Neuroanatomy and Neurochemistry of Cognition

Question 1

What is cognition?

Answer 1

The mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience and the senses

Question 2

What are the functions of the frontal lobe?

Answer 2

Voluntary movement
Reasoning
Executive function
Personality
Inhibition
Initiative
Expressive language

Question 3

How is the frontal lobe tested?

Answer 3

1) Verbal fluency (as many words beginning with F in 60 seconds)
2) Cognitive estimates
3) Proverb interpretation
4) Perseveration
5) Luria 3 step test (fist,edge, palm)
6) Go-no-go test.
7) Primitive reflexes

Question 4

What are the main functions of the parietal lobe?

Answer 4

Knowing right from left
Reading
Writing
Body orientation
Calculation
Two point discrimination
Graphaethesia

Question 5

What can a parietal lobe lesion in the dominant hemisphere cause?

Answer 5

Dysphasia
Dyscalculia
Dyslexia
Apraxia
Agnosia (tactile agnosia) – inability to recognize or discriminate.
Gerstmann syndrome – Characterized by acalculia, agraphia, finger anomia and difficulty in differentiation of right and left.

Question 6

What can a parietal lobe lesion in the non-dominant hemisphere cause?

Answer 6

Spatial disorientation
Constructional apraxia
Dressing apraxia
Anosognosia

Question 7

What are the functions of the temporal lobe?

Answer 7

Understanding speech
Memory
Hearing
Emotions
Sense of identity
Recognising faces

Question 8

What is the role of the limbic system?

Answer 8

It is believed to have a special role in emotional experience and visceral regulation

Question 9

What does the primary structure of the limbic system consist of?

Answer 9

Hypothalamus
Amygdala
Hippocampus and Dentate Gyrus
Cingulate Gyrus

Question 10

What are the functions of the hippocampus?

Answer 10

Forming new memories

Spatial memory and navigation

Question 11

What makes up the circuit of Papez?

Answer 11

Hippocampus, fornix, mamillary bodies, anterior thalamic nuclei, cingulate gyrus and enterohinal cortex

Question 12

What are the functions of the Amygdala?

Answer 12

Emotions:
Right sided- negative emotions such as fear and sadness
Left sided- both pleasant and unpleasant emotions plus reward system

Question 13

What are the 3 stages of memory?

Answer 13

Encoding
Storage
Retrieval

Question 14

What are the types of LTM?

Answer 14

Explicit Memory:
Declarative memory- episodic and semantic memory
Implicit Memory:
Procedural memory

Question 15

What does acetylcholine act as?

Answer 15

A modulator (alters way other brain structures process information, rather than a chemical transferring information from point to point)

Question 16

What is the definition of dementia?

Answer 16

Progressive cognitive decline:
Interfere with the ability to function at work or at usual activities; and
Represent a decline from previous levels of functioning and performing; and
Are not explained by delirium or major psychiatric disorder
The cognitive or behavioural impairment involves a minimum of 2 domains

Question 17

What does a probable Lewy Body Dementia diagnosis require?

Answer 17

Dementia plus two or more core features, or:

Dementia plus one core feature and one or more suggestive features

Question 18

What does a possible Lewy Body Dementia diagnosis require?

Answer 18

Dementia plus one core feature, or:

Dementia plus one or more suggestive features

Question 19

What are the 3 types of fronto-temporal dementia?

Answer 19

1) Behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia
2) Semantic dementia
3) Progressive non fluent aphasia

Question 20

What is usually preserved in fronto-temporal dementia?

Answer 20

Memory
Perception
Spatial Skills
Praxis

Question 21

What is the neuropathology of fronto-temporal dementia?

Answer 21

Pick Bodies (tau positive spherical cytoplasmic neuronal inclusions, composed of straight filaments
Pick cells (ballooned neurons with dissolution of chromatin)

Question 22

What is alcohol related dementia causes by?

Answer 22

Long term and excessive consumption of alcohol

Question 23

What is required to diagnose alcohol related dementia?

Answer 23

Memory impairment plus one of:
Apraxia
Aphasia
Agnosia
Disturbance in executive function and functional impairment