Lesion and Language part 1

Question 1

what is the earliest example of using the lesion method?

Answer 1

Broca in 1861
patient with lesion of inferior frontal gyrus

deficit in speech production

Damage to brocas area leads to brocas aphasia

Question 2

Where was the damage in wernicke patient?

Answer 2

Superior temporal gyrus

deficit in speech comprehension

Question 3

What is the lesion method good for?

Answer 3

Infer what mental process a brain area implements by observing what behavioural deficit a patient shows when that brain area is damaged

Question 4

In an assumption in cognitive neuropsychology what is the purpose of localization of function/modularity?

Answer 4

Each mental process is carried out by a particular part of the brain

thus mental process is carried out by brain areas

Question 5

What is the pros and cons of single case studies?

Answer 5

Pros:
one patient can be studied in great detail
allows the study of extremely rare conditions

Cons:
the pattern observed for one individual may not be representative of people in general (atypical brain)

Question 6

Group studies Pros and Cons?

Answer 6

Pros
avoid conclusions based on a single patient
more generalizable to the population

Cons:
the group average may not reflect any particular patient

Question 7

What are the sources of Brain damage?

Answer 7

Deprive them of o2/nutrients

damage them mechanically

subarachnoid hemorrhage

Question 8

What are characteristics of Brains that have been deprived of o2 and nutrients?

Answer 8

ISCHEMIA: blood flow is cut off or restricted/Tissue becomes oxygen and nutrient deprived (glucose)

Deprivation > 10 minutes cells die

Area of dead tissue: lesion or infarct

Question 9

What happens to a brain if it is damaged mechanically?

Answer 9

Blow to head or penetrating object (direct damage)

Increase intracranial pressure (cells are squashed)

Surgical removal of brain tissue
(cells are deliberately removed)

Question 10

What are the characteristics of a Subarachnoid Hemorrhage?

Answer 10

Rupture of a cerebral artery
-most arteries run along the surface of the brain in the subarachnoid space

Can lead to Ischemia

Can result in a subdural hematoma (a clot of blood on the surface of the brain- causes increased intracrainial pressure)

blood can block drainage of CSF from the ventricles (causes increased intracranial pressure)

Question 11

What is an Open head injury?

Answer 11

Brain injuries in which the skull in penetrated(can lead to focal brain lesions)

Question 12

What is a closed head injury?

Answer 12

A blow to the head

The brain is subjected to several mechanical forces due to acceleration/deceleration of brain inside the skull

Question 13

What can a head injury cause?

Answer 13

Direct structural damage to neurons and glia

Damage to cerebral vasculature (subarachnoid hemorrhage, subdural hematoma)

Cerebral edema  (swelling)
collection of fluid around damaged tissue
increased intracranial pressure (more squashing)

Question 14

What are Cerebrovascular blockages? what do they cause?

Answer 14

Blockages lead to ischemia and/ or hemorrhage

Thrombosis, Embolism, Arterissclerosis

Question 15

What are Aneurysms?

Answer 15

Vascular dilations (widenings) resulting from local defects in blood vessel elasticity

Question 16

What is a Stroke? or CVA

Answer 16

Sudden appearance of neurological symptoms as a result of severe interuption of blood flow

Question 17

What is an Infract?

Answer 17

An area of dead tissue resulting from an obstruction of blood vessels normally supplying the area (having a stroke can cause an infract)

Question 18

Location of damage depends on what?

Answer 18

Artery that is blocked or damaged

Question 19

What is a tumor?

Answer 19

A mass of new tissue that persists and grows independently of its surrounding structures and has no phsiological use

Question 20

What is a gliomas

Answer 20

Tumor that arise from glial cells

Question 21

What is a meningiomas?

Answer 21

Growths attached to the meninges

Question 22

What is a metastatic tumor?

Answer 22

Established by a transfer of tumor cells from elsewhere in the body

Question 23

What is Neurotoxicity?

Answer 23

Exposure to natural or manmade toxic substances

alters normal activity of the nervous system, disrupting or killing neurons and glia

Question 24

what are some examples of neurotoxins?

Answer 24

Radiation
heavy metals
Drugs
foods and additives
industrial cleaning solvents

Question 25

What are the neurological effect caused by Alcohol or MPTP?

Answer 25

Alcohol damages mammillary bodies (Korsakoff’s)

MPTP - substantia Nigra (Drug induced parkinsonism)

Question 26

epilepsy can cause what?

Answer 26

Can cause damage or can arise from damage

Question 27

Alzheimers does what

Answer 27

Causes widespread cortical degeneration

smaller brain

Question 28

Parkinsons causes what?

Answer 28

Causes degeneration of the substantia nigra

Question 29

What are two alternative conclusions in single disassociation?

Answer 29

Partial damage argument

compensation argument

Question 30

What can lesion studies help establish?

Answer 30

Necessity of a brain for a cognitive function

Question 31

What are issues with the lesion method?

Answer 31

Preexisting patient variability

variability of lesion

poor temporal and spatial resolution

Question 32

What is the issue with compensatory strategies for the lesion method?

Answer 32

Patients may use alternative strategies to complete tasks that normally depend on damaged areas

Question 33

What is an issue with Fibers of passage?

Answer 33

Damaged in an area not directly involved in a task