Lecture 15- Cognitive & Language neuropsychology Flashcards
What is cognitive neuropsychology?
Study of relationship between brain regions and behaviour. Historically linked to evidence from damaged brains but now imaging
What does cognitive psychology aim to do?
-Aims to assign psychological functions to particular brain structures (assuming we accept modularity of brain function)
What is modularity of brain function?
- Brain has different structures performing different roles and many functions rely on distributed brain systems eg language memory.
What is a criticism of modularity?
Despite the fact brain regions are specialised to perform roles, they may not map onto ideas of brain function.
What is the history of cognitive neuropsychology?
Phrenology- Depressions in skull indicate underdevelopment.
But most assessments were entirely subjective, outside of skull does not mirror inside of skull, never mind underlying brain.
Cranioscopy- Used as method of ‘personality’ assessment.
What is localisation of function?
Different parts of brain responsible for variations in individual differences.
What is the recovery process within cognitive psychology?
Fluorenes conducted experiments by lesioning parts of cortex from different animals to observe how it behaves. -At first they moved little and refused food/drink
-Later had recovery of function to the point of appearing normal
What can lesions in the brain lead to?
Lesions to brain stem led to permanent breathing difficulties and lesions to cerebellum led to loss of locomotor co-ordination
What is cytoarchitectonics in Brodmann’s areas?
-mapping the appearance of cortex under microscope
-Labelled zones based on cell organisation eg density,cell type, connections
What did Jean Bouilaud suggest about the brain?
-Suggested that certain functions were localised and lateralised: -Damage to left hemisphere impaired movement on the right side.
What did patient Tan show about brain localisation?
Patient ‘Tan’ who could only say tan, when they died found lesions on left frontal lobe which highlights lateralisation and localisation as he couldn’t speak but could complete tasks fine.
What is the anterior speech region?
Broca’s area
What syndrome do yo get from damage to Broca’s area?
Broca’s Aphasia
What is Broca’s aphasia?
Still having the knowledge of words and intelligence but not being able to complete sentences.
What did Carl Wernicke investigate?
Investigated region of cortex that receives info from the ear.
What is the region of the temporal lobe?
Wernicke’s area
What syndrome do you get from damage to Wernicke’s area?
Wernicke’s aphasia
What happens to patients with Wernicke’s aphasia?
spoke fluently but made no sense, could hear but not understand what was said to them.
What is Wernicke’s model of language processing?
Suggests sudatory info sent to:
1)Wernicke’s area (sound -> sound images) 2)Sound images transmitted along Arcuate Fasciculus to… 3)Broca’s area (speech movements)
Suggests of temporal lobes are damaged then individuals still produce speech but unable to be fluent.
What is Conduction Aphasia?
Impairment in the ability to repeat words/phrases despite intact comprehension and fluent speech production.
