere is the main hemisphere involved in the expression of speech?
Which lobe?
Left hemisphere
Frontal lobe
What type of dementia do patients often become aggressive and erratic in behaviour?
Why?
Fronto-temporal dementia
Frontal lobe affected leading to behavioural regressionnn since frontal lobe regulates/inhibts behaviour
Why would damage to the frontal lobe cause problems with conjugate gaze and other. Eye movements?
Frontal lobe contains frontal eye fields
What is the function of the parietal lobes?
Sensory (posterior to central gyrus, post-central sulcus)
Comprehension of speech
Body image
Awareness of external environment (attention)
Calculation and writing
Visual pathways
Which parietal lobe is important in body image?
Right parietal lobe
What is meant by the parietal lobes are repsonsible for body image?
Understands that your body exists
E.g someone has bilateral parietal lobe damage, they think they are dead and think that their body is rotting away
What is neglect in terms of parietal lobe damage?
When a parietal lobe (normally the right parietal lobe) is damaged people think that one Half of the universe doesn’t exist (pretends left side of whatever’s in front of them doesn’t exist)
Which hemisphere/parietal lobe is repsonsible for the COMPREHENSION of speech?
Left hemisphere
What visual pathway projects through the white matter of the parietal lobes?
Superior optic radiations
What other lobe does the parietal lobe work with to do calculation and writing?
Frontal lobe
What are the functions of the temporal lobes?
Comprehension of speech
Hearing
Memory
Emoticon
Visual pathways pass through
Which visual pathways pass through the temporal lobes?
Inferior optic radiations
Which temporal lobe/hemisphere is predominantly responsible for comprehension of speech?
Left hemisphere / left temporal lobe
What type of processing does the left hemisphere do?
What type of processing does the right hemisphere do?
L = sequential processing
R = whole picture processing
What are some sequential processes that the left hemisphere is repsonsible for?
Language
Mathematics/logic